FEILDING.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 8, 14 November 1877, Page 3

FEILDING.

w[FlldM:^6lTß;pWK CoBEESPONI>KNT.] •■' The Bishop pf Wellington, presided Gpye'r^'V^imeeti^ Church, of England at the Immigrants' :■• Bepot/at ß p.ni.; on 'SaUffdiy, the 1 10 th * inst...;''^ 1 "- —'.'-?■ / .'.-' : .'" '■".' ■"-. '.i He explained m the 'course of his ad-dress-tote; f orm of ChuriehL organization that was proposed to be established for the present m that place and itsrneigh.bournood, and he .invited those present; to ask him questions after he would sit down. He explained the difference be r tween a parish and a parochial districts -To i :i ''"foiiß a. : -. parish requires that the Synod be petitioned to form a district into a parish, and there must be a ! ' church* a parsonage, and an adequate stipend. \ There are ; piily f our regularly constituted parishes m the Diocese ; neither Grey town nor Mastertori were yet constituted parishes, but both places were included m a .parochial district. There was no distinct rule laid down ;-ipr the formation of a parochial district, •but he assumed that that place was m a position to enable its being formed into a parochial district. They had a Church. .Committee and they would haTe a ; Clergyman before long, and he thought -it; advisable tp proceed to form a Vestr^; as near as possible as laid down m theirs Act. ItwaSiproposedthratPalmerston, ; Halcombe, Feildmg, and Awahuri be. included m pne'parochial;district; and it was proposed that Sandon and Bulls be constituted another district by and bye. :MfeSt. Hffl^frpm Napier, was appointed their; clergyman,' and would divide his 1 time between that place, Pal-

merston, and the rest of the district. He did not know if sufficient notice : was given to enable them to proceed that night to elect their Church "Wardens and Vestry. There would require to be not less than three nor more than ten elected. He would lilce tb learn their financial position and . how much they could contribute towards a clergyman's stipend; Mr: A. F. Halcpmbe, on behalf of those present, thanked his ' Lordship for his explanation, and wished to know if that, district „was' to he i joined to Palmerstoii: m; one ; parochial district how far they could act independently of each, other, and how.far they could work tbgether. Wpuld jfchisy find a part of a vestry an>l Palmer s ton or have one vestry at FeUding and another at PalnierstonP His Lordship ,said that there need beno difficully about the matter as they might have a vestry m each place, m" the same way that they did at Greytown and Masterton;, Mr Enelly the clergy-' man at G-reytown, had a vestry m Greytown where the ; parsonage was, and another at Mastertbn, and he also preached, at Featherston ; but there need be no difficul%'ih;this matter when Mr St HUI comes; who understands this arrangement./; ; -ly^ 'r;.- -' ?>c ; Mr A. F; • Haicombei informed the Bishixp^^what ..had been already done fowardsiseeu^ -W par-/ sbnage for a clergyman^ :.;"/^ The^had,£7o to go on with at once for the; parsonage?' fund, and they intended shortly to have; a bazaar,, which -^was calculated to realize f rota £15b t<r£2oo, and with that sum m hand they would consider themselves justified m beginning- the parson--age, ;and! they :would raise sufficient on; the security of it after it is commenced to finish it wi th. . As to proyidin g to- . wards, the clergyman's stipend, as f tlieir. weekly offertories were now f alipnt : th^,ty shUlings, they would have no^diffic^t^feraising £l6o\for; a stipend, or from£7^^^l<^;, and as the building they now ; usepi'^^rjplaced/ at the. ■ disposal of the Churcli ' iby< iljbLe^ E. & G. Aid Gorporation, they wou|cj£; have, a little breathing time after building . the parsonage Sefore they; would require to begin Tbuilding their church., j / Mr Halcombe formed his Lordshipr thai the noticfe^nvenuig the meeting was-n6t:definitely enough stated to enable them to elecfctheir vestry then. ; The ; questiph' of what constituted church membership having a ".voice m the election of a vestry was raised.; His explained' tMafc the' rtjle" was not very rigidly applied to •parochial. districts 1 at 'tne start. It would !/ be'i sufficient if they signed theii; names m a book declaring, that they [were members of the : Church of England. ; . »; Mr Halcombe thought that the pro- j ceedings under our colonial system of church government may be new to some strangers who may have lately come into the colony. ; ' His Lordship said that there Imight be some, strangers here' ■unaccustomed, to p.ur colonial system. He; had him-:- - selfibeen^so long m. the colony ; that' he ? did? nofeji^mikkpf it untilit^was meiir tioned. ■Hfetheßt.i^rQceeded to'explain that the Church! of fe England m•■ the colony was supported on >^ voluntary principle, and that it drew the^e^nber v s into a closer bbnd. of union thkathe^ system at-home did, but when they comnienced but here first they were at a/ ■disadvantage .compared with other voluntary churches that had established organisations; But; he finds that their own church members, are now undeiv standing the need of contributing to the support of the church, and although; he does -not like vto; repeat ' here; what he stated at -another meeting,- he may: tell them what he told: the .meeting at Martbnl 'The 'contribution si m . the; diocese* increased £2;000 the year before last - above the previous [year, and last>year theyi again increased another £2,000.;;; }-i Reference was> made to the. good. choir that has been organized at Fielding, and the praiseworthy perseverance .-,of the 'conductor ipfihe choir m .bringing it up high 'standard iWas-]>c- ■ khowledged. ' - , ■ v-] . ; ; .; ;_* . ■ A ; vote of thanks tp his jLordship was ' awarded [by ithe; meetingj which; was; communicatedL ;by Mr: Halcpmbe, "who ' also asked his Lordsliipl to take - away ! 1 with- himi a $ 'eelirig iof f Xkindly / remem- \ France ofithemi v:. n- f ,- '; /j; ■ j His Lordship, m: reply, thanked them for there vote of -thanks and also for' their. atteridahceU^:i.^r-'^ ; . On the f pllQwing day the Bishop jheld; divine , service at, 11.30j gating the text -for 'his sermon, 'from the. Epistle to ' the Hebrews,- GhaJK iv.,' v.. 14/ There was: a;^fulll" choral; servicelby^ the 'ichpir. gi baptismal service was held at 2 ji.ni.,; when -twelye /little oi^es ;were baptised. The Bishop announced, after the; church, service, that ai meeting of the church! /members >.; would be; held next Saturdayjevening'to elect .a^Yestfy and ; Ghurclr gardens; .; ; ; ; >-■ ;