METHODIST CHURCH.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 13986, 8 March 1911, Page 4

METHODIST CHURCH.

NEW ZEALAND CONFERENCE

ELEVENTH DAY

The annual Conference of the Methodist Church of Australasia in New Zealand resumed in representative session in Durham street Church yesterday morning, the President (the Rev. G. W. J. Spence) being in the chair. MINISTERIAL SESSION. The Rev. F. W. Boys (Hawera) was f ranted permission to visit England in 912, and a supply was granted. THE EX-PRESIDENT. It was decided that the resolution of thanks to the ex-President (the Rev. C. H. Laws) should be engrossed and presented to him as a mark of Conference's appreciation of the sen-ices he rendered during such an important year in the history of the Church. CHRISTCHURCH CITY MISSION. A motion, proposed by Mr L. M. Isitt, that a committee be set up, with power to act, to ascertain if a minister at present in England was willing to return to New Zealand with a view to his taking up the proposed Christchurch City Mission, was considered in committee mad lost. HEY. J. 0. WHEEN'S ITINERARY. Tho following itinerary for tha Rev. J. G. Wheen's missionary convention visit was agreed to* —Canterbury, April 21st to May 16th; Otago, May 17th to June 4th* Wellington, June 7th to June 15th, and June 25th to Jfaly Tth, Nelson. June 16th to June 21st: Wanganui, July 9th to July 27th; Auckland, July 30th to August 20th.

HOME -MISSION STATIONS. The Home Mission sheet was adopted as follows:— ' Auckland District—Morinsville: C. W. Brown. Waiuku: A. Laybourne. Ngaruawahitt: J. Crawford* Rebia: H. O'Dell. Hikurangi: H.Ford. H_ntly: E. Nicholls. Port Albert; C. Strand. Tauranga: K. Ayrton. Coromandel: W. H. Wise. Helensvill-: A. J. Leach. Bay of Islands: M. J. Hilder. Wlu-Ogaroa: T. W. F_atherstone. Mangonui: C. tL Keridon. Ho"-iaag-a: J. W. Parker. Wain-ana: W. A. Porter. Te Awamutu: J. A. Lamond. Fapakura: R. H. Todd. Paeroa: •C. W. Pettenreigh. Wanganui District—New Plymouth (South road): P. P. iCeJlow. Hahotu: C. PaJk. Patea: J. H. White. Kimbolton: J. Oliver. Ohura: A. E. Haynes. North Taranaki: E. A. Hunt. Patea (Maori): W. Kaitara, Wni : marino (Maori): G. Kirkwood. Taranaki (Maori): Tupita. Wellington District—Masterton (Kuripuni): A. Parson*. Norsewood: O. Bridgman. Nelson District —Tapawera: J. Batty.Ficton: C. C. Bottomloy. Runanga: J. Butler. Havolock: E. H. Pain. Flaxbourne: C. Alter. Motueka: J. Harris. Hutchison: F., B. Lawrence. Canterbury District—Addington (Selwyn street): R. Moffatt. St. Albana (Edgeware wad): W. Walker. Malvern: S. Keen. Oxford: A. H. Couch. Banks Peninsula: T. W. Graham. Methven: W. Cumming. Otago District—Nightcaps: W. E. Sleep. Cromwell: C. Duncan. Riverton: W. T. Hooper. PalmeTston South: E. Somerville. Winton: C. A. Foston. Tuatapere: S. Campbell. Lawrence: W. Watson. LEGAL NAME OF CHURCH. It was decided to draw the attention of Cburcli members and others to the fact that the legal name of the Church no longer contained the word "Wesleyan," tho title at present .being "Tho Methodist Church of Australaai- in New Zealand." It was stated that minor •officials connected with the census enumeration, being sometimes unaware of this fact, classed as "Primitive Methodists" people who described themselves simply as "Methodists." METHODIST CENTENARY. In regard to a resolution of the General Conference, approving of tho movement initiated in New South Wales to celebrate the centenary of Methodism in Australasia in 1915 by raising £50,000 in aid of various connexional and conferential institutions, the committee reported it had no recommendation to make. The centenary of the introduction of Christianity into New Zealand would be celebrated in 1914, and it would be inadvisable to have two such celebrations so close together. The report was adopted. PROPERTY RETURNS. It was agreed to adopt the recommendation from Wanganui that one© every five years., commencing in 1911, each Trust Board should be required to make for its District Synod a return of the capital value of the properties under its control, showing the unimproved value of land and the value of improvements, each Synod to report to Conference. BIBLE IN SCHOOLS. A committee consisting of the Revs. C. H. Laws, S. Lawry, J. N. Buttle, S. Griffith, B. F. Rothwell, C. H. Garland. H. E. Bellhouse, and A. Mcßean, and Messrs J. A. Flesher, C. E. Salter, L. M. Isitt, J. L. Scott, J. C. Prudhoe, R. H. Turner, W. H. Seed, and JCannon, was set up to collect evidence regarding tbe working of the New South Wales or Nelson, or any other system of Bible reading in primary schools, and to report to next Conference. MEN'S MEETINGS. The following recommendation from Canterbury "was adopted:—"That meetings of men be convened in every church during the ensuing year for the purpose of Conference, with regard to the best means of furthering the moral, social ,and spiritual welfare of the men of the Church and district; the objects of the meeting to be (1) Prayer and fellowship; (2) discussion of duty w,ith regard to men of the district outside the Church; (3) methods of assisting young men's Bible classes; (4) possibility of forming brotherhoods; (5) formation of Laymen's Missionary Leagues;

(6) formation of Leagues for Social Service; and (7) other practical work for Christ and the Church." COMMUNION SERVICE. The Canterbury Synod recommendea the desirability of printing such portions of the Communion Service as ara used by the Methodist people. This was rejected in view of a recommendation of general. Conference. A recommendation from Wellington was adopted as follows:—"That Conference commend to ministers, Home missioners, Sunday school superintendents, and young people's workers, tbo practice of encouraging our .iimior members to participate in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper." AMENDMENT TO STANDING ORDERS. Tt was agreed to amend the Standing Orders so as to provide that members of Conference should rise in their places "to receivo the President on his entering the hall at the commencement of business. LETTERS OF COMMENDATION. Letters of commendation from Conference to the British and Irish Wesleyan Conferences were ordered to be given to the Revs. D. J. Murray, L. Hudson, C. E. Beecroft, and G. Frost and Mr G. H. Bennett (Palmerston North) who are visiting the Old Country this year. It was decided that the Rev. D. J. Murray, as an ex-president, should receive a special letter of commendation to the Home Conferences, and that, as he was formerly connected with the British Primitive Methodist Conference, he should be instructed to convey this Conference's greetings to tho British Primitive Methodist Conference. Mr Bennett was appointed lay representative from,this Conference to the British and Irish Wcsleyan Conferences. DIVINITY DEGREES. The Rev. J. T. Pinfold moved, and it was agreed, "That this Conference, having heard that the Senate of the New Zealand University intends to approach the Government with the idea of getting legislation passed to enable it to crant degrees in Divinity, expresses its conviction that the time is ripe for the granting of such degrees, and trusts that the Government will amend the law next session in the required direction." REFORMATION PRINCIPLES. The Rev J. T. Pinfold moved, and it was agreed : —"That this Conference having learned that high and representative officials of the Roman Catholic Church have been making assertions and spreading abroad gross misrepresentations with regard to the principles of tho Reformation and the personal character of its leaders, protests against the assertions so mado. It affirms its belief that the Reformation was a return to Apostolic doctrine and polity that has resulted in great blessing to the spiritual, intellectual, social and political life of the world. It exhorts all its members and adherents to neutralise to the utmost of their power the influence of such assertions, and to disseminate, both by teaching and literature, in the Sabbath School, Bible Classes, the home and elsewhere, the true knowledge of Reformation principles and history." BIBLE TERCENTENARY. It was resolved oh the motion of the Rev. J. T. Pinfold to celebrate tho Tercentenary of tho King James version of the Bible on April 30th of this veer. MISSION OF INSPIRATION AND APPEAL. On the motion of the ex-President (the Rev. C. H. Laws), it was resolved : —"That Conference expresses its conviction that the approaching independence of our Church should be. marked by an effort on the part of all our ministers, office-bearers, and people, to enter more fully into the privileges of our Church life, to seek a quicker and deeper personal acquaintance wthe things of God, to understand with a new thoroughness the history of our Church and the development of *its

polity and organisation, and also to enter upon; more systematic efforts, by house-to-hotiso Visitation and in other ways, to reach the many who have lapsed from direct Church influence. It therefore resolves, in connection with the entrance upon our status as a self-governing Church, to organise a Methodist Mission of Inspiration and Appeal, with a view to securing the above ends, and appoints the following committee to consider how best this may be promoted, and to report to the next Synods and Conference: —The Ministers of the Christchurch and Lyttelton Circuits, with Messrs C. E. Salter, R. H. Turner, L. M. Isitt, C. C. Sandford, H. Char-man, W. H. Seed, J. A. Flesher, J. C. Prudhoe, F. Thompson, J. H. Blackwell, and the Rev. S. Griffith (convener), with .power to add to their number. The committee shall have power to correspond with Gipsy Smith or any other recognised Evangelist of our Church in England or in Australia, with a view to securing such outside help as they may judge necessary ; but the chief aim shall be to unite the ministers and members of our Church in a spiritual movement in every Circuit and Home Mission Station throughout the Dominion, in which the Church shall rely upon its resources, fired and empowered with the Holy Spirit of God. The committee shall not enter into any financial obligations without the consent of the Conference." NEXT CONFERENCE. The invitation of the Pitt street Church (Auckland) to hold next Conference there was accepted, the date to be Thursday, February 29th, 1912. VOTES OF THANKS. At the conclusion of luncheon, tiie Rev. T. W. Vealie, on behalf of the ministers, and Mr E. H. Penny, on behalf of the lay members, heartily thanked the ladies who had waited at luncheon in the schoolroom day by day during the session. A vote of thanks was carried by acclamation, and. Mr J. A. Flesher responded on behalf of the ladies.

Before tlio close of the representative session a hearty vote of thanks was accorded tho President for the able, courteous, and just manner in which he had presided over the Conference.

The Rev. S. Lawry (connexional secretary) was also heartily thanked for the way in which he had discharged is onerous duties.

' Votes of thanks were accorded the assistant secretaries (the Revs. W. A. Sinclair and A. B. Chappell), the corresponding secretary (the Rev. S. Griffith), the reporter to the "Methodist Times" (the Rev. M. A. Rugby Pratt), the Arrangements Committee, the hosts and hostesses who had provided hospitality for delegates, and tho Christchurch newspapers.

This concluded the business, and Conference rose at 5.15 p.m.