PRESBYTERY OF TARANAKI.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 237, 18 October 1901, Page 2

PRESBYTERY OF TARANAKI.

The quarterly session of the Presby-1 tery of Tsranaki was held in St. Andrew's Church oh Thursday, at 1 p.m. | Present: R&vr, Osborne (New Plyin nth),- Hu son (S'r-itford), and Philips (Manaia),-and-Messrs Handy '(N.iw Plymouth), Howie (Waver) f>y), NicholsDii (S'ratford), and Bridge (M irai»), elders. The R«v. S, S. Osborne was appoi- t-d M-.d.u'ntor for tha ensuing six mon- (is

Mi Ohnppie, s'udent of Eltham, was ordain, d by t'he Moderator, Sdimons by Messrs Chappie and McColl were criticised and sustained.

A report was given in, showing.progress at Opunake. A report was also handed in re the purchase of a site at Inglewood for a new church. Notice was given that an application was m 'de by Stratford for a loan of £6OO from tbe century fund. Eltham also gave notice of an application for £250 from the same fund. Messrs Handy (New Plymouth) and Howie (Waverley) were appointed voting elders at tbe General Assembly at Dunedin. It was resolved that the next meeting of the Presbytery shall be held at Hawera. Tho Presbytery thon adjourned till 7 p.m. On resuming, the Presbytery met the minister, elders, and managers of St. Andrew's Church, New Plymouth, as a Pi'esbyterial visitation. The deliverance' of the Presbytery will be read in Si. Andrew's Church at an early date by the Rev. Bertram, of Hawera. The Presbytery then adjourned. CONGREGATIONAL GATHERS G.

At 8 p,m. a large gathering of tbe members of St. Andrew's Church took place in the hall behind the church, when the Rev. O 'borne occupied the chair. Tbe Revs. Hutson and Phillips were also on the platform, several of tbe elders attending the Presbytery being ako present. Tbe Rev. Phillips, as clerk to the Presbytery, d alt largely with figures and omm t -nted on the pleasing advance made by St. Andrew's Church, as instanced by the fact that in 1896 there' were 56 members and in 1900 104, while the income of the church increased from £290 in 1896 to £509 16s in 1900. He considered that the stipend should, however, be increased in proportion and either a manse built or house allowance paid to the minister. Mr. Phillips went on to address the congregation in. a humorous and, at the same time, earnest manner on their responsibilities.

The Rev. Osborne then referred to the division of the district formerly under the Wanganui Presbytery, and said that one gratifying feature of that, day's session of the new Presbytery of Taraoakt was the attendance of elders, no less than four being present—previously one or two was the custom. J

The Rev. Hutson . said that New Plymouth was the only Presbyterian Oburch in the I'arauaki Presbytery that had not got a manse. The object of the Presbyterial visitation was not, however, to find fault, but to see where they could assist. He urged the officers of the cburtfh to assist their I minister by looking after strangers, and the importance of Sabbath School work. Tlit-re was no greater privilege on earth than to be engaged in the work of saving souls for Christ. Mr. T. Bridge, one of the visiting elders, proposed and Mr. W. Howie seconded, a hearty vote of thanks to the people of New Plymouth for the way they had entertained the members of the Presbytery. The meeting closed with the Doxology and Benediction. The vocal selection, which were excellently rendered, were given by Mies Quilliam, Mr. Rauchope, Miss and Mr. McDiarmid, Mr. W. Perry, Mrs. and Miss Hall, and a couple of anthems wera nicely rendered by the choir. Refreshment were also handed round.