DRAWING NEARER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1028, 18 January 1911, Page 6

DRAWING NEARER.

CHURCH UNION. DISCUSSED BY PRIMITIVE METHODIST CONFERENCE. . A COMMITTEE SET UP. The question of Methodist Union was raised at the Primitive Methodist Conference yesterday, and a committee was set up which will report to tho conference next year. The subject was Introduced in the form of a remit from Tarantilti, .which was moved by Mr. C. H. Bellringer, New Plymouth. Tho remit runs as follows:—

i- That tho Church reaffirm the decision of tho Dunedin Conference of 1808 upon the question of Methodist Union, and that a letter be sent to the next conference of tho Methodist Church in New Zealand informing them of our desire for union, and expressing our willingness to enter into negotiations for union and to confer with any committee they may set up in devising a basis of union for submission to the' . members throughout tho quarterly boards. That a representative committee bo set up to most and confer with any committer appointed by the Methodist Church of New Zealand in framing a basis for union. That the basis of union adopted by tho committee be forwarded to the respective stations prior to tho September quarterly meetings, so that the matter may be fully discussed, and come up for final settlement at the conference of 3912. The Dunedin decision, which was arrived at on the motion of Mr. C. Bellringer, recorded' by Mr. D. Goldie, was as follows:— That we affirm our desire for union with the Methodist Church in New Zealand on such a baas as may bo made by reasonable, mutual concessions and compromises; at the same time we are of the opinion that the endeavour at tho. present time to formulate a basis that, would meet with •' acceptance and consnniipato a full and happy union, would be futile until. tho day arrives when it shall bo possible for the churches to discuss the matter untrammelled by' Australian influences, and to unite in framing a Methodist Church for tho Dominion enjoying complete self-government, and .thus prepare tho way for tho union of the evangelical churches in a. national church. In moving that a committeo be set up, Mr. Bellringer said the question of basis need not. be discussed now. He had endeavoured, to give representation on the committor to tho irreconcilables, those amenable to reason, and to the enthusiastic. "I. belong to tho latter," ho declared, amidst laughter. "So c(o I," and "I," announced a number of voices. ' , ' Continuing, Mr. Bellringcr remarked that representation should be as wide as ]<ossible. They would never arrive at a satisfactory settlement unless they viewed tho matter from all standpoints. Ho urged that earnest consideration should be given to the'question of union with n view to arriving at a- basis acceptable to the people. . It was their earnest desiro to bring about union, but it must' bo on a proper basis. They could not agree to anything th.it meant absorption. ■ ■ , The committeo nominated by Mr. Bellringer was as followsTho Revs. J. Clover, J. Cocker, J. Dawson,. E. Drake, J. Guy, R. Henderson, YV. Laycock, T. H. Lyon, W. S..Potter, G. Knowles Smith, C. E. Ward, and Messrs YV. Dobbs, G. Froggatt, E. YV. Hall, W. King, W. T. Hill, if. E. Thompson, A. Varney, J. Watkinson, tho Hon. C. M. Luke, tho president and vice-president, and the mover. " i The committee was appointed. It was also decided that the committeo print and circulate a proposed basis of union, and. submit the report to tho delegates to tho 1912 conference, when the question will again come up for consideration. Tho Eer. J. Dawson said he took it that the first thing to be done was to approach the Methodist Church at its conference, which would be held at Christ■church in the course of a few weeks. . This was agreed to. , ' ,