ST. MATTHEW'S PARISH.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5081, 19 July 1895, Page 2

ST. MATTHEW'S PARISH.

MEETING OF PARISHIONERS.

Theannualineetingof Parishioners of St. Matthew's, Masterton, was held last eveniug, the Rev. A. 0. | Yorko, Vicar, presiding, and about forty persons beiug present. The Chairman called upon the Secretary to road the minutes of last annual meeting. Mr ~\Y. B, Chennells (secretary) read the minutes, tfhich were confirmed, on the motion of Mr W. G. Beard seconded by Mr L. J. Forde,

The Chairman said,before passinj to th? report and balanco sheet ho would like to speak a won on their own personal rela tions. Twelvemonths ago lie dii not want to go from Napier to Mas terton. He had been told that th Masterton people " were rathe queer" and tliat if ho went to Mas terton he must "mind and not preacl long sermons." He had then sail that, if anything else turnetf up, h certainly would not go to Mastertor He could now say lie was exceed ingly pleased he came, and h thanked God that lie had been sen to Miisterton, Iu the short nin months which had passed they liai become fast friends and he shonL irdced he sorry to leave the Paris! of Masterton. Ho bad neve met people amongst whom h whs happier to live. It wa difficult for a layman to undei'stani the niauy difficulties a clergymai met with in carrying on the work o sncli a large and scattered parish and to give some idea, he would jus say that since arriving in Mastertoi he had visited somo two hundrei families, and there were about tin hundred more that he ought to visi when he could find time. He hat paid three hundred pastoral visit! ind conducted one hundred am forty-six services in St. Matthew'; Church ; delivering eighty -si iermons or addresses. He luu conducted seventy-four classes, fo Miitirmation and other things, als loing what he could for the choi md Sunday School. During th jeriod mentioned, sixty-three cele jrations of the Holy Comimmio: lad taken placo, the greatest numbe if communicants in one day, bein: iiglity-nine; the number on the rol jeing one hundred and thirty-two services in the country, had beei londucted by the lay-readers an< liuisolf, on twenty-two occasions mt lie was sorry that in this dircc ion there had not been mucl mcourageinent, and it was a quesion whether country services could ie maintained. It was tasking a ay-reader too much, when lie went , considerable distance to have 110 ne come to tlio service at all—s occurred recently; and for imself, considered it time wasted lien—as recently happened at 'aneru—■when the Hall was not

lit up and 110 congregation had

gathered to receive him when ho arrived. He was sorry but yery much afraid this branch of the work would have to bo relinquished. Regarding his work at the public schools be found that in Masterton the attendance was most iri-egula-, being more evenly maintained at the country schools lie visited. He endeavoured to make the instruction as bright and profitable as possible, and would like pareuts to assist him in the work, and also to take more interest in Sunday School matters; and it rested largely with them to direct their children on such. When lie first came to Masterton he had said that the day would come, when at leastsomeonewould discover a black spot on him, and he was afraid some of them had found a good deal of black. It had been said that a clergyman was usually " perfect" for the first year, in a new Parish; the second year he was merely " a good fellow; aud the third year he was—well he would leave his hearers to supply the missing word. (Laughter). He was afraid that someone had discovered '■ the cloven hoof" already before even a year was up, and had published tho fact from the housetops. On this subject he would merely say that he felt sure they would all exonerate him from the

charge of wishing to compromise the Vestry, or interfere with its business,

The Hev. gentleman made a few concluding remarks, and then called upon Mr F, G. Moore to read the annual report. Mr Moore read the report, and afterwards said that when at the beginning of the year the Vestry look office, they did so w,ith some doubt, but had just about managed to make both ends meet, with the exception of the parsonage debt and interest. This he thought was a matter for congratulation, Referring to the duties of the lay-readers, he said they were by no means simple, and their lay-readers had been most willing at all times to go into the country or to work in the Church, at expense to themselves, and deserved very hearty thanks. He would formally move the adoption of the report and balance sheet. Mr D. R. Robinson soconded the motion. The Chairman referring to the report, said the circular asking the scatholders whether they favoured or disfavoured free sittings, had nothing to do with the yestry but was entirely his own idea. He was of opinion that strangers felt intruders when they saw the white labels on the seats. The whole burden of the suggestion rested with himself, lu reply, 12 circulars marked "No" had come in, and3s with " Yes." This was only half the papers sent out, and he felt it would be unwise to submit such a scheme as he proposed, to a meeting that was not a very large one, as when anything was done with reference to any change in raising the finances of the Church, it must be done with the hearty good-will of all. Otherwise he felt he should be jeopardising the welfare of the Parish, Although £IOB looked a good deal in the lump sum, as pew rents, when it was analysed it only meant one penny three-far-things each sitting per Sunday. It seemed to him that by resting content to remain stagnant, they were not acting rightly. They ought to try and gather all in and make everybody welcome. The report was then adopted without discussion. The Rev. Mr Torke, in very complimentary terms, re-appointed Mr I R, Brown as Clergyman's Churchwarden. , On the motion of Mr W. H, Jackson, seconded by Dr Beard, Mr P. G. Mcore was re-elected Parishioner's Chnrehwarden. Mr Moore briefly retimed thanks, Referring to theont-going Vestry, the Rev. Mr Yprke thanked them most heartily fortheir kindness and courtesy, and assured those present that the new Vestry might rely on it that he wonld not in' any way compromise them,

The following new Vestry was then elected:—Messrs W. H, Bee-

thara, Dr. Beard, Geo. K, Bond, R, K. Jackson, D. R. Robinson, R. T. Holmes, M. Meadows, W. 0. Beere, W. H. Jtickson, and R, P. Temple.

Messrs 0. A, Tabuteaa and 11. H, Waddington were re-elected auditors.^ Referring to the keeping ofl accounts, Mr Yorke stated that Mr ¥ Cliennells was the best Church Secretary he had ever met. Mr R. Brown, Superintendent of the Sunday School, read t.ho annual report and balanco sheet. Tlio report showed 218 scholars on the roll, and a credit balance in hand. The report was adopted as read. Mr J. U. Boddington proposed a hearty voto of thanks to the outgoing Churchwardens and Vestrymen. He thought tlio balance sheet showed the good and earnest work done by tlicm during the past year. The Rev. A. C. Yorke seconded the motion which was carried. Votes of thanks were accorded the choir, lay-readers, Sunday School teachers and all otherhelpers,onthe motion of Mr Yorke seconded by Mr W. 0. Beard. On tlio motion of Mr W. 11. Jackson, seconded by Mr Moore, a special vote of thanks was accorded to Mr W. B. Chennells, the Secretary. Mr W. G. Beard nskod for fuller I information regarding Mr Yorke'sl scheme for raising revenue. "

The Rev. MrYorkesaid it .was the system known as the "envelope system very successfully tried in otlicr churches, notably the Wesleyau. In one Church with which lie wns connected (St. Matthew's, Dunedin), the system was introduced and a 30 per cent, increase in the revenue was found. The system was that every member be asked to consitlor what he could afford to giro 011 every Sunday in the year, and if absent one Sunday, the amount was doubled the next Sunday. Envelopes marked with a number, were supplied, and the amounts were entered, as paid, in a ledger, after eacli service. The average contribution of the Wellington Diocese, was only 4s 2d per head; but in St, Matthew's Parish, it only roached Is Sd per head. Even at Id per head each Sunday, they would approach very near the highest average, and if the seventy-four heads cf families attending the Church, only gave a shilling eaijb Sunday, the revenue from ollcrtoriJ would be increased front £ll9 " about £l7O. In reply to Mr AV. G. Beard, the

Chairman explained that this scheme did not deal with tho abolition of pew-rents,but with offertories only. On the motion of Mr Beard, it was resolved that the envelope sysfc m be recommended to the careful consideration of tho vestry. Dr. Beard proposed a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Yorke for presiding at the meeting, also alluding to tho cordial relations existing between the Vestry and the Incumbent. Air Yorke had told t-honi that the first year a clergyman was " perfect"; the second, a "good fellow"; and the third, "a missing word." He would supply the missing word which was, no doubt, angel. (Lauglitor). He hoped they would long retain Mr Yorke as an angel in their midst. (Hear, hear), Mr Yorke suitably replied, tho meeting then terminating with tlz usual devotions.