JOTTINGS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 80, 28 December 1907, Page 10

JOTTINGS.

Tho new Homo Mission Fund Report lias' just been issued of tho. English Wesloyan '; Methodist' Church. Dr. Pope, .tho head of that wonderfully successful' department, says •. that though there was .a! decrease! in members last year,.-there is no need'for'panic.; . In/ , ten years tho Church has added 57,000 new members and 27,000 jun.iors.' Tho.; finances, as shown in the report;,; reveal an incomo of £39,404, or £1055 abovo tho previous year, jand thus tho debt ,is reduced-to £677. Collections in chapels yielded £8566; meetings, £6973; subscriptions, .C2IG3;■; ana' juvenilo ■ associations' portion,. £9235;ri.rmy audNav.v * grants, £2905; and front services - held ' by evangelists, £3574. The reserve fund is £15,426, whilst tho Book .Room gayo £1000, ■; and legacies yielded £887. On tho'other side - of. tho sheet, the expenses-' were. 1 .£6362 .for .- Homo Mission-ministers, £3372 for District ■ Missionaries,'. £2Q93. for .-lay. agents in , Districts. £4818., for lay agents dircotly. under .- Dr. Pope's control, £5909 for , Anny- and Navy ministers.; v.j-.'iij<» ;.'! .vie. • It is believed that by the. end ( of next yew fresh Anglican dlß6e'sds ,? :wiH : B'avo. been-de - finitely formed ■ for Essex,' Suffolk, arid !. Sheffield. ' In Suirolk . a ■ considCrablo suni' . of money is "still needed," but- tho unifying effect of tho decision to' make.' thb diocesan tlie Bishop of. Suffolk rather than of any particular town ■ ought greatly to influence tho progress of tho ..fund. Essex is ser-' iously divided in opinion as to tho Sce-city, Colchester, Chelmsford; West Ham, ' and r Woodford all laying vehement claim to the' dignity. ... Tho President of the English Primitive Mothodist Confercaco (Rev.: H. Yooll) states that ho is finding many cheering tokens foi tho success of tho Centenary Fund. A considerable, proportion of the services 110 is holding aro associated With tho Centenary, and at tho close of these gifts aro invited. ■ Tho,response everywhere shows a..deep, in.terest in tho movement, and- sincere grativ tude. for the benefits, tho ministries of the . Church have brought upon the honio life or-, tho people. ,He is most. deeply, impressed, howover, by tho spiritual revival' that is quietly proceeding throughout - the Church, .-' and .that tho splendid .financial generosity is . proceeding! from this new vitality. i The Central sub-Committ-eo of. tho Methodist. Church' at Homo. has completed - its' plan,for :l , simultaneous mission to-.mark.. the rei6l.lt amalgamation.'; Tho '.committee has not' appointed a missioner. to every, cir- r •cuit, but has-allotted' one; or,, more .ministers to all th'o larger centra; in'each district; and - has left it to!, tho district- committees. to'; make' arrangements for, other circuits: and individual churches. .The secretary .(Rev. A:' Hancock) says the' "districts generally ..aro „ falling into lino, and the expectation in- r creases of :i .mighty work of grace.' The union of missions- will bo consternated <13 soon as 'possbl?.' ; . Tho mcniborsliip on ; . sion stations "t0ta15'16,343,' - and, J tione.r 11,856—about two-thirds in eachbelonging .to tlio "Frco -Methodist section. The total ineonio' last year, was £17,056, and the aggregate 'overdraft £1212.. The con- . tributions average- just undor Isi sd;; per .member.- v ' ; Father R. .H. Benson, who is a brilliant novelist, a Roman.l Catholic. priest, ami a soil of tho - lato ArchUisnop . Benson, . naa raised ' a "pother" between Evangelical'.. Churchmen and the Community of v tho Resurrection ~,at Mil-field.' . Father Benson, w when lie was a High Anglican, entered u.o Community. .- He now tolls autobiographical » 'stories of how ho "recited .the Rosary there, and" says that "oil practically every point, except-tho supremacy of the Pope,..wo . believed the teaching of tho Catholic Church, and taught, most of her doctrinos, as thousands. of: Anglican -.dors* are doing to-day." ■ Mr. W. H. Frore, Superior of ' the Community, now says that it."put up with many .things, of which it tdisanproved in Mr.- Benson s conduct; till ho bccauio so out of harmony--with tho doctrines of tho iMighsh Church•; that his ' connection was terminated., "Tho Record," in renlv, blazes away at the Coni r ' .' munitv for trving to "euro"'Father Benson and others by "ofl'cririg them nearly all;'. that Roimvgives except tho Pope." Tho vicar of Christ Church, Blackburn; has . started 'a "Children's Church" in his parish, - intended to serve in" place- of all existing services for hoys and. girls. The services will t-ako plaeo each Sunday morning and evening in tho parish room, and the expenses - aro-to be met by a halfpenny collection on, tho last Sunday in each. month. will bo selected from amo;ig the boys, , and /- girls will form tho choir. Tho latter will bo trained by tho vicar's wife.-. .When tho • children . roach tho ago of. 12 they will bo r transferred to the parent church, except in tho case of tho c-hoir girls, who will w> retained .until 14 years of age. , '.. Bishop Potter, of Now York. -has , Southern States sensation by entertaining at : dinner in Richmond itself the. only negro bishop attending tho Episcopal Coiivontiou. It is,, perhaps, the boldest thing h'o has ever done, not even oxe'epting his_ benediction' of the Subway Tavern in New York, s• ; \