METHODIST CHURCH ANNIVERSARY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9116, 16 June 1908, Page 5

METHODIST CHURCH ANNIVERSARY.

ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL. MEETING. There was a large attendance at the anniversary meeting of the congregation of the Masterton Methodist Church, held in the Methodist schoolroom last evening. Mr C. E Daniell occupied the chair. The annual report of the Church, submitted by the Secretary of the Trust (Mr H. Beale) stated interalia:— I have the honour to submit on behalf of the Trustees of this Church my first annual report, and on this occasion there is again a story of progress to tell. Under the pastorship of the Rev. J. N. Buttle our Church has gone steadily forward. 'lhe attendance at public worship has increased, while the membership roll now numbers 182, as against 174, an increase of eight for for the year. Since our last anniversary we have suffered bereavement in the deaths of Mrs Alfred Minifie and Mrs F. W. Temple. In each case the decease was painfully sudden. To the bereaved husbands and families we tender our heartfelt sympathy. Thure has been a Mutual Improvemenc Society started, and it has been well attended. The September quarterly ir.eeting gave the Rev Buttle a hearty and unanimous invitation to labour amongst us for another year. Tnis invitation was cordially accepted by the Rev Buttle, ard has since been sustained by the Conference. Regular services have been held during the year at Wangaehu, Taueru, Rangitumau and Kuripuni. To the local preachers our best thanks are due for assisting largely in carrying on these outposts. Mr A. J. Donald has carried out his duties as superintendent during Mr Daniell's absence in England, so part of the honour lays with him in managing the school. On Mr Daniell's return Mr Donald resigned, and Mr Daniell has tr.ken the superintentency again with fresh vigour.- The school can claim to be making fresh headway, the roll shows 315 again t 295 last year, an increase of 20 fcr the year. MrMclver, as secretary, is the right man in the right {lace. Tl e Kuripuni School is under Mr Burtor, and is still holding its own at tl e south end of Ma.-t irton. Mr A. Rail h is secretary. At Taueru we have another school under the superhtendency of Mr G. Garratt, and he holds the fort as a good soldier of the Cross. The Bands of Hope are still doing good work under Mr Heyhoe and Mr Burton. A Junior Christian Endeavour Society is an excellent institution successfully carried on by Miss Church, to Whom great praiso is due for her interest in the welfare of the children. I need hardly say that much is due to Mr S. Ralph and the Choir for the efficient services of praiso so cheerfully rendered by them at the morning and evening services. We also tender our best thanks to Mr Inns as our organis*; and the Church orchestra. Another section of Church workers to whom we are indebted is the Ladies' Guild. The Trustees tender best thanks t) Mr F. W. Temple for his careful and businesslike administration of the affairs of the Trust during a periol of ten years. Mr L. Denton was appointed secretary, hut owing to removal from the district he found it necessary to resign, and Mr H. Beale was appointed secretary to the Trust. Tbecongre-. gation has contributed to the Home Mission Fund the sum of £33 Os 7d, besides which the Young Women's Bible Class forwarded £5 towards tie support of a deaconess employed in the Maori Mission. The amount rai. Ed for Foreign Missions was £32 lis Id, included in which is £lO given by a Masterton resident for the support of • a native teacher in Britain. The Kuripuni Sunday School raised £7 for the support of an orphan at the Cuolie Orphanage in Fiji. These contributions are gratefully acknowledged. Turning to finance the gross receipts for tHe respective years in each department of Church enterprise shows the respectable total of £641255 d, made up as follows: Masterton Trust, £56 18s lid; Masterton Circuit, £405 7s sd; Masterton Sunday School, £45 12s 7d; Ladies' Guild, £29; Kuripuni Sunday School, £2B lis 9d; Kuripuni Trust, £l9 Os Id; Home and Foreign Mission, . £65 lis 8d; total, £641 2s sd. The Trust balance-sheet made up to the 30th April, 1908, which you already have received, shows a deficit of £302 19s 4d. This is the total deficit. In vjew of the expenditure for the coming year we want about £1,600 to spend, and to spread over three years—£4oo for an infant room and Church parlour, £IOO to cover Church roof with iron, painting Church and school, £IOO for a new porch in front of Church, £6OO tor a pipe organ, and £3OO to wipe the present overdraft off. My remarks would be incomplete if I were to leave unmentioned the well-directed efforts of our Minister and office-bearers in all departments of Church life, and I have'no doubt that the coming year will not see a diminution of anything calculated to increase the efforts of our Church and congregation in both spiritual and temporal matters. During the social proceedings which followed the formal business, songs were sung by Messrs N. H. McEwen, "A Last Tribute"; S. H. Ralph, "Consider the Lilies"; and Mrs Edwards, "Dry Those Tears." Hymns were also sung by the congregation. Addresses were delivered by the Revs. C. E. Porter and J. N. Buttle. The. former took as his line of address "What doe 3 the church stand for?" and his remarks were of a highly interesting character. The Rev. Buttle thanked the various office-holders of the church, the choir, Sunday school teachers, and all connected with the work of the church, and particularly mentioned the valued services,r,f Mr H. Beale, secretary of the Church Trust. During the evening refreshments were served by the ladies of the congregation.