Church Meeting.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4386, 24 January 1883, Page 2

Church Meeting.

St. George's congregation held iti annual meeting in- the Schoolroom last evening. There were over one hundred persons present, about a third of the number being ladies. "-" ■ ■;. The Be*. W. Calder (Incumbent) pre« sided, and having opened the meeting with a hymn and prayer, be called upon the Churchwarden to read the minutes of the previous meeting. Before this was done Mr Wildman -asked - those - who wished to take part in the proceedings of the meeting to sign the Churchwarden's book.

'MrTizard contended that this! was unnecessary. Anyone present who declared himself a member of the Church could take part in the proceedings. The signa« ture to the Churchwarden's book should be done two months before the meeting.

The minutes were then read and confirmed.

The Eev. Chairman said he appeared for the second time at their annual meeting. On the last occasion a series of proposals were made by him, and fears were freely expressd that they could not be carried out, but experience had proved those tears to be groundless. The Thames people he had, found to be ?ery conservative; Innovation '#ere not very willingly received hy them; and there w.ere many fcroakers, who^ot only saw failure in everything, but infected others with melancholy feelings. Out of 25 proposals made, it would be seen 18 had been carried out. In some cases the croakers said, " Oh! it can't lie done. We never did it before.?" and soon. Tet, the special collections and offertories shewed increases on previous ye?.rs. The spirituality of .the people also prospered, they had better congregations. In fact everything was in a very satisfactory state of improvement. The corner had done very little for them, yet the funds for the quarter were in a better state than many previous quarters. • They should thank God for his goodness to them, and return thanks to those who had so heartily worked in the church. The Incumbent's churchwarden then read his report whic'i elicited no' discussion, It shewed the receipts for general Church purposes for year tobe £561 5s Id, and the expenditure £554 2s 4d. General offertory ,£428165, or an increase over last year of £123 18s 9d. A special offertory for the Hospital was £19 4s 10d. Pew ren;s £108 7a 6d, or £26 13s more than last year. There aye heavy arrears in the payment, of these. The expenditure . was increased by the provision of house-rent allowance for the Minister. The bank overdraft is the same as last year. In addition to the general Church receipts there has been collected towards payment of debt due to Diocesan Standing Committee £117 19s 3d, of which £103 has been paid to that Committee. The service of. the ledy collectors had met with much success, and the services of the ohoir and organist hf.d[beenl efficiently rendered. ;

Mr Tizsrd, the Parishioners' Churchwarden read the following financial statement:—To general offertory unallotted, £420 14s 6d ; pew rents, £111 ss; school rent, £2; general offertory allotted— Home Mission, £2 Os 5; Melanesian do., £2 Os 5d ; Society for P.C.K, £2 Os 4d; Society for P.G-., £2 Os 4d,J special offertory '(hospital), £19 4s 103;' per Rev. W. Calder, £2 16s 94; to balance ,31st ;December, 1882, £334 Os 3d. Total, £898 2s 10d>-By balance to debit 31st December, 1881, £344 Os 6d; stipend,,£333 6s 8d; organ, £62; verger and dolfector, £35 8s 6d; lighting, £33 10a 6d; printing and advertising, £3 16s; repairs, £2; sundries; £16 7s 8d; inaa-'iace, £15; interest; £30 lls sd; offertory, special (hospital), £22 Is 7d. Total, £898 2s lOd.-E. P. TIZABD, E. T. WILDHAN, Churchwardens.

Mortgage Fund, January 23,1883: To amount barked to date, £117 19s 3d.—By Standing Committee, £100; balance in hand, £17 19s 3d. Total, £Ll7 19s 3d.

The report of Mr Gerriog, Sunday School Supeiiu^endeot, stated that they wanted-tef.chevs. Several had left during the year. The average attendance was lower than that of the previous year, which was owing to many scholars' having left the district. - The monthly Sunday afternoon children"? service held by the Incumbent was well attended. The fuuds available for school purposes were adequate to carry ihe work out. The library had been replenished with £30 worth of books. From ibis month children will hare periodicals', to the value of £20 a year, given to them once monthly. £10 has beea sent to the Melacesian mis* sion. The school has been lined at a cost of £17, out of the building fund. The balance-sheet shewed receipts to be £83 Is 4^d, and expenditure to £G3 6s, leaving a balance of £19 15s 4d. School building fund: receipts, £33 14s °d ; expenditure, ££8 Ch 4d; balance, £5 14s scL—The report* and balance sheets were received and adopted. - The following officers, were then elected: —Incumbent's Churchwarden, Mr Kirkpalrick; Parishioners' Warden, Mr E. T. Wildman. . The Testry appointed for the year were: Messrs Denby, Coney, Gerring, M. H. A.i'ey, Jarvis, W. H. Airey, Boon, C. Hill, Frioker, and D. H. Bayldon. Messrs Allom ppd Burgess were re elected auditors, and a vote of thanks passed to them for past services. The Chairman then thanked the,lady collectors for their exertion daring the past year.'erid a similar vote was passed to the choir and organis .

In stating that the next business would be the seleotion of a new hymnal, the Incumbent said he hoped the question would be settled, as the Church required books. If " Hymns ■ ■ Ancient and Modern" were decided upon, the publishers would, he supposed, as was their custom, make a grant lo the congregation, and in addition to this, oae of (he parishioners had promised a present to the Church of two hundred copies. If " Church Hymns" were chosen, then a concession could Le got by send to England for the books through him. Other books had been mentioned, but he could not express en opinion on them as he had not read them.

An amendment, mo.red at a previous msetirs by Mr Speight, to the effect that, the Church adhere to tie book at present in use, viz., " The New Zealand Church Hymud," taring become an original motion owing to the wittdnwal of a moiioj, tke Chairman asked if any. oce wished Co more an amendment, or speak totiemxx&a.

Mr Denby sad, that as it appeared a coasidevible difference. 6?. opinion existed in the, matter, he would, in order to test fch» feeing of the tt.ee:ia*, a:ove that " Hymns Anozeat tzi Modern" he adopted as the Church hymn book, This was Seconded by Mr Lowe. Mr Stephenson mored, and Mr Tizard seconded, thattae "New Zealand Hym«

nal" be the boob used for another 12 1 months. j Mr Coney said that he and the other members of the choir did not care for the "New Zealand Hymnal." He would support the adoption of "Charch Hymns." Mr Osborne moved and Mr Woodward seconded that "Church Hymns" be selectee". The Parishioners' Churchwarden said ho was in favor of the "Ancient and Modern," but as a large number of the Mr. Osborne's proposal H«y>fcad bo doubt that " Ancient' acd Mroern," if it were r"" '' *V~ ~n'i. -rmfd Jm nssrisi, but it would be by a amal! majority, and for the sake of* tinfi^ Ial r concord he thought it would be better to adopFthe " Church HymoU*' V t; . vyrrTTT The voting then'-.taken resitted 5n a large majority t being..,given for the " Church Hymnal," the voting being "Church Hymni/' 4^; V.«»w Zealand Hymnal" for ooe year, r 2; r '{ Hjans Ancient and Modern,'; 4; "New Zealand Hymnal" to be retained, rT l^. f> (Th« books will, be „ procured ,_as soon at possible.) ' 4-1 The Chairman said~he was sorry to lose his favourite, "Hymns Jkricigrit^ind Modern," but it was better ta hare unity and" peace, aad if the' adoption of the Church, Hymns brought this, he would bury his old friend. • •" /. vr '° & Mr Speight stated:-tb«tcirculars were sent out urging the extinction of the debt on the Church. Seventy-five persons had agreed to pay £200 out,«firthe £500 debt, and although thejr bad aYe Tears to pay it in they should <4olt lffi#l)M>rethat time expired. : ''l^W' '; ' '<r>!; *>'*> After some ' dsobpinprV lt' s Was . re* sdlvrd, on the motion 1 of Mr Speighilf, seconded' by Mr* Airey," to 'hold a special service, of Which due notice should be given, and devote the offertory to the erection of a mempirial in,the church to the late Eev. Mr Lush, who, for about twelve years, was the incumbent of St. George's. . '^{r' The Doxology was sungawL the benediction closed the meeting: