WESLEYAN ANNIVERSARY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1335, 24 March 1883, Page 2

WESLEYAN ANNIVERSARY.

The Anniversary of the Masterton Church was celebrated by, a/.successful tea-meetingyesterday .aft'ernooh/which/ was followed in the evening by a publip' meeting hvthe Church. ;!«•', v At the latter, Mr B, Pi,,(Periy ; presii ; dedj and opened the .proc.eedinga',with. brief-but appropriate remarks, :£i.' • ; ,': ,'i Mr Gordon-read the annual ireport,which referred t6;the;successful :: effort'j made by the congregation; itfbuilding' a new school, and stated thai J as soon'j as a satisfactory site'Svas obtained, ind'-l sulcient funds wero ,in hand,.-the} Parsonage would,be > commenced?: ; ; It' expressed regret that many of the congregation were on Sundays sosusceptibloJ to w_et weather, and pointed |Out,tho necessity for increased revenue.", Tho.j cost of cleaning, lighting, and insuring I the Church ! was £26 per „annum,;and j | income 'towaids these expenses £lo.] I They had, too, since April j creased responsibilities in' having ;{& I support a married instead of a 1 single' J '" ,' ''"''" w%

liiinisli /Mll^iffi^ieae^additiprial iiharg|she£ did MtanMoipefeilirte. tHe district, ;wf|r eHpen^it^l^a)l:aisbme who was well received,-scouted the use :OJf the word/Ifiiilnre," witiPreference'to Church work, He rad"\^mng K Mdress: on 'vitality'in religion,;; ;v 'V'v:-^';':';t ; ";' ; 'v;V:.

~- Mr ; .Qell'follo\ved:^vithitnintereSting' and instructive address'on Sunday School; arid Church- work; pksrecl to meet.-with''special'favor'..from j the : meeiiug.vy- .'-■■_,...; ;-'.-v,ir : ; ,- -,U:..' .'-Mi'thi'i m:j . j Mr Stone, a visitor, cameinext. "with an effusive speech on tho atonement!' | JMr Broadbent, was upon, ga|e ■*mlnrddest 'teririsitlio'experiences of an old church OTkerVui: H The ;Bev,Mr Isitt spqkri onithe'.fihafe' cial'and spiritual aspects of the congregation during the past year, and expressedisomeldissatisfaction''witli''bbth7: but admitted his own responsibility with, respect to, the -latter,; ■ ,On .the subject of firiaiice ho declared that if each member of the congregation laid by| sixpence a week .they-.wbuldlhaVe. no cause togo'as spiritual paupers from man to man and from house to. house, If they said that the church'was 'continually begging they condemned themselijesgby redncihg; it ; to'-sucliTa position.-' In little' Masterton' that week an Opera Company took in two nights as much as they formerly, paid their minister''in a twelvemonth, so that they could not saylhere ll wa l s' < ild money in the place.v, lit that- church they had frequently a borigregatiori-"of oyer two hundred people and a- coilecf: tioniofonly fifteen shillings, "whose fault was it then that, they: had to talk about, money;?"': -'Tri the pulpit he "said as little about it as possible, but the annual meeting was the legitimate occasion for talking over such questions, One glory of the Methodist cause was that none of their, ministers, however gifted, were paid high salaries/' To each-was. allotted sufficient to live upon in decency and comfort^'but.'nothing; was given for luxuries, -The. church then made the-burden, of them as light as possible; In Masterton it fell oil fifty or sixty members only'who'haci to be always giving to make up for' tile deficiencies of the rest of the congregation, After; a brief reference to the spiritual condition of the congregation the rev gentlemanresum'edhis seat amid'loud applause/ * ;l -''-,.;. : -

The choir,at' intervals gave pleasing musical selections.-totes of thanks were carried by. acclamation' to the choir, the ladies who had provided the, tea, and the Chairman, after which a well attended.and orderly meeting was closed with the benediction. •