METHODIST CONFERENCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7731, 26 February 1909, Page 2

METHODIST CONFERENCE.

WELLINGTON, February 25. The New Zealand Methodist Conference was formally opened this evening, when the retiring president, the Rev C. E. Beecroft, delivered his address. The Rev Thomas Fee, who is engaged m Temperance work m the dominion, was elected president, and the Rev S. Lawry was .re-elected secretary.' A resolution of sympathy m reference to the Penguin disaster was passed.

(The Rev T. Fee, the new president, came to the dominion from Ireland when he was a young man, and settled m Canterbury as a local preacher. He was soon attached to the St Aibans circuit, from which ho was received as a candidate for the ministry of the Wesleyan. Church. After a period as a student at Three Kings College, Auckland, he entered into circuit work at the conference of 1577. He is very well known m Canterbury, having'travelled m tho ~ Woodend, Waimate, Temuka, Springston, Ashburton and Rangiora circuits. Mr Fee is also well known as a no-license lecturer and organiser throughout the dominion. He was stationed at Ashburton wheii Nolieenso was carried there, and did much m securing that result. The Rev S. Lawry, who was re-elected secretary, is stationed at Papanui, Ghristchurch, and is the present chairman of the Canterbury district.)