ANNUAL MEETING OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH TE AWAMUTU.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2130, 4 March 1886, Page 3

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH TE AWAMUTU.

Thk annual meeting of this church was held immediately after niounnji service on Sunday luut » heu the chairman, the Rcvd. B. Hutsoi), read the following report :—

GKNKRAL UEI'OUT. In dealing with matter* pertaining to our religious life we cannot gauge our progre&b with the same precision that we can our worldly busmen. It is tiuo that the balance sheet greatly depends upon the state of the spiritual: life, and that in course of time it would show how riuitter.i wore in the real lift) of the Church. Yet wo mu«it not apply this test too hastily, especially in our present circumstanced a-> a young and scattered congregation, together with the present depressimi in trade. Though the task of determining the ttue state of our affairs is beset with difficulties we feel we ought to know something about them, and to it we address ourselves. At the end of last December I had been labouring among you in the gospel for a year and a half, and it ib of this pcnod I would speak. The first question evidently mti.it ho whether we have gone foi wards or backwards. lam thankful to «ay that I bee no indications of retiogiession. To say the least, we have held our own. We have advanced in that we have been able to form tho nucleus of a Church. On our communion roll we have 25 names. The sacrament has been dispensed once and the number of communicants (19) was large. There has been an election of elders, but as the gentlemen elected could not see their way to accept the ottico, we have no elder*, and are dependent on the assessors appointed by the Presbytery in August, 1880, Messrs Fisher and Runciman, for carrying on the work of the kirk session. Tho committee of management have held thoir meetings legularly, and taking into consideration the fact that the attendance at Te Awamutu involves the loss of half a day, tho members have been very regular in their attendance, and tho congregation is much indebted to them for their labour*. Thanks are also due to Mr K. Kay fur the many occasions on which he has conducted the services in various parts of the district, and I would bear special ■ testimony to his willingness to help in any w»y to meet the wants of the people. In speaking of the .spiritual progiess of the congregation I feel special difficulties. Judging things from my own point of \iew lam far from being satisfied, but my feelings cannot deterinino much in this matter. The attendance at all the ser\ices is no less, and in some cabes, if not all, rather greater than at the beginning. But in no case is it what it might be, or what it ought to be. In my visitation among the people I havo met almost invariably with that respect, cordiality and kindness which does ro much to help in the pastoral work of a minister. I miss, howev or, the intercourse on tho subject of spiritual life, and that enthusiasm for Christ's cause which should mark His followers. Much allowance must be made for our circumstances, both in regard to Chuich attendance and to real interest in Christ's cause. The distiict has suffered many things in the past, and the present depression causes much extra care and anxiety on the part of the settleis, so that it were perhaps too much to expect everything to come nghi in so short a time ; yet the fact remains we want more spiritual life. Our financial affairs are not quite satisfactory The income for the stipend fund for the year ended June 30th, 1885, was £'201 2s 3d ;of this £0 12s 5d was paid for various items, and the remainder to the minister. For the half-year ended 31st December, 1885, the income up to date is>£Bl 16s ; of which £3 12s has been expended on various items, and the remaining £77 Ins lOd has been paid to the minister's account. Two Hpecial efforts have been made to raise money for the manse or general fund— the meeting in connection with the ordination services, and a lecture— and there now remains a debt of about £95 on the manse, including interest. There are besides, debts on tjieTe Avvamutu and Kihikihi Churches, but they are not reckoned as liabilities of the -whole congregation, although they must piove a drain upon our resources. Steps have been taken to build a church at Te Rore. A section has been bought and paid for, and £34 5s has been promised towaid tho building. An appeal will shortly be made to the whole district to assist in the matter, and I trust that a libeial response will be made. We are now in a position to undei stand our situation, and I think, judging fiom the past history of the di-stiict, wo have no reason to be dUiy irtened. Yet, if we. keop before u.s as .i standard the ide.i of a pioHiJuroua congiegation, much remains to be done. Let us then as fellow--* inkers with the, apostle Paul say with him, " Forgettjng those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those tilings which are before, I pies-, toward tha mark for tho prize of the his»h calling of God in Chiist," ami in dm- time like him wo t-li ill l>y Hie grace of <Jod aUo say, "I have fought a pood fight, I have finished my course, I have-kept the faith, henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteou-nc»»."

13. HuTsCttf, Minister. On tho motion of Mr J. H. Mandenn, seconded by Mr R. Cunningham, the report was adopted. At the \arious meetings the^ following were elceted a pen^ral committee :— To Awamutu : Messrs H. Gnodfellou 1 , J-H. Maudeno, and R. Cunningham. Kihikihi : Meters A. Aruibtiong, W. McNaught, and J. Anderson. Pateiantfi : Mt's->ib W. Macky, F. C. (Hermann, and J. Ryburn. Ohaupo: Messrs W. Sturge->, K. Moribim, and D. McLaren. Te Rore : Messrs J. Hodgson, A. S. Sherret, and Offesen. — (Own Correspondent.)