ST. JOHN’S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4346, 23 February 1875, Page 3

ST. JOHN’S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

The annual meeting of the members of St. John’s Presbyterian Church, Willis-street, was held last night' in the church, the Rev. Mr. Paterson presiding. Mr. James Smith, of Cuba-street, read the report, which stated that during the year there had been a considerable increase in the membership and in the finances of the church. Last year the number of members on the communion roll was 14S ; during the year thirtysix new members joined and fourteen left, the number on the roll now being 170. The communion was celebrated four times ; that is, on the first Sabbath of each quarter. The report then dealt with the following subjects in succession :—The special service on Hew Year’s Day; the weekly prayer meeting; the psalmody ; the young women’s Bible class ; the young men’s society ; the Sunday-schools ; the young men’s Bible class ; the special collections sanctioned ; and the steps taken for the erection of a new and more commodious church, and in connection with this subject the report said—“ We have to record an act of very great liberality on the part of our respected townsman and representative in Parliament, Mr. George Hunter. It was found that in order to place the new church a proper distance back from Willis-street, and to enlarge the schoolroom, additional ground was required ; and on Mr. Hunter being applied to, as to whether he would let us have a piece of his land which adjoins our site, and on what terms, he in the most handsome way allowed us to take what ground we required, to put our own value upon it, and our own estimate of the cost of removing the buildings upon it and of having them re-erected on another site ; and to accept the land and the cost of removing the buildings as a, donation towards our new church. It was a handsome donation, handsomely given. The managers, on their own behalf and'on behalf of the congregation, conveyed to Mr. Hunter their thankful acknowledgments." The report was considered by the meeting as of a highly satisfactory and encouraging character.

The balance-sheet was read by Mr. W. W. Taylor, and was also regarded as satisfactory. The reports from the Sabbath-schools were received with interest. That for Willis-street school stated that the number of children on the roll was 175, and the average attendance about 140. There were sixteen, classes—eight for girls and eight for boys—whose instruction was cared for by seven female and nine male teachers, a superintendent, a librarian, and a roll-taker. The report as to Tory-street school showed that on the last Sunday of December, the number of pupils on the roll was ninety r four, and the average attendance during the year was sixty-six. The office-bearers were then re-elected, Messrs. Walter S. Reid, Andrew Lang, and Alexander Hopkirk, taking the places of Messrs. W. Turnbull, W. Samson, and J. W. Stevenson. This concluded the business.