METHODIST CHURCH.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 January 1922, Page 6

METHODIST CHURCH.

NEW PLYMOUTH CIRCUIT. The quarterly meeting of the New Plymouth Circuit of the Methodist Church was held at Whiteley Hall on Tuesday evening. The Rev. W. J. Elliott (superintendent) occupied tbe chair, and there were also present the Revs. J. F. Martin and John Nixon and a good number of officials. The membership returns were reported to be the same as given for the previous quarter. The statement of finances submitted. by the circuit stewards showed t|ie total income for the three months to have been £421 14s lid and the expenditure £334 10s Id, leaving a credit balance of £B7 4s lOd, which was reduced to £7l 4s lOd, by the remission of some arreas due by the St. Aubyn trustees to the circuit. While dealing wtih the finances Mr. W. Ambury (senior steward) referred to the generosity of the people belonging to the congregations of the circuit during the past year, whose total contributions to all church funds was over £2600. Included in this were a number of promises of donations towards the Centenary Thanksgiving Fund, and there had been, in addition to all the other moneys raised, a sum of £3OO promised by the Methodist congregation towards the New Zealand Alliance cam* paign fund's.

The Home Mission returns were not complete and the moneys received up to the present totalled a little less than the circuit’s assessment for that fund.

Matters in connection with the centenary celebrations were before the meeting, a circular relating to general proposals being read from the central committee. January 22 being the actual, anniversary of the date on which the first Methodist services were held in New Zealand will be fittingly commemorated in the local churches, but the principal celebrations will take place about the middle of March, after the annual conference, when representative visitors are to be in New Zealand for the occasion, from the Methodist churches in Australia, America and Great Britain. A committee was set up to make all the local arrangements. It was reported that circumstances had arisen which prevented the holding of a united Sunday schools’ demonstration on January 25, as had been contemplated, but it is expected a large number of the schools will arrange to have their picnic in New Plymouth on that date, and opportunity will be taken then to make suitable reference to the occasion, while a large number of children are gathered together in the town. A committee was appointed to arrange for harvest thanksgiving services throughout the circuit to take place on the Sundays most, convenient to each place between February 12 and March 12.

Messrs. C. Carter and C. G. Bottrill were appointed circuit stewards for the current year, and a suitable minute was recorded in acknowledgement of the services rendered by Mr. W. Ambury while occupying the office of senior steward.

Messrs. W. Ambury and C. Carter were appointed representatives to tbe Centenary Conference which opens in Auckland on February 22, and Messrs. J. T. Griffin and W. Chatterton were elected substitutes.

The appointment of officials in the several churches of the circuit for the current year was confirmed, satisfaction being expressed that several young men, some of them newcomers to the district, had consented to take up some special work for the church.