METHODIST CONFERENCE.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13364, 4 March 1909, Page 7

METHODIST CONFERENCE.

(rRESS ASSOCIATIOM TELEOKAM.)

WELLINGTON, March 3.

The question of home mission work was gone into fairly fully by the Metihodist Conference v.hen discussing tiho report of the Home Mission Executive Committee, ■which was presejit<;d for adoption by the Rev. G. W. Sponce. In the first place the Rev. Mr Speoico., in order to get the principle adopted, moveu on tlie committee's beliaJf that a minister in full connection be sot aside as organising secretary to work on tlie lines so successfully adopted in tiie Ausl-ral'ii.in States. It was urged by Mr J. TrowJiscm that tliey shou!d Ciave t.!i,e very be»t ma.ii available for the pest of organising secretary. They did not want to have an unemployed maji sent oiiit- to this work, but a real live man. full of spirit. He was sorry to say that their 'home mission work had not been very satisfactory. They did not want to cry out now that they were poor, f«r if t'hv-.-y went on they would get plenty of money and dio work could Le put in hand without delay. Tho man they wanted for the/ pc-.st- was a m:ai w\ho would r-a-ise the level of Met.hodiisra throughout New Zcibland.

The Conference ivas asked ijy Mr Ht-rbe-rt to make {juke- c!c<ir the necessity for sue!; an .•.ipp-.iiitnit'n.l, as ho said that a doal of nusapprehc-Jisdon existed about it.

The Chairman roiu.iTked that it was reirilly to provide an extra wlieol w.herewith to aid tlieir progress. On being put to the vote, the principle of making the appointment was endorsed with cnily one diseentjent. It was then moved bi- the Rev. Mr •Sponce for the committee that a jninis-L-(>r be designated tor this ofiice forthwith, to take effect from 1910. The R<-v. Mr Heady seconded and supported tlio iiiotio-n. An ainondment was moved by Mr G. Dixon that t.ko ap-puint-nieiit- Ik- made this year. He urged that if they had made the ap-pr-;nnnejit live years ago they could linvii saved anything from jCoOO to ■LIO'X) by «K;tirir.g cites along tlio Majn Trunk lino. The P.ev."*J. Buttle seconded tlio amondnK nt. * The Rev. J. J. L;>wis expressed t/he hope that- r-);e suerrs.-. 01 the 4nove.ment would net be imporilLcd by precipitate action. The Confeirerire had full power t-o take a man for _the work r.y.iy, but ho urgeJ*t-har- it'was only rigi-.t to consider district and «>ni:exional cl:i-ims arid give some «iotice of w-ho wij going to i»e selected. '"I am not prepared to s.iy," remnrkc*\ the Rev. ?.ir Pendray. "whotnOT the appoh:'.ment shiiiild be made i:ow or i:est ~vnr; but «hat I do know is th.iL- something should be d< , :no f+rc.-iglit off/* (Laughter.) He was strongly oJ? opi.!i;s 11 th.it, t!:e home niissi-nn work w:is »:ot gf-:;i.g on as it sh-ould do. and felt t!;-it fhoul-J }o>e r.o time in d'.-olrng -wi-.-h Uie position. In tiie King Country, f'.-r instance, tboy lcr.-t ■ipport.uni::i}j by .not pushing en promptly. 'Where aro we, brethren?" ho cried, -1 tcil you it's a rcaJ oliarn© io u«."

"The need of our Church." declared tho Rev. T. G. Brooke, "is such that »-•* must proceed at once.'"

By tho iliv. C. H. Garlr.r.d it was urged that what thc-v should uo .it ouoe y.ai to appoint "their man, but le-svo it until l\'i\3 before lie bciran his (irv work.

Some criticism upon th<? financial aapoct of tih<> question. dr«aw from Uie Rev. Mr Sponec the roniark that the

contributions had come in muih better Oi ia;v .inu that mm , 1110 was only JUl.x). i:k i<o\ . \S". ,<i.-id.' s:;»:txl that there was apparently a duuial iceiiiig in the Con:t.-rt>uce 0:1 this point. however, whei* Ueicjiat-eii rec*. k ix-t-cl ihc bai.*r.cL--tiny ttoa-a s>ee that the income iiaa bee:; uearly i;i exxxtki oi tnu j o-sUiuates. Aftor cotis;cierablo deeu!- ---! Tory di&fiissioii the amendment piovidiiiLT for the imaitsiiate oi tiie ortjanisins secretary was vanicd oy Si vote-* to -iV. Tiio annouiiceiueut was urot-cotl with applause. It was next moved by the Rer. .\lr | Speiics, on behalf of the committee, j that tlio location ct this ojficor Ue in • Auckland, lie urged' that it was only 1 natural that the headquarters of tht* j socret.iry >l'.ouid be in tho same town i aj those oi the Executive Committee j in ore!;-;- to porn:it him to ke-ep in clo&e touch -ivitli it. Ah amendment moved by Mr J A. J Fiesher was that the organising secre- | tarys heado;iarters l>o in Wellington. J j He did this he s:iid because \Vt-iiinj;ton : ! was tho most central town for a man ; J who must, in -order to carry out his . dut , ". , !, b<- able to reach aU parts of ; t!u Dominion easily i I On a div-ision t:-.e amendmejit was ■ ■ lost by an overwhelming majority. Tho • furti'.er amendment by the ; Ili'V. iS. I.awry wn< also hist :—'Thni I tlie hoad<jiiart-ers of the officer be in i Auckland. b:it that his plnc» of residonce bo loft tc h:s ovrn choice.' , Tho i original motion was then '.-arried. On the motion of th-i Rer. 1 Speiico. the Conference adeptrd further j recommendations by the committee as j follows:—Tluu he act under the direc-j tion of the Home Mi.-fion Exuuti.-e ; | that his duties be—(l) To visit the flif- j ferent circuii«, home mission j and Maori mission districts of the IX>minion by arrangement with the district chairmen and superintendents; (2.) to conduct services and public meetings in -t.ho interest of rhe funds for church extension; V.i) to take the iieeo.-- ! sary steins to promote mi increa-se<l in- | tertst in tho work, and to augment the ! income of the Home Mission depart- j mont by subscription and other 1 methods; C-l) to visit districts where! services arc not iK-infr held, with 11 view j to tho extension of church work; (5) j bo supply a quarterly report ' ■as to the work to the Ex- ' ocutive Committee, xund an annual j report to tho Synod or Conference; that the stipend to lx» attached to tho office be at least i'27~> per year. At the afternoon sitting tiie Uev. Mr Spe.nct" reported that the commit too had met during the luncheon adjournment, and decided, to recommend three names in the following order as candidates for the position:—Rev. W. Slnde (Dunedin), Rev. T. G. Brooke (N<.-w Plymouth), Eev. S. Lawry (Christchurch). The- voting on tho first ballot was:—Rev. Brooke G8 votes. Rev. Slado 38 votes, Rev. Lawry 33 vot-e.s. As this did not give tho Rev. Mr j Brooke an absolute majority, a second ballot was tnken, with the result that he was elected by 01 votes to 51. The result of tho ballot was received with hearty applause. In response to innistont cries of "epeech," tho Rev. Mr Brooke thanked tho Conference very itiuch for tho honour conferred upon him, though he felt some doubt as to his own ability to carry the work out successfully. He had. he confessed, some regrets at giving up circuit work, but with the sympathetic help and support of the~ Church's ministers, he would do his best. (Applause.) Tho Rev. C. H. Garland urged that now it would only l>o right for the Conference to make sorr.o financial provision for their newly-appointed orcnnisor. It was all very well to elect him, but what were they ftoino; to do in ref,poet to his support? His supiostion was that every member of the Conference should contribute, par, £-5 for this purpose. He moved :—"That tho Howe Mission Committee bo instructed to submit a financial scheme to the Conferonce for tho present year." After some discussion the motion was carried on the voices. J

(special to "tite press.") AVKT/LINOTON. March 3. Tho present Conference is regarded as an epoch making °t>°- Its ao-o-rossivo and buoyant spirit was marked yesterday by the establishment of a Central Mission in Wellington, with a minister from Victoria in charge. To-day, after a prolonged discussion, it was decided hv a very hearty vote to create- a new office, viz., homo mission orcrruiisine; secretary, to teshlc in Ancklnnd, but to travel throughout the Dominion. By a large vote- tho Rev. T. G. Brooke, Mow Plvnouth, was appointed to this office. Mr Brooke was President of the Conference three years ago. It was decided that a home missionary be appointed as assistant to tho St. Albans circuit, also to tho Willowby circuit.

It was agreed to divide the Ashburton circuit, the northern end to be constituted a home mission station.

In tho case of Amberley, tho home missionary is to be superseded by a

probationer. Several circuits applied for relief of obligation to take a Maori, minister instead of n prnlititioner. Kairr 3 ' was one of these The request was "ranted, but the circuit is expected to fulfil this obligation next year. Malvc-rn is also relieved.

A vote of syinpathv n-.is p.nssorl i-n the Rev. H. .Tames, Tr.i Tapu", who hnd vreeived cable news of tho sudden death of his mother.