ST. MARK’S CHURCH.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5402, 20 July 1878, Page 2

ST. MARK’S CHURCH.

The annual meeting of parishioners was held in St. Mark’s Church at 8 o’clock last evening. The attendance was not large. The Rev. Mr, Coffey, incumbent, occupied the chair.

The proceedings were opened with prayer. The Chairman, in his opening remarks, congratulated the parish on the general progress made during the year, as the second year in the' history of a parish was often more critical than the first, the novqlty having worn off. He wished to acknowledge the generous help they had received from St. Peter’s parish —a help especially generous under the particular circumstances, that parish being about to embark in the very heavy expenditure entailed in the erection of a new church. The parish also had received some very liberal and timely assistance from the Diocesan Standing Committee. He wished to express his acknowledgments for the cordial and valuable help he had received from several gentlemen in the work of the parish, especially from his own churchwarden, Mr. Kenneth Wilson ; also from the parishioners’ churchwarden, Mr. Herbert Gaby, while that gentleman was in Wellington, and* from Mr. Cheeseman, who had kindly undertaken the office of superintendent of the Sundayschool. They hoped soon to have, with the assistance of a loan from the Standing Committee, a building erected for a Sunday-school, in which also the future parish meetings would be held. He would now call on the incumbent’s churchwarden to read the annual report and balance-sheet.

Mr. Kenneth Wilson read the report and balance-sheet as follows : In presenting their annual report and balance-sheet the vestry regret that they have to report a considerable deficiency for the year. Taking into account the liabilities outstanding on the 30th ultimo there is a deficit of £35 Bs. 9>l, and of that no less than £3O is due to outstanding pew rents. The vestry desire most strongly to urge upon the parishioners the necessity of paying their pew rents punctually, as the failure in so doing involves a considerable expenditure for collection, and, more than that, is the cause of very serious inconvenience. It is distictly stated upon every account that is sent out that the pew rents may be paid into the offertory ; it is therefore surely not unreasonable to expect that the holders of pews should spare the vestry the expense of collecting the rents, and still more the necessity of being in arrears with their payments of stipend. A considerable number of pew-holders have left the district during the year, but their places have been supplied by new comers, so that the number of sittings now let is the same as at the beginning of the year. The general offertory has averaged very nearly the same as it did last year, viz., £4 2s. 6d., as against £4 35., and in addition Uere have been five special offertories, as provided by the Act, which amounted to a total of £3O -Is, lid.

The vestry cannot help expressing some disappoint-, ment that the receipts from the offertory have shown a slight tendency to fall off instead of to increase, as these and the pew rents are the only sources of ordinary incom *; and it is sufficiently obvious that an income of £193 from pew rents, and £lO4 from general offertory, will not provide for a minimum ordinary expenditure of £440 During last year part of the charges on account of the parsonage was borne by the vestry of St. Paul’s, who generously contributed £45 for that purpose, and there was also a grant of £SO from the Diocesan Fund, so that this fs the first year in which the district has been left almost entirely to its own resources, and it is therefore absolutely necessary that some additional effort should be made if it is to meet its engagements. The vestry des re to express their gratitude to Mrs. Quick for a contribution of £3O 10s.,'which was devoted by her request to the purchase of coronso, which have proved a great improvement to the church ; also, to the directors of the Hot tnical Gardens lor the gift of a large number of trees, which have been planned in the church acre: and to those of the congregation who have contributed their labor or their money towards the laying out of the same. The harmonium so kindly lent by Mr. Lord baa been, ieplaced by a an organ, purchased at a cost of £sl out of a special fund, which does not come under the control o f the vestry.

Great inconvenience has been caused by the want of a room in which to hold the Sunday-school and parish meetings of different kinds, and the vestry have great pleasure instating that they can now see their way to supply that want. The sum of £133 has been promised by the Bishop out of funds at his disposal,. and the vestry proposed to borrow a further sum of £l5O from the Standing Committee, making themselves responsible for the payment of the interest thereon at 8 per cent. This charge, however, will be met by a special effort, and will not be any burden on the ordinary income. The vestry have to express their thanks to Messrs. Hammerton and Kous-Martcn. the auditors, for the care and attention with which they have gone through the accounts, and to the choir for their labors dur ng the year. Balance-sheet from July 5,1877, to J unr 30.1878. Receipts. £ s. , d. To Balance .. 4 • 5 CJ

Mr: W. P. Cheesemak moved tlie adoption of the report and balance-sheet. Mr. C. E. Zohrab seconded the motion, which was carried without discussion.

Mr. Cheeseman then read the report re the Sunday-school as follows : ‘ ■ I have again the pleasing, duty to report favorably of St* Mark's Sunday-school for the year ended June 30, 1878. The total numbers of scholars on the books are;—»oys, 102; girls, 117. Total, 219. Average attendance, 135. Teackers~Males, 3; females, 9. Total, ,32. The Sunday-school is hold iu the Torystreet infant school, but it would be much more desirable to have a schoolroom built on some portion of the church ground, and for that purpose be bishop has very generously promised to the Rev. Mr, Coftey the sum of £l3O, and the Diocesan Committee have agreed to lend us £l5O.- Such a building would be very useful for’ church meetings, and I have no doubt but that the choir would give some musical entertainments to defray the interest, so that such an undertaking would not he a burden on the church funds. The library books mentioned in my last report have duly arrived from England: we have now a library containing many books. I should be glad to have the assistance of any lady or gentleman of the congregation who would be willing to devote one hour each Sunday afternoon to the important work of religious instruction to the young,’as we are in want of a few more teachers. In conclusion, wc beg to express dur deep sense of gratitud - to Almigthy God foe His guidance iu the past, and we look to him‘alone to prosper this our work more and more.—AV, J, Cxiueseman, Superintendent.--Wellington, July 19. Balance-sheet St. Mark’s Sunday-school for the year ending June SO, IS7S .—Receipts: Balance from last year, £3 .4s. Id.; children’s pence, £4 IGs. 3d. Total, £8 os. 4d. Expenditure: Books,£3 55.: cleaning schoolroom, Ac., £1 45.; balance, £3 11s. s 4d. Total, £8 os. 4d.

The report was received aru} laid pa the table. .

The Chairman then re : appoiuted Mr. Kenneth Wilson as incumbent’s churchwarden for the ensuing twelve months. Mr. Chapman proposed, and Mr Mclntosh seconded, the re-election of Mr, Gaby as parishioners’ churchwarden for the ensuing twelvemonths.

The motion was agreed to. t • The following gentlemen were , elected as a vestry:—Messrs. S. Brown, Zohrab, Cheeseman, Chapman, Beere, Meek, Bacon, Becky, Kaylo, and Dudgeon. The Rev. C. D. De Castro and R* C. Hamerton were appointed auditors. On the motion of the Chairman, a vote of thanks was passed to Messrs. Mclntosh and Pliramer, who had each acted as choir-master, and to the choir, for their services during the year. In reply to a parishioner, the Chairman said that about £6O was in hands towards the organ fund, being subscriptions and the proceeds of two entertainments.

Votes of thanks were passed to the officebearers for their services during the past year, and' a vote of thanks was also passed to the chairman.

Eleven parishioners guaranteed the loan of £5 each towards the purchase of an organ. It was made au instiuction to the >vestry to take the necessary steps towards raising funds for the purchase of au organ. Xh‘o pVtfcVediugs thVu terminated.

Pew rents for current year./ 142 5 0 ,, ,, last year 17 0 0 Offertory—General 190 10 Sh ,, Special .. .. .. Grants in aid— 36 4 IX Diocesan Fund 60 0 0 St. Pant’s Vestry 45 0 0 • Mrs. Quick (proceeds of concert) ■ 30 10 0 Subscriptions Sale of hymnbooks 0 7 s £534 5 0 , Expenditure. £ s. cl. By Revr R. Coffey’s stipend .. .. 200 0 0 Trust and loan account (parsonage) 64 0 0 Organist 0 Insurance Gas 13 2 M s. Shoebridge, cleaning .. 12 0 0 Sped <1 offertories, as per account .. 36 4 11 Collectors’commission Advertising, &c. 1 7 7 Messrs. Izard and Bell 0 C. Taylor, balance of contract 9 11 0 <Carswell, gravel 0 Gas fittings 6 10 G Coronas, as per contra 30 10 0 Balance in Bank of New Zealand .. 43 9 1 ,, liands of churchwardens 1 IS 8 £634 5 0 Assets and Liabilities—June 30, 1S7S. Assets. £ s. d. By Balance in hand . 45 7 9 Pew-rents outstanding— 2l is First half, 1878 .. 0 Second half, 1877 .. .. i . 5 5 0 Deficit .. . 6 8 9 £80 16 6 Liabilities. £ s. d. To Rev. R. Coffey stipend to date. . 75 0 0 Rates on parsonage Tastin mending window . 0 12 Advertising.. 0 4 0 Commission.on collection of outstanding rents.. . 1 10 0 £80 16 6 Estimate for Year ending June 30, 1879. d. Receipts, • £ s. By Pew-rents for current year. 196 0 0 Offertory, general, 47 Sundays, at £4 ‘2s. Cd. - .. . . 103 17 6 Deficiency . ’ 56 18 4 £446 15 10 Expenditure. £ s. d; ToTncumbent’s stipend Trust and Loan Organist . 25 0 0 . 15 0 0 Cleaning . 12 0 0 Rat — . • 3 10 0 Advertising, &c . 2 0 Sundries . 5 0 Deficiency from previous year ,. . 6 8 £446 15 10