Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Tuesday 16 April 1895, page 3


CHURCH NEWS.

ST. JOHN'S (C.E.), ASHFIELD.

The annual report of the Church of St. John the Baptist, Ashfield, has just been presented by the churchwardens, Messrs.A.J. Brierley, E. H. T. Russell, and H. B. Allard. It is to the following effect: —" The pew rents received amount to £226 4s, as com-pared with £263 19s received for the previous year, being a decrease of £37 15s. The offertories and collections amount to £358 10s 5d (including £30 13s 1d for special extra parochial objects), as against £390 5s 4d (including £28 11s 8d for special objects) for the previous year—a decrease of £31 14s 11d. The receipts on general account available for the purposes of the church amount to £640 15s 5d, and the expenditure has been £694 6s 4d. During the year Messrs.Allum, Ridge, and Webb, the original trustees of the parsonage property, resigned their positions, and at a meeting of parishioners held on 20th September last Messrs.E.H. Rogers, A. J. Brierley, and Wm. Russell, jun., were elected trus- tees of the parsonage property in their places.The old schoolhouse having fallen into a serious state of disrepair, and there being an opinion prevalent that it would be unwise to incur a large amount of ex-pense in putting it in repair, a meeting of parishion-ers was held on 26th July last, which was very largely attended, and at that meeting the following resolution was unanimously passed :—' That it is desirable that a new schoolroom be erected on the church grounds, and that a subscription list be opened for the purpose ' A committee was formed, and promises amounting to about £300, extending over three years, were received. The committee appointed Mr. E.A.Scott architect for the building. Plans and specifications were drawn up, and tenders called for, and a tender for £625 10s for the erection of the school-house accepted.The building is now on the point of completion, and it is intended to open it by a social meeting or conversazione on the 25th instant. To meet the necessary expenditure, an addi-tional loan of £400 has been obtained upon the security of the parsonage property, the amount of the mortgage now being £1100. During the year there have been 313 services in the church , 95 cele-brations of holy communion, with an average attend-ance of 22 communicants , 31 baptisms, 14 marriages, and nine burials.In addition to the amount con- tributed from the churchwardens' funds to the relief of the poor, the sum of £13 1s from contributions in the box at the door, and from special donations, has been received and distributed by the incumbent." Accompanying the report is a statement of receipts and expenditure, showing that the sum of £2026 17s 2d had been raised during the year, the expenditure being slightly in excess of this amount.