CHURCH OF ENGLAND REUNION.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 202, 15 January 1866, Page 3

CHURCH OF ENGLAND REUNION.

A very numerous gathering of the members and friends of the Church of England took place on Thursday evening last, at St. Paul's schoolroom, Leet-street. The object in view — to bring together in social meeting the supporters of the Church was fully accomplished — nearly two hundred ladies and gentlemen having been present. The arrangements made for the enjoyment of the e/ening were excellent. The building was brillantly lighted up ; tho tables surrounded by cheerful faces and covered with the inviting adjuncts of that peculiarly social beverage called tea. The tout ensemble presented a most animated and attractive appearance. Tastefully arranged bouquets of flowers, presented by Mr. Colyer graced . the festive board. Grace having been said, and due justice having been done to the repast, TheKev.Mr.TANNEß,whooccupiedthechair,rose and said that the large attendance wasamatterof congratulation to him and the churchwardens ; it was often asked what constituted a member of the Church of England ; in the home country it meant one who felt he had a right to partake of the endowments of his forefathers ; of course in the colonies, although the same institution, yet practically the church had to maintain itself as well as the dissenting bodies. During the course of the evening a statement would be laid before you of the liabilities of the church, and I am sure each of you will feel it j necessary that an effort should be made to liquidate the debt of the past year. The rev. gentleman, after reiterating his pleasure at so good an attendance, called on Mr. Butts, the senior churchwarden, to address the meeting. (Applause.) Mr. Butts, who on rising was received with applause, intimated that his object in addressing the meeting was to incite them to extraordinary generosity in future, otherwise the church would be placed in serious difficulties. During the last year the current expenses had fallen on a few individuals only, and what would be an insignificant sum if generally collected was found to be a burden on a few ; no doubt the past year had been a severe season (in a financial point of view) with every one, yet he hoped with the improvement in trade all would give liberally, so that at the next social meeting, instead of the churchwardens having to lament over a deficiency, they would be able to greet their friends with a surplus in the treasury. (Anthem by the choir.— " Plead thou my cause.") Mr Beod bice: said that he and his colleague who had last spoken had found great difficulty in providing the funds to meet the expenses of the past year ; at the present time the Church was indebted to their pastor some £37, and other little accounts remaining unpaid amounted to over £50 ; there was interest due to about £50 or £60 more, and it was therefore evident thi3 state of things ought not in fact, must not continue ; so long as the church remained in debt, it would be a disgrace to the members individually ; he hoped during the present year those who had not subscribed would do so, even if it was as small as the widow's mite, which if given heartily would show that the giver interested himself in the church. He then read the following report : — Abstract op Keceipts and Expenditure of the Churchwardens of St. John's Church, Invercargill, for the Tear ending 31st December, 1885 :—

Audited by J. H. Baeeb. W. P. Tai^nee. Mr. Taniteii said — I willnowcallon Mr.Baker ■who has a scheme to propose to liquidate this debt. Mr. Baxeb said that as he had taken considerable interest in the management of the affairs of the Church of England, he had been requested to lay before the meeting a statement of the probable expenditure and receipts of the Church for the ensuing year. The previous speakers had urged upon them the necessity of voluntary subscription for the purpose of meeting the current expenses of the church,' he would go still further by saying that it -was the bounden duty of every member of. the Church to assist as far as their means would allow in keeping the Church out of debt. He said that we all at some period of our life required the services of the Church, either at our birth, marriage, &0., and that none of us would hesitate to call upon the Minister to petfoym any pf these duties fo? us wA

ing subscribers to the funds of the Church of which ■we called ourselves members. He would lay before them the probable expenditure and assets of the church for the ensuing year. The expenditure, including the interest on the Otago Loan, would be in round numbers about £385, and to meet that we had the -offertories and pew rents, amounting to £175, also £130 guaranteed by the bondsmen under the Otago Loan, and the subscribers to the Clergy Maintenance Fund, leaving a balance of £80 to be met by further subscriptions, which he had no doubt would be raised as soon as the members of the church really understood that it was by voluntary subscriptions alone that the church would be kept out of debt. He was sorry to say that the current expenses of the past year had not beon met, that their was a deficiency of £125. Certainly £73 of this was an old debt for building purposes to the Bank of New South Wales, but it still left £52 of the current expenses of the year in arrear which fell very hard on the minister of the Church, who bad only received the small sum of £213 for his services for the past year. He would ask them if this was a proper remuneration for a gentleman who had passed many years of his life in studying at college, to enable him to become a minister of our church. He had to some extent already assisted in meeting the expenses of the year, but he was willing to head a subscription for the purpose of paying off the debt, which he hoped he should have the pleasure of saying was no longer a debt before the meeting broke up. He would call on Mr. Kingman to second his proposition. — (Applause.) Mr. Kingman was surprised that there should be any difficulty in meeting such a small sum, and he appealed to. the members of the Church in very forcible and expressive language to at once come forward, and assist in paying off the liabilities for the current year. He should be most happy to be one of ten to pay to pay his share of the amount. Ten gentleman immediately came forward and subscribed the handsome sum of £51. A further sum of £13 also subscribed principally by the ladies present. Me. Haee (Hare Pratt & Co.) said he would be very glad to second the list. Mr. Kingman continued — The debt is now a thing of the past, and I hope every one will contribute liberally in future, and that we shall not meet next year with a debt on the church. After singing several anthems, the proceedings terminated with the Doxology.

RECEIPTS. £ S. d. Offertory Collections — General 103 19 11 For Otago Church. Deanery Board 28 17 11 Pew Kents D ". ••• 74 5 4 Donations to Clergy Maintenance Fund 100 4 5 License Fee ... 2 0 0 Balance frbm Concert 14 0 £310 11 7 EXPENDITURE. Stipend to the Rev. Mr. Tanner ... £213 6 8 Verger 31 3 J Church Repairs 3 18 0 Insurance ... ... ... ••• 911 3 Printing, Stationery, and Books ... 8 7 9 Repairs to Parsonage 3 0 0 Sundry Accounts ... ... ••• 20 411 Interest on Loan Account 7 17 4 To Otago Rural Deanery Board ... 13 2 2 £310 11 7 Church Building Account. RECEIPTS. Donations to Building Fund ... £91 3 0 Donations to Loan Interest 33 0 0 Otago Loan Society 600 0 0 From Church Account 7 17 2 £732 0 2 EXPENDITURE. Paid to Bank of New South Wales . . . £81 3 0 Paid to Bank of New South Wales... 494 0 0 Procuration Fee 6 0 0 Mr. Harvey's Account 30 0 0 Refund to Parsonage 80 0» 0 Interest to Loan Account 40 17 2 £732 0 2 Amount due to Minister's Stipend... £36 13 4 Amount due to Otago Rural Deanery Board I 5 i 5 7 Amount due to Bank of N. S. Wales 70 10 2 Interest due to Bank of N. S. Wales 2 15 0 Otago Loan Society 600 0 0 £725 14 1