CHURCH MINISTERS’ STIPENDS.

Patea Mail, Volume VI, Issue 508, 14 April 1880, Page 2

CHURCH MINISTERS’ STIPENDS.

Church of England members wore invited to meet in the Carlyle Court House on .Monday evening, to hear the Rev 11. J. Thorpe explain the nature and requirements of the General Church Fund for the Wellington diocese. The attendance was not numerous, the weather being unfavorable. The Rev Mr Dascnt, Captain Wray, and other prominent members were present. The Rev Mr Thorpe explained that his operations towards organising this fund had been very successful in those parts of the diocese already visited, a local committee having been appointed at each church centre, with a treasurer to take an active oversight of the work. It was desired, therefore, to form at Carlyle a local committee to canvass the district for regular contributions to the fund, a paper being handed to each person calling himself a member of the Church of England, on which he would be invited to promise in writing a certain sum per annum as his donation towards the sustainment of Church work, under the diocesan scheme of administration. .The Church, as a voluntary institution in this colony, requires a system of regular contributions, in the absence of axiom in the Church that its ministers should not bo required to have direct financial dealings with the congregations, their ministry being made thereby more independent and free from harassment; and the object of this diocesan movement is therefore to form a central fund from which ministers shall be paid regular stipends, according to an approved scale. This meeting was one of a series designed to enlist the sympathy of all Church members ; and the objects of the Genual Church Fund are—(l) to provide adequate stipends for such a body of clergy as is demanded for the spiritual work of the diocese ; (21, to provide tor the building of all requisite churches, par-

sonages, and schools ; (3), to provide for the training of candidates for the work of the ministry ; and (4), to provide for general Church purposes. The meeting agreed that a committee shall be formed for canvassing the Carlyle district, the members to be nominated afterwards ; and Captain Wray was requested to act as local treasurer, in which capacity ho would take an active oversight to ensure the due carrying out of the work.