METHODIST UNION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 253, 22 October 1892, Page 2

METHODIST UNION.

A meftivo of ministers and office-bearers fa vS branches of the Methodist Church was held lnst night in tho lecture hall ab tl,« Pitt-street Weeloyan Church, for the pLo o5 farther considering^ question ot uniting tho different actions m ono b°Theßev. E. 0. Torry wns voted to thochair. Ho said that already two meetings had been hold to consider tho question of a union of tho Methodist Churches, therefore ho need nob explain tho nature of tho bu»i nOBB which they had met to consider. The Boy. Mr Borry mentioned that ha had invited tho Rev. Mr Joines, liiblo Christian, to lecture on " Methodist VM°r nisrown moved, "That tho Rev. Mr Watsford bo invited to Auckland to conduct an ovangolisfcic mission." Mr \V. H, Smith secondod tho motion. The Roy. Mr Borry spoko strongly in favour of tho Roy. Mr Watsford being invited to Auckland. Ho moved that, tho ministers and circuit stewards of tlio various city Methodist churchos bo aupointod a Committeo to arrange- for conducting the mission, Mr W. 11. Smith to bo treasurer. It was also agreed that tho Rev. Mr Morloy, who leavos for Melbourne on Tuosday, bo roquosted to arran^a matters. . Tho Rnv. Mr Morloy was then culloc upon to read a paper on tho question o Methodist Union. Ho said tho subject wai a vital ono of present day importanco nnc interest. At tho recent Ecumenical Con forenco in America 2!) Mothodist orjjanisft tions woro represented, all of which line dovclopofl in a contnry and n-half from thi original Wosleyan Chinch. Tho points o diti'erenco botweon those Methodist organ! gfttions wero very small. In none of thesi churchos was tho individual relation of tin iridividuftl beliovor with his God in any waj aflbcted. Tho principal difl'orouccs wen tho rolativo powors of the ministry, the privileges and responsibilities of tin. laity, and tho adjustment of the connoc1 tional funds. He considered that tho tin* had come when they wanted tho centr* veolring forcos to be applied to Methodism The present system meant that in sou* villages, particularly in England, _ three ministers preached tho same doctrine <« three small congregations. In tho towns tit system also resulted in some Jo9tlin| It also rondored church disciplil difficult to maintain. At present, if a maa' was discontented in one church ho simplf went to another. A further evil was tint Btrength was wasted at prosont. An nd-j vantage of union was, ho considered, thli the ministers would be ablo to work mott satisfactorily for the furtherance of tSi Gospel; There wero places in Now Zealand; where the Methodist Church was not til ptesent represented, although there wer» lour sections of tho Church in the colon! United the four sections of tho Methodht Church musb necessarily bo moff powerful. Union would givo tho Church a more potenb influence in the Stal^ They wero beginning to find that thero vriif a' danger of tho State losing all Cttristiin ideals. If Methodists in America wero ill united it would mean 20 million of vote* while in England union would mean mj| vote in six, which would, if properly used,; prevent such a man as Mr Cobain or Sit Charles Dilke from getting into Parliament; At present it often happened that th» square man was put into the round- hoty and the corners wero rubbod off to th« injury of the man. Another gain from Union was that funds would be liberals} for renewed attacks upon heathoniso. Mr Abel had told them that within three weeks' Bteam of Auckland thero was -i population as large as thab of this colony in heathen darkness. For hi? part he cookl not justify that state of affairs, and would hail union if ib resulted in increased missionary effort. Another argument fit that Methodist -union had bcon tried, and it proved to bo a groat success. In Ireland and Canada the union of tho ChurcbM had proved very successful. In th«<l colonies tho ovila of want of union! were intensified owing to tho sparaoly. populated country districts. In some of the towns the various Methodist Churches were treading upon each othtirj heels, and yeb in other parts of the nauia town there waa not any Methodist Churchj In country districts they wero not keeping up their work as they ought to do. The talents of the preachers and gifts for working were wasted for want of unity; Mothodist churches should bo engaged in the mission field, yot in Now Zealand the combined Methodist churches numbered 60,000 adheronts, and thoy raised £1,000 per annum for foreign missions. The Baptists, who only numbered one-sixth of the Methodists raisod a similar Bam. The next question was whether tho Union was practicable in New Zealand. Soma said they would bo swamped in the matter of finance, but he thought that could be arranged if the matter was fairly gone into. Tho Primitive Methodist was the moali democratic church, and even «ent two laity to one clergy to the Conference. Stiil it was natural thab laymen wonld follow the lead of a minister who was thoroughly in earnest in seeking after the interest of the church. He thought there should bo no difficulty in finding a nia media, in this point. Ab to tho employment of the present ministere, he thought that also might be or- ' ranged, as thero was scope for them all, either in the town or the country district*. Ho advocated federation in matters of general concern, oven if absolute union could nob bo obtained at present, and he thought all Methodist ministers might be trained at oae institution, and in othor ways to combine to show a square front in the various towns. The Rev. Mr Borry said what they aimed at was to form an Australasian Methodist Church. It was nob a question of the other churches joining in the Woeleyan, but ■whether they should all separately cease to exisb. Mr Beaumont said he was always in favour of Methodiat union until quite recently, and. he had attended that nighb in order to learn, as it was still possible he might bo brought round. He might say that he had heard Mr Berry had told Mr Ooldie tbab they would not concedo as much as was offered at the Conference in 100/.

The Chairman said that they should not import into the meeting whab was heard in the street. Mr Berry said what he had stated waa that perhaps they would not go back to tho basis of 18S2. One of the points then conceded was that the President of thb Co&ference should be a layman. It wt£ nob sufficiently considered at the time It merely meanb revolutionising tho system, because at present the President had to ordain, open new chapels, preach and fulfil other duties that should be performed by a minister. Mr Smith moved, " That this meeting composed of ministers and office-bearers in' tho various Methodist bodies, affirms the desirability of Methodist union, belioving that such union will be for the glory rff God and the spreading of Christ's kingdom." 1 Mr Stone said he did nob consider there would be any gain from union. Ab the samo time, he .thanked Mr Morley for bis able address. He thought that the Primilive Methodisb brethren were nob in a hurry to unite. • I Mr Berry said what they wanted was to find oub the convictions of all present. He did nob bhink the Primitive Methodists were eager for the union. ,'MrShackelford said, with regard^to the 'Surplus ministers, there were placi j in the country crying oub for ministers. He was very heartily in favour of Methodisb union and he hoped and prayed it would speedily come. " • . ;' Mr W. Cole also spoke strongly in'favour

ttamoH?" 0 f»l hor desultory discussion, ttio mot wu wns adopted torhCi* tttaTOittlwW"* frMollef