TE HENUI CHURCH.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 May 1916, Page 8

TE HENUI CHURCH.

ANNUAL MEETING OP PARISHIONERS.

_ The first annual meeting of parishioners of the new parochial district of To Henui and Bell Block was held at the Te Henui Schoolroom last 11'ight, the vicar (Rev. 11. A. Favell) presiding over a fair attendance.

The following report was taken as read and adopted without discussion:

The outstanding event . of the past year was the constitution of the new Parochial District of Te Henui and Bell Block. In accordance with the unanimous resolutions orf last year's annual meetings, both of St. Mary's Parish and Te Henui district, steps were taken to alter the boundaries of St. Mary's Parish in order to allow of the formation of the new district. For some unexplained reason the boundaries agreed upon by the representatives of both districts as being the most convenient were passed over, and a boundary fixed by the Diocesan Synod which is inconvenient to both districts. It is anticipated, however, that no difficulty will be raised to the adjustment of boundaries at the next meeting of Synod. The Parochial District was constituted by the Standing Committee of the Diocese in November last, and the Rev. H. A. Favell was appointed by the Board of Nomination to bo the first vicar of the new district. The Vicar was instituted by the Bishop of the Diocese on Thursday, December 2, .1915. Your Vestry are grateful to all those who in various ways helped to bring the matter to a successful conclusion.

The Bishop of the Diocese has paid two visits to our Church of the Holy Trinity during the past year. On August 27, 1915, during his Taranaki Confirmation tour, the Bishop preached at Evensong, afterwards meeting the members of the congregation at a social gathering in the Schoolroom, and again on December 2, 1915, his Lordship was with us for the Institution of the Vicar.

Our Parish Church passed its 70tli birthday during the year, and the occasion was marked by Thanksgiving Servicees. On Thursday, June 3 (Thursday in Trinity week) celebrations of the Holy Communion were held in the morning, and in the afternoon a special service of thanksgiving was held, when the Rev. Arthur Fowler, at one time Curate-in-charge of the district, preached the sermon. The Archdeacon of Taranaki and the vicars of St. Mary's, New Plymouth, Inglewood and Wai'tara we're with us for that day. Thanksgiving sc-rvices v.pre held also on the Sunday following, when the Archdeacon of Taranaki preached both morning and evening. A Credence Table was presented tc ,the Church by the late Mrs. Leathar" a thank-offering in connection ivith the Anniversary." At • . Parish Church, during the year, theiv lave been 135 celebrations of the

Tin!- .'ommunion, 1270 receptions of the -.'ommnnion. At St. Luke's, Bell I* ' 13 Celebrations have been helfl, 183 receptions. There have been !■'} baptisms, 5 marriages and 9 funerals. Twenty-three candidates for Confirmation (6 males and 17 females) were confirmed by the Bishop in August. Finance.—The financial statement attached to this report is the most en-

I couraging that has been presented to an annual meeting for some years. There is still a small amount due for subscriptions to March 31 last, but your Vestry have every hope that these "will be coi- ! Icctcd shortly. The statement does not cover the whole of the monies received and paid away during the year, as it I does not include the operations of the i Ladies' Guild and the Sunday School, I nor the amount raised for the Piano Fund, for all of which separate accounts I will be placed before you. For the convenience of keeping church accounts, which close on March .11 of each year, the old standing financial ari rangements with St. Mary's Vestry have continued after the institution of the Vicar until that date of this present, year. The new arrangement, under which a yearly decreasing subsidy is paid by St. Marv's Vestry, came into operation on April 1, lfllfl. Ladies' Guild.—The thanks of the parishioners are to tin: untiring workers of the Ladies' Guild. During the twelve months under review the Guild has contributed the sum of £23 10s to the Vicarage Fund, and has also donated the sum of £l2 fis fid to the Taranaki Backblock Mission Fund. In addition to this, the guild started our Sunday School Piano Fund with a gift r of £'ls from the funds of the previous i year. Piano Fund—The sum of £34 Ds fid j has been collected during the year for - this fund. Mrs. Fetch has earned our grateful thanks by collecting monthly ,i contributions for this object, a sum of | £9 14s Cd being accounted for in this ( way.

A Memorial Brass to the late Rev. Sanders Spencer has been placed in the Church, and electric light has been installed in the Sunday School.

The services at St. Luke's, Bel! Block, have been'regularly held during the year, and the attendances of late have been distinctly encouraging. Parishioners certainly owe a special debt of gratitude to the Lav Readers who have so willingly helped us in the past, but as wo are no longer a part of St, Mary's Parish we have no elaini upon these services. Mr. J. 0. List has accepted the Vicar's invitation to become our first Lay Reader, and the Vestry cordially welcome him in that capacity. The work of the Sunday Schools is being faithfully carried on. At Holy Trinity, the Junior Sunday School is in charge of Miss Harding, and a class for the older children is taken in Church by the Vicar. At Bell Block Mrs. Colson is in charge. Both schools are helped by loyal and diligent teachers, and realiv valuable work is being accomplished. Your Vestry feel that e\i behalf of the parishioners generally thjey should express their appreciation of the unselfish work of the Sunday School teachers, and the organists and members of the choirs of both Churches, and the members of the Sanctuary Guild of Holy Trinity. In every department of church work willing and glad service has heen rendered, sometimes at real personal inconvenience. A general survey of the past year gives real ground for

encouragement, and should serve to arouse feelings of expectation and hopefulness as regards the future. H. A. FA V'EiLL, Vicar. H. JOHNSTONE, Churchwarden. J- 1 - ARMSTRONG, Treasurer.

The accounts showed the receipts for the year as £2S3 Os lid, the general oflertones (mcludiug £2O 9s Id from ocil iSJock), amounting to £lll 5s 5d TOarage fund £33 Gs, and subscriptions + fotn ® , expenditure amounted to tm) /s id, leaving a balance of £33 . 4d . as against £lB 13s lid the previous year. The vicarage fund in hand now amounts to £IOO 15s 9d. The Ladies' Guild account showed'receipts as £B.J 3s 7(1, and expenditure £7O 15s Bd, of which £ls went to the piano fund £-3 10s to vicarage fund, £l2 9s 5d to baekblock missions, and £22 16s 3d expended in goods, leaving a balance in hand or .-Jsi 7 s n!. The Sunday School receipts were £l2 8s 4d, and expenditure iH <IS <iu. .(hi:-, pinn... fund shows paympnts made amounting to £3l 5s In reply to Mr. C. F. Foote, the treasurer, Mr. M. J. Armstrong, read the items of the church fund income for the previous year, showing there had been an appreciable increase. He also stated that several subscriptions had been received. The accounts were then adopted.

Mr. Day was appointed vicar's warden, and Mr. H. Johnston was re-elected people's warden.

Messrs. OCallaghan, Grover. Tngley, Gibson, and Grayling were elected to the vestry, the number of which was fixed at five. Mr. I. Aroa was appointed auditor. Votes of thanks were accorded to the outgoing committee (special reference being made to the valuable services of Messrs Aroa ami Armstrong), to the Sunday School teachers, the Ladieis' Guild, the choir and organist, and to the collector for the piano "fund, Msr. Betch. The meeting closed with the Benediction.