UNITED METHODIST FREECHURCH TEA-MEETING.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4744, 7 November 1872, Page 2

UNITED METHODIST FREECHURCH TEA-MEETING.

A more successful and well-attended teameeting has not taken place in Auckland for some time past than that held in the room of the Young Men's Christian Association Buildings last evening, in connection with the United Methodist Free Church. The tables had to be cleared twice before all were satiaSed. The following ladies supplied the trays, which were served up in excellent stylo, and were done justice fco :— Mesdames Turner and Eanbury, Glanville and Cousins, Johnson and Trigg, Major and Hedgcock, Mrs. and Miss Robinson, Mrs. and Miss Tremain, Mrs. Waterhouse and Miss Conway, Mrs. Barrow and Miss Atkin, Mrs. Bennett, Mrs. Hurst, Mrs. Whitehead.— After tea the people again thronged into the room and soon filled it to suffocation. Mr. Coupland was elected to the chair. The Chairman said that this was the first opportunity the Rev. Mr. Turner had had of being introduced to a congregation, and bow that he had such, he (the speaker) was sure that the audience would give him a hearty welcome. Mr. Turner was truly an orthodox Wesleyan Methodist minister. The desirability, or rather the ability of that congregation to build a chapel had been discussed, and it was proposed to hold a bazaar at some futme date, and also to open a subscription list, for the purpose of raising funds for building. —The Tonic Sol Fa Choral Union then sang a song very sweetly and plaintively, which was loudly applauded ; after which, the Rev, Mr. Macdonald made a long and interesting t speech, in which he said he thought that the Rev. Mr. Turner was a , Congregational Methodist, and ho (the speaker) had great sympathy with him It was his fervent hope that the congregation would support and countenance "the endeavours of their new minister in such a manner as would stimulate Mr. Turner to enter into his work in aa energetic and earnest manner. — The Rev. Dr. Wallis gave a very instructive address on the duties of women. He said that our greatest phi- i losophers had failed to define to proper meaning of their duty. The handsome faces, cherry lips, and pencilled eyebrows of the fairer sex were | the great attractions for the opposite i sex, but the beauty of woman lay in her truthfulness, self-denial, and subordination. The rev. speaker entered into the subject with great humour, and graphically illustrated the ilia and follies of the weaker sex.— The Rev. Mr. Turner then addressed the meeting. He said the principle of the United Methodist Free Church differed from the Wesleyan Methodist principles, inasmaoh as in the latter Church the ministers had the control of the affairs of the Churoh, but in the farmer the people had those powers. An assembly was elected, aud every Church sent representatives to the same according to the number of its congregation. Three representatives were allowed for 1,000 members. In 1871 the number of ministers of the Church were 315 • lay preachers, 3,406; on trial, 4,370; congregation, 67,648; Sunday-school children, 157,725; teachers, 24,051. The rev. gent'eman entered into details to a considerable extent, but pressure on our space will not permit us to give the speech so fully as it deserres.— After the usual vote of thanks the meeting separated.