ST. MATTHEW'S CHURCH.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 22 April 1913, Page 7

ST. MATTHEW'S CHURCH.

| ANNUAL REPORT. Tli' following report will be ;voso:; ted to the parishioners of St. ,»i.,tluMv's Parish, Masterton, at the anniiiil meeting to be held this month : We hereby submit the report and balanee-sb;ets in connection with the Church funds for tiie year ending M.:\ March 1913. The revenue for th. year, excluding the new Church fu d. totals £5)12 7s lid. being u *.. than last year, apparently a s.rions falling off, but it must be rioted that last year's iievenue. included £482 subscribed towards vicarage alteration and £320 loan obtained towards wards building of the Church of the, Kpiphany, Kuripuni. The only item which may he looked upon as showing a falling* off-is that of offertories, which are £BO less than for the previous 12 months. The summary and comparison of receipts and expenditure, appended to the .Statement gives all neeesmry particulars for the information of parishioners. Jt will he noted that the .Parish debt is 4*343, made up as follows: Parish account in debit, £B3; Vicarage alteration fund, £103; Church of Epiphany. £3! ; removal and renovation of cottage, Kuripuni, £.121, on the whob a fairly satisfactory position. But the falling off in ohe offertories is to be regretted. A considerable increase this year is hoped for, and really must he' forthcoming in, the future. Additional money has, to be 'raised for the curate's stipend. The parishioners arc of course aware that the endowment for this purpose has been mad: over as security to the debenture holders of the new Church loan. One item in the balance-sheet to which attention is directed, is the smallne-vs of the offertories received ■lroiti the, country places. The total for the «,-ear as approximately £26; and when it is known that 80 services were held and some 1600 miles travelled in all kinds of weather, an average offering of 6,« 6d per service would indicate that the country districts are not bearing their share of the Church expanse*, however much the services of the clergy are appreciated.

A more pleasing item is the amount raised for purposes outside Parish requirements totalling £l6B, of which ■sum £Bl was donated to foreign missions ; also the amount raised, for the purchase of motor bicycle. This has been found to be a great assistance in visiting the outlying districts. Now Church. —As mentioned in our last annual lvpoi-t, tenders for tlii: building were then, under consideration ; finally the tender of Messrs j Graham and Sons, Christchureh, for ■ the sum of £6630 was accepted: . The building is now approaching completion. The contractors expect to hand j over the same by the end of next month (May). The very complete statement prepared by the h9n. secretary gives all particulars as to the financial position. It will be seen that a sum of £533 is yet required to complete the 'furnishing of the new edifice, also the removal and enlargement of the- organ. Your vestry hopes tha* everv effort will be made to liquidate this" liability before the Church is opened for worship. The grateful thanks of parishioners' are due to those whose liberal donations have made it possible to M'ect a Church, 'that when completed in accordance with the original plans will undoubtedly be one of the finest in the I Diocese, not only from an archhiteetnral standpoint, but also for th? very beautiful appearance which the interior of the Cliurc'h will present. Your churchwardens and vestry de sire to express their great appreciation of services rendered to the parish by the Rev. *H. Williams as act-ing-vicar for the- larger portion of the year—during the absence of- the Rev. H. Watson—whom we were all pleased to welcome back last November. The year has been one of active work amongst the various parish organisations, and your vestry wish .to tender their special thanks to the superintendent a'-ul the teachers of the Sunday School for their self-denying services in this most important branch of the Church work. The sincere thanks of the parishioners and vestry are also duo to the lion, secretary, lay readers, members of the choir and other workers for the services so willingly rendered -in extending the influence ■for good in the parish of St. Matthew. We trust that this year will, under God's blessing, be one of continued progress.