BAPTIST CHURCH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 225, 28 October 1909, Page 3

BAPTIST CHURCH.

ANNIVERSARY SOCIAL. An anniversary social gathering was leld last night in the Baptist Church, rjho Pastor (Rev. John Laird) presided. The chairman, in his remarks, said that an anniversary -was a time £or doing two things, viz., reviewing the past year's , work and also looking at the prospects for the coming year. The past year, he said, was full of encouragement, a distinct advance having been achieved in almost every department of the church's work. There had been an increase in the membership, and the attendance at the cervices had also increased. The I*l nanCial condition of the * church deserved special notice. For the first time in its tislory it had become self-supporting. During the year £294 was raised by the church. Over £SO was given to the Kew Zea'nnd Baptist Missionary Societv; a'j-vt €2O to the N.Z. Home Miseion work, and £5 15s to the British end Foreign Bible Society. This, Chairman said, was very praiseworthy lor a comparatively small church. The Sunday School work had been well earned on during the year, and had made good progress, especially the branch school. The future year was verv f-.'V hope and promise. He continued: " lv c are united as one in rur aim. We know what our work is. It is, first., the winning of men and women to Jesus Christ, and teaching them to follow Him as' our example."

Turing the .evening reports of the ■work done at the Baptist Union Confe'ence. hell Inst week, were givfn by Mr. (5. H. Manner wl Rev. John ijaird. Mr jiimniler ri-pnriv! <"i tiie Foreign Missionarv Sucietv's m.rk. and related a few of the incidents told by Bev. Join Takle. a Baptist ini-sinnarv who was in Wellington and addrc-seil the conference. The 1 " New Zealand Baptists raised '£2.694 during the year for isork in East Bengal. India. Mr. Laird gave an account of the work .of Home -Mission. which assists churches in all pfl'-ts of the dominion nnd proposes opening lip new work in three districts this year. l 'Almost all these churches assisted w the Union are in a very prosperous condition and many of them will soon b; self suppoi ting. During the evening musical items were contribute! bv members of the churon. Supper wr - provided by the ladies of the ehnri'i and dispensed toward the close of liiy meeting.