The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-05-19 00:00:00

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

The 21st annual meeting of the Liverpool and West
Lancashire Church Missionary Society was held yesterday
evening in the Music Hall, Bold-street, and was most nume-
rously and respoctably.attended. Before the hour appointed
for the commencement of the proceedings, the body of
the room and the gallery became almost incommodiously
crowded—many persons in the passages being unable to find
seats,—the platform alone remaining vacant for the accom-
modation of the speakers, the committee, and their friends.
A great number of ladies were present, and gave additional
interest to the meeting, but we regret to say that many of
them could not find adequate accommodation, and that all
were more or less incommoded by the almost overpowering
heat of the room. In a short time the back seats of the
platform, which are seldom put in requisition, were crowded
even to the ceiling, and the crush of others, still pushing
forward, became somewhat alarming.
Amongst the gentlemen present we observed, the Revs.
H. 'Raikes, B. Noel, E. Bickersteth, D. Tattershall, D.
Byrth, H. M'Neile, F. Ould, W. Rawson, H. Carpenter,
H. Raikes, Henry Jones, Davies, Robert Davies, D.
Anderson, D.James, D. Roberts, F. Barker, R. P. Buddi-
com, T. Driffield, W. Maynard, Hasswell. Wilson,
John Jones, C. W. Lawrence, M'lver, spencer, G.
Stokes, Coles, Bates, --
Knox, Bromilow,
Coomb, Mansfield, Falloon. Boutfiower, J. E.
White, J. Connor, W. Purdon, C. W. Richards, T. Dwyer,
and T. S. Bowsted.
The Rev. HENRY CARPENTER, secretary to the Liverpool
branch of the society, having opened the proceedings with
prayer,
The Rev. CHANCELLOR RATERS, who took the chair, then
addressed the meeting in a very impressive manner. It was,
he said, sometimes necessary in introducing the proceedings
of a meeting such as this, to state at some length the objects
in view, and the advantages which would accrue from follow-
ing them up. But on this occasion, the notices given, and
the circulars distributed, put them in full possession of that
information, and it was unnecessary for him to press upon
them the necessity of supporting the cause in which they had
embarked. He might, however, state that they met together
on this occasion under a state of things altogether peculiar.
Never was there a time when the appeal in behalf of missions
was more powerfully made to the people of England. Never
was there a time when they were more emphatically called
upon to come forward and evangelize the whole world. The
demonstration in behalf of missions was, indeed, such as was
never before known ; and he trusted this would inspire the
people with new exertions. For himself, he believed that if
the people were once roused up they would go on with ardour
in the glorious work. Never was the society more blest in
its operations. Whether they turned to the east or the
west, to the north or to the south, they found new sources
of developement presenting themselves in every direction.
From the various quarters of the globe there was but one
cry, and that was, Come over to us and help us." (Ap-
plause.) He felt he should wrong the spirit of England if
he doubted—and he trusted the meeting before him was a
pledge with regard to this great and influential community—
that the call would not be addressed in vain ; that whatever
might be the amount of the wants at home, whatever might
be the extent of the calls upon our charity within, there was
a heart of feeling pervading the people of England, that
would greatly rejoice in seeing its energies called forth in the
work of evangelising the world, and recognise at once the
call addressed to them in the openings made known through
the medium of missionary exertions. (Cheers.) After a few
farther appropriate remarks, the Rev. Chairman concluded
by calling upon the Secretary to read the annual report.
The Rev. H. CARPENTER then came forward, and read
the following report :
" The anniversary of the Liverpool and West Lancashire
Church Missionary Association having again arrived, the
Committee desire to lay before the subscribers and friends
some account of the state of the association at the close of
another year. The committee rejoice to say that, in point
of friends and finances, this association was never in a more
prosperous condition than at this time. During the past
year new branches have been formed, and in almost all the
elder ones there has been a considerable increase in the
amount of contributions. In the returns from some of the
elder branches, there appears an increase of more than £lOO
above the sum received from them last year; and from one
new branch which has been in existence only for six months,
in Christ Church, £lOO have been already contributed.
" These are gratifying facts for the committee to report,
and they cannot but congratulate the members of the Church
Missionary Society, that while elsewhere the love of some
has become cold, in Liverpool their old friends are growing
in attachment to the society, and their younger ones seem
resolved not to be outdone by them in liberality and zeal.
" By the united efforts of friends old and new, the funds
of the association thiajear exceed in amount those of any of
the preceding, and, compared with last year, they exhibit an
increase of no less than £7OO ; the gross amount of the for-
mer being £1859 3s. 10d., whereas the committee have this
year received £2584 4s. ld. in Liverpool. In this manifesta-
tion of increasing attachment to the Church Missionary So-
ciety in Liverpool, the committee desire thankfully to acknow-
ledge the hand of our gracious God. Nor is this growing interest
confined to our town ; it is happily extending throughout the
whole kingdom. How seasonable this spreading attachment
to the society is, is known to all. Never since the first in-
stitution of the Church Missionary Society did the parent
committee begin a year with more trembling than the last,
and never did the Great Head of the Church so mercifully
rebuke their unbelief, and so signally testify that the silver
and the gold are his, and that every heart is in his hand.
From one source or another there have flowed into the ac-
counts of the parent society in the past year upwards of
£lOO,OOO.
" But while we would unite with the society's friends every-
where, in blessing God for this, let us remember that all this
and more will be required to maintain the missions of the
society in their present dimensions, without advancing to
occupy new posts among the heathen. The existing missions
are most of them every year growing in size, and conse-
quently in expenditure. If these alone are to be maintained ;
there must be a considerable increase of funds. But shall
we rest satisfied with this ? Shall we be content that the
society shall continue to refuse aid to the cries reaching
them from so many heathen lands. Let the servants of
Christ ponder this, and while they rejoice that much is done,
let the recollection that millions are still sitting in darkness
and the shadow of death, and calling on us to come over and
help them, prompt to new and more active exertion in behalf
of the Church Missionary Society.
" The following are the sums contributed respectively during
the past year, by the different branches in connexion with
this association:—
IN ACCOUNT WITH A. HODGSON, ESQ., TREASURER FOR
1839.

..... . 36 5 0
54 13 0
165 13 7
327 3 9i
243 15 4
191 0 10
57 6 7
105 5 8
66 3 7
53 0 11
124 9 7
55 15 0
107 14 6
126 0 0
100 10 6
32 0 0
39 10 3
163 8 11
129 1 10
19 14 0
53 0 9
84 15 8
18 3 6

By Cash, Donations
Annual Subscriptions
Everton Branch
„ St. Andrew's Ditto..
„ St. Bride's Ditto
„ Wallasey Ditto
„ St. Michael's Ditto..
„ St. Mary's, Edge-hill
~ St. Mark's
„ St. Augustine's .
„ Prescot....
„ St. David's ....... . .........
•
„ St. Jude's.
„ St. Jude's, for special purposes ..
71 Christ Church, for half a-year• • •
77 All Saints ,
Mariners' Church
Ormskirk
7/ Seaforth
St. Anne's, West Derby, a moiety .
West Derby, a moiety -
St. Helen's.
Wavertree
Collection after Sermon, at St.
Mary's, Kirkdale
Ditto, at St. John Baptist's
„ Ditto, at St. Luke's
„ Ditto, at Knotty Ash
„ 'Ditto, at Childnoul
„ Ditto, from St. Paul's Scholars
„ Ditto, Friends of the Gospel
„ Ditto, after Annual Meetings
„ From a small Missionary party, less
expenses, per Rev. R. Davies
By Interest from Bankers

39 14 6
25 0 0
7 2 5
10 0 0
15 18 0
3 10 6
1 17 0
83 1 2