CHURCH PROGRESS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 624, 28 March 1929, Page 9

CHURCH PROGRESS

RECORD AT BERESFORD ST. There was a very large attendance when the annual meeting of the Beresi'ord Street Congregational Church was held this week. The Rev. Lionel Fletcher presided. The annual reports of officers indicated that the past year had been one of the most successful in the history of the church, and a record financially. The . secretary,- Mr. Harold Ennor, stated the attendance at Sunday services had. often taxed the accommodation, and as a result during the winter months Sunday evening services had been held in the Prince Edward Theatre. This move had influenced a number of people who did not attend churches. A feature of the services had been the growing attendance of children, most of whom belonged to the Young Worshippers’ League, the average attendance being 112. Sunday school attendance had increased by ICO to 455, and there were 400 children on the cradle roll. Forty-eight Sunday school teachers were occupied each Sunday under the superintendent, Mr. G. Grey Campbell. Special mention was made of the number of young people engaged in definite Christian work, the senior Christian Endeavour Society having an active membership of 79 and the junior society 26. which was increasing rapidly. The year commenced with 529 church members, and the roll at December 31 numbered 595. Of this number only 62 were country members. In reference to the work of the Women’s and Sunshine Guilds, the secretary said that during the year a total of 4,172 garments had been distributed, and an additional 301 had been provided for children on the occasion of the Sunday school anniversary gathering in the Town Hall in October. Many hours had been spent in sewing for the poor and visiting homes in the vicinity of the church. Appreciation was expressed of the services of the choir under the musical director, Mr. Wm. Gemmell. and of the organist, Mr. J. Dodd. The financial statement of the treasurer, Mr. C. E. Campbell, show’ed the year to have been a record one, the total amount raised by the church being £6.700, some £2OO in excess of the preceding year’s receipts. Of this £2,200 had been devoted to the help iof others. The receipts included £2,522 7s in the commemoration fund for the new ' hall, making a total of £4,120 received | since August 7, 1927; £2,041 10s 9d in i the general account. £1,955 2s Sd of which represented the offertories on 50 Sundays, or an average of £ 39 2s 9d a Sunday; £l4O 4s 3d in the sacramental fund; £149 19s lid from Tuesday evening Bible talks: £lB6 11s lOd for the Sunshine Guild; and £ll2 12s for the college fund, making a total of £559 12s lOd for three years. The principal items of expenditure were:—General fund. £2,258 4s lOd; repairs and renovation. £1,944 2s 2d; home missions, moderator. pastors’ provident fund and ministers’ retreat, £573 16s: London Missionary Society, £286: suburban missions. £909 16s 3d: Sunshine Guild, £l6B 4s 7d; and New Zealand Alliance, £226 14s. Mr. Harold. Ennor was re-elected secretary after 16 years’ continuous service. Mr. C. E. Campbell was reappointed treasurer for the 31st successive year. Messrs. H. Ennor and V. W. Smith, retiring deacons, were re- - elected, and the following new deacons elected: Messrs. J. H. Arnort. A. Sanborn. W. Cullen and K. L. Viekerman.