The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-01-14

other Islands, %; members residing
abroad or travelling, 4S.
Families connected with the church,
42S.
During the year, Is business meet
ings of the church have been held,
and IS meetings of the Standing Com
mittee; also one meeting of the church
and congregation.
Communion services We're held six
times during the year; January 3rd,
March 7th, May End, July 4th, Sept.
5th and November Tth.
During our pastors absence in Japan
this summer, our church was much ia
vored in having the ministration Of
Rev. Henry n. Hoyt, d. d.. of Sacra-
mento, Cal, who occupied the pulpit
and acted as pastor for six weeks with
great acceptance. Rev. Sidney III. Gu
lick also occupied the pulpit for one
Sunday before Mr.. Birnie's arrival,
preaching most eloquent sermons
The Children's Day services were
held in the church Sunday morning,
May 9th, at which there was large
attendance.
The most interesting event connect
ed with our Palama mission during
the year was the Communion Service
held at Palama chapel May 30th, at
which time 13 young persons were ad-
mitted to the branch church. All of
these had been carefully instructed by
Rev. J. NJ Lewis and examined by
Pastor Birnie and the Standing Com
mittee and they gave very satisfactory
evidence of a change of heart and a
desire to live Christian lives.
The roll call meeting of the church
was held November 3rd, at which
about 167 persons responded when
their names were called, 80 persons
sent or read verses from scripture or
a hymn; 25 responded by letters to the
pastor, and Mr.. Birnie read extracts
from many of them; 54 sent messages
through friends as they were not able
to be present; z were kept away by
sickness or old age; 100 members of
the church were absent from the city.
Out of the $40 members, about 3S3
were either heard from or accounted
for, and the meeting was very fully
attended, although the evening was a
rainy one.
The Wednesday evening prayer
meetings have been held continually
through the year, and have been well
attended.
During the winter months the short
after meetings that were held after
the Sunday evening services were of
great interest and benefit to those who
attended.
w. w. HALL, Church Clerk.
The Superintendent of the Sunday
School reported as follows:
The most important fact to be given
in this report is that fifty-two sessions
of our school have been held the year
just past. and at each of these the aim
and effort has been to bring the uncOn-
verted to Christ, and all to a growth
in grace and to faithful Christian liv-
ing, which we trust has contributed
in some degree to help those eight
members of our school to confess their
faith in Christ and unite with the
church.
The interest in our school is good.
Many of the scholars have not failed
to be present every session and very
many more have only been absent ex-
cept from unavoidable causes, and
their department has been good.
The average attendance for the
year 1897 was 435. The largest attend
ance at any one session was SGT, the
smallest 259, and the total attendance.
22,213.
The benevolence of the school has
been very commendable, and we be-
lieve comes as the result of learning of
Him who Though he was rich. yet
for our sakes he became poor that we
through His poverty might be made
rich"
The total amount of money given by
the school for the year amounted to
sS3291, which exceeds the amount
given by the school in 1896. S96.81.
In addition to this, there were given a
large number of books, to go into the
homes of the native pastors, and many
grateful Acknowledgements have been
received, and also for the new books
purchased with the special collection
which amounted to S6026.
About half of this amount was given
to the Palama Sunday school.
The Primary Department has quite
outgrown its present quarters, and in
their crowded condition, the warm
weather is very trying, so that we are
obliged to use the hallway which is
not convenient
1t is most earnestly desired that
more suitable and commodious quar-
ters be provided for these Lambs of
the fiOck.'
In behalf of the school I desire to
continued CT Second Pape1