WESLEYAN DISTRICT MEETING.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 271, 16 November 1888, Page 3

WESLEYAN DISTRICT MEETING.

ANNUAL SESSIONS.

The Auckland district meeting commenced its annual sessions in the schcol-room, Pitb_ street Church, this morning, under the presidency of the Rev. Rainsford Bavin (Chair, man of the District). The following were present: Ruvs. E. Best, Pitt-street; G. PI. Garland, Ponsonby ; Rev. A.Reid, principal Wesley College, Three Kings; Rev. J. Dukes, Devonport; Rev. James A. Taylor, Graffcon Road ; Rev. W. L. Saltcr, Newaiarket; Roys. James Wallis, Henry H. ILa wry, William "Worker, supernumeraries, Auckland; Rev. William Gittos, Superintendent Maori work; Rev. J. J. IvlaL.he.'-, Mahurangi; Rev. William Koall, Thanves ; Rev. Samuel Lawry, Te Aroha ; Rev. John Law, Franklin ; Rev. John S. Riahwor.'.h, Cambridge ; Rev. T. G. Can', Hamilton ; Rev. Samuel Griffith, To Awamutu ; Rev. T. Francis Jones, Paparoa; ' Be»v- George X. Marshall, Northern Waxr<x\; Rev. T. A. Joughin, I Hokian"a ; Rev. ifauraki Paora, Kaipara; Rev. Hori'Te K'nr.i, Taheke; Rev. Piripi Rakena, Mangamuka ; Rev. James Thomas, Uvbaiigarei; Rev. A. C Lawry, Tauranga; Rev. \Vi Warena Plw^, Waima. Home Missionaries: Mr J. W- Griffin, Bay of Islands ; Mr S. I3ucba/ia\i, Wade ; Mr G. Pearson, Helensville ; MfW. p "ce, U hangaroa; Mr G. Stephenson, Baglan ; MrG. H. Bridgman, Coromandel. After devotional exercises, lo<* by Revs. John Law, H. H. Lawry, E. B^and Alexander Reid, the meeting proce^&ed to the election of Secretary by ballot. '.TL'e voting resulted in the election of RvSv. J. A. Taylor. The Secretary nominated; the Rev. C.«H. Garland as assistant s^cre-; tary and the Rev. S. Griffith as journal secretary. The Rev. John Dukes was' appointed reporter to the "Now Zealand Methodist " and the Revs. W. L. Saltor and T. F. Jones reporters to the daily' j press. CHAIRMAN'S ADDRESS. The Chairman then delivered the following address : —"Dear Brethren, —In opening the proceedings of this annual District Meeting, I would first express devout thanks to God, who has preserved our ranks unbroken throughout another year, and permitted us to assemble again for brotherly counsel, review and intercourse. The first district meeting of our church ever held in the province was in the year 1537, of which the venerable Nathaniel Turner was Chairman. It was not held in Auckland, for Auckland was not in existence then, but at the mission station ot Mangungu, in the north. Of coiuse its business was confined to the Maori missions. To-day we represent in this Auckland district a constituency of 16,500 adherents, inclusive of J pur Mauri brethren. This fact alone mdi- , cates the importance of this meeting, and : the necessity for our seeking earnestly help from God in our deliberations. The Church of Christ, in all its branches, exists for the : sake of humanity at large, to effect its • moral renewal and uplifting, to achieve its ' salvation—thi3, and this alone, is the busi- : ness of tho Church. As one organised branch of this groat Christian brotherhood, we accept the responsibility, and are prepared, as far as in us lies, to give ourselves to this work, to achieve which < Christ came from heaven to earth. We recognise frankly, and with gratitude, the labours of the other communions in this i city and district, but we believe the call of God to us as a church to gird on the armour : and bear our full share of toil is clear and < strong, ib gives me pleasure to welcome to this meeting the brethren—the Revs, • Keall, J. Thomas, and A. C. Lawry—who : aro present for tho tirst time in Auckland ; District Meeting. We miss from our . midst the Rev. H. Bull, whose devoted and ! unselfish labours for nine years in this district won for hiru the cordial esteem of all his brethren. He has carried with him to his present sphere our best wishes and prayers. We cannot I forget this morning that at our last district i meeting our late esteemed brother, the . 'Rev. C. Barley, Occupied a seat on this platform as one of our secretaries. He ; was transferred by the last conference to tho TaranaKi and Wanganui district, but had scarcely entered upon his duties in his ■ new sphere before he was called to ser- : vice in the upper sanctuary. His death is a loss to the church. With what sanctified zeal and culture and ability he devoted himself to his holy calling only those know who were privileged-—like myself—to know him i intimately. I fear that over application ; hastened his end. To the widow and fatherless children we convey our sincerest . sympathies. May our i gracious God befriend and bless them! i Since last November our general Confer- , ence has held .its sessions in Melbourne, i The printed minutes already in your hands • show that thetrienniumjust passed hasbeen one of encouraging increase in every depart- i ment of our church work in these colonies. In the matter ot higher education the sister : conferences leave Hew Zealand far behind. • This, however, is but the natural result of ! Government subsidy to high schools in ; this colony. Under such conditions as ' these, which do not obtain in the other Ji

colonies, ifc is almost^ impo^j e f or the churches to compete with th(g ov ernment in providing higher edition. The most important matters d^ w ifch by this last General Conference^re foreign missions (including the Ton^'difficulty), interconferential exchanges, jjjarate Conference for New Zealand, theygpfc o f membership, and the religious coition of the masses. On the second of th^;i observe, some of the district meetings \y e \v South Wales, held last month, havj| een giving 1 deliverances. lN To doubt all c subjects have a value and an int|§fc for us, specially, perhaps, that of_for^ n missions. But I particularly desire this d^iefcmceting to take into its consideration I) foldings of the General Conference on thoijbject of the state of religion in our citiesffid how we may so adapt our services aml^r methods and means as to bring tho 8 l of our blessed Saviour to bear upq.the hearts and lives of the neglected,masses of our population. Before lea^g the subject of the General Conference^ us direct attention to the revised OK C ulum of study for our probationarj|ministers, published in the minutes, w% of course comes into operation this yea; Tho new rules for our Sunday-schooli^hich are to be published in paraph form, I have not yet received. The past year has been one of stea^ work in this district, and, I believe, wi>nconrag- eing results. Our Three Kingsfcaining Institution, under the care of Itr: A. Reid, hi»s maintained its former e%ncy. We all regret that to meet thfemergency caused by Mr Barley's death,j. v ,-as found necessary to call out one olm students (Mr Chapman) into circuit vk. Seven home missionaries are nowfegaged in thi3 district, all of-whom aifwibh. your permission, in the District Me^jg. Their j work, though laborious, has bfofaithfully i performed. Two of these We entered during the year, and n| approval of this meeting is sought jo confirm i their appointment. The jß.ev. W. i Gibtoa still continues || exercise | a general supervision of the j\iri church, and in fulfilment of hia duties !g. travelled extensively throughout the yeag I wish to bear coy testimony to the valple service he renders in this capacitj { and ha 3 for so many years past. )We hope ib may please God long p continue to Bro. Gittos his health iad vigour for this important work. ITfirill report to the District Meeting the fete of the Maori churches under his care.-It is cheering to note that the natives haj completed a new church during the yeajn the Kaipara at a cost of £300, whiwhaa been opened free of debt. TheirJhas been some correspondence in the tewspapers of late on the subject of unneceftry friction j and rivalry in church work, in j the scattered populations of thflstrict, ocI casloning waste of both menind means. Bub surely there need fcj; no such unseemly and hurtful cornpebion. For our own part, as a church, i? shall not countenance such rivalries, iffe continue (as I trust wo shall) to act in he spirit of : our fathers. I hold in custodjust now a copy of an agreement, dated IJh October, 1838 (just 50 years ago), Itween the agents of tho Church of liland and ; the AVesleyan Church Aliions, and signed by Henry Williams aihiSathaniel Tui-ner, as representing j^ese two great religious bodies theiUtt work j in JS rew Zealand on behalf of jj'e ifaoris, j ia which they solemnly pledgotheraselves to recognise each other's wotjind nob to overlap or collide. Such an agjement was surely honourable aliko to bottehurches, i and 1 pray that this good feelig and holy charity may be strengthened ail extended among all branches of the churks who hold the one living and true Heaftthe Lord Jesus. Arrangements were made ft^Mr W. J. Elliott, a candidate for the ihistry, to preach his trial sermon this evejng at Pittstreet Lecture Hall, and a coiiSittee was appointed to lvear him.

It was resolved to send a lejer of sympathy to Mr John S. Hudsojjof Warkworth, one of the oldest missiiaries connected with the Wesleyan Chuih.