METHODISM. WORK OF THE CONFERENCE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 51, 2 March 1909, Page 4

METHODISM. WORK OF THE CONFERENCE.

• CENTRAL MISSION AUTHORISED. THE FUTURE OF CHURCH, WORK. The main question before the Methodist Conference yesterday afternoon was the consideration of a proposal to establish a large central mission for Wellington. The proposal was brought forward by the Rev. E. P. Blamires (Island Bay), and a motion for the establishment of the mission was unanimously adopted without much discussion. There was, however, some debate over the financial aspect of the question. It was proposed to ask the Rev. Charles Tregear to come over from Melbourne and help the mission. The estimated expenditure was £800. > The Home Mission fund .was asked to contribute £200. The Rev. T. G. Brooke proposed as an amendment that no grant be made from the Home Mission Fund until a full statement had been received of the recommendations of the Home Mission Committed. It was further recommended that the Home Mission Committee should favourably consider the request for £200. WELLINGTON A GOOD FIELD. Mr. Dixon considered that no part of New Zealand offered such a field for evangelistic woi'k as Wellington. He was convinced that the £200 would be well spent. There could be no better expenditure of money than in a large city like Wellington. There was a great necessity of the Methodist Church, and indeed every other church, of the Dominion, to step in and act in the centres, and try to grapple with the young men' and young women who never went to a place of worship. ' The money would be far better spent in a large central mission than in the backblocks, -where they had been struggling during the last ten years The Rev. J. W. Houldsworth defended the missions in the backblocks. Some of the members of the missions did not get sufficient to live on. Ho would not object if a sum were granted, provided it did not injure the home missionary in the backblocks. In the interest of the backblocks, the conference should consider them first before giving such huge grants to the large centres. Mr. Hobbs (Auckland), pessimistically pictured the outlook throughout the Dominion as not very bright. There had been promises of subscriptions, but some had. not been forthcoming. Where was the money to come from? Six other cities would want grants. The Rev. Blamires replied briefly. The amendment that the matter of the grant of £200 should be relegated to the Home Missions Committee, with a recommendation that it should favourably consider the application, was carried. It was resolved that Mi*. Tregear should be communicated with, at once. THE NEEDS OF THE CHURCH SPEECHES AT A BANQUET. A pleasant function rounded off the working- day of the -Methodist Conference last evening. Delegates and friends to the number of about 300 met at 1 dinner in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall. The banquet was regarded as a great success, and much enthusiasm was displayed over the different speakers and their speeches. , The Rev. H. C. Garland 'presided, and in a brief introductory speech attributed the novel idea of a Methodist banquet' to the energy of the young men of the church. After the loyal toast had been honoured, the Rev. W. Slade delivered an address on 'iThe Contribution of Methodism to Modern Life." He dealt with the founder of Methodism and the new life he brought into Christianity, decadent in the eighteenth century. England under French influence was under a cloiid of scepticism. England had been revivified by the work of the Methodist .movement. Nowhere in the world was religious life so vigorous as in Old England. (Applause.) The emancipation of the slave and the abolition of the slave trade were partly the fruit of the Evangelical movement arising out of Methodism. The contribution of Methodism tb modern life was immeasurable. In England it was trying to reach the people outside the places of worship — the unchurched multitudes. The Kingdom of God did not lie in Socialism : it rested in the human heart. Socialism only touched the shell of things. (Hear, hear.) He was glad to see the people of Wellington were going to move in the direction of a Central Mission. The recognised church did not touch the people of the streets. (Hear, hear.) The Methodists hoped to make the world better it was. Prolonged applause.) The chairman added a tribute to tne memory of John Wesley, the great founder of the Church. Mr. 11. N. Holmes, secretary to the V.M.C.A., spoke of "The Call of the Methodist Church to its Laymen." The Methodist Church throughout the world had 500,000 preachers, 30 million hear- ! ors, 88,000 separate churches, 0 million | boys and girls, attending its schools. In j England the Methodists had raised £1,i 000,000 in one year, in the United States £4,000,000, the largest sum raised by any single church in the world in a single effort. No other church drew its laymen inlo iranker partnership. There x\as a, feeling that men wore refraining from extending the borderland of the Church. There were several movements for men in the Church nowadays. The appeal of the Chm-ch to-day to its men v. as that they should personally feel their responsibility to the Church. (Applause.) The Church called upon its laymen for victories. The propagation of Christianity was the first business of the Church. (Applause.) Christ should come before business. What a splendid future there would be for the Church if men would apply the same energy to the advancement of the Church as they applied to their business. (Applause.) He referred particularly to the duty of helping the weekly prayer meeting. Applause.) ft was along the lines of sacrifice that the Church could be built up. That was the true ' foundation of the Church. (Loud applause.) The members present the rose and sang the hymn "Crown Him, Lord of All." . .", THE. GREATEST DANGER." ' The Rev. C. H. Law's, 8.A., spoke of ''Our Programme for the Next Five Years." The greatest danger, he said, for Methodism was that of its falling into' a despairing mood. It was whispered thao Methodism was in a state of decay. Anything was better than selfcomplacency. The mood was an ill-con-sidered passion, not a divine discontent. It was a sort of hypochondria. No man advertised decadence in his own business. Even if evil times were to fall on the Church, it would be the worst thing to despair. Why should they talk down their Church ? (Hear, hear.) Nothing was the matter with Methodism. They had the finest organisation under the sun. What was wanted was leadership, the gospel of hope encouragement, and large yjews. (.Aftolause.,)

The . speaker then spoke of future prospects. The first thing was the supply of ministers, the second was the extension of the Church. If the ministry went wrong nothing went right. Insufficient/ ministry meant a. crippled Church. The level 'of the Church was the level of the ministry. The primary defect lay at the doors of the laity. The fault was they got their candidates far too old. They wanted younger men. At the age of 26 a man should be coming out of college, not going into it. The training of. men, in college required the closest attention. The very best training was needed. Every youth who entered the institution should remain there the full term. The age demanded the best kind of ministry, an educated, refined ministry. (Applause.) They wantd a scholar who knew the Scriptures, men like Hugh' Price Hughes. (Applause). These were the men they wanted in pulpits. The Bible was being subjected to the most scrutinising criticism. The bonds that bound men to home and a* goo 3 life were growing lesser. Newer watchcrys and propaganda were in the air. All this was creating an age when ministerial ability needed to be of the highest order. Ideas of infidel teaching had filtered down among the youth, and they wanted a ministry to grapple with these problems. As a matter or good business, it would pay the Church to spend money liberally in the training of its men. (Loud applause. ) Turning to the need for Church extension, the speaker said they were on the eve of a critical era in New Zealand. What the Church was doing now was making or marring the country. They had touched the million in New Zealand, and settlement was rapidly going on. The Church should follow the people far afield. Some of the best work done in New Zealand had been done by Homo missionaries. (Hear, hear, and applause.) There were man/ who were doing stout and staunch wors in the backblocks. Then there was the growth of the suburbs. Peculiar dangers attached to suburban Methodism. There was a tendency for the suburb dweller lo cease to attend church. In Dunedin there had been increases in the Methodist Church of over 100 per cent, during a dozen years- (Applause.) In Wellington tho^ proposal to establish a Central Methodist Mission, was one of the finest features of Methodist work, and most promising hopes for the future. Again, there was the problem of the cities. More than half the population of Glasgow never entered a place of worship. A permanent non-church going class was growing up in New Zealand. It was sheer indifference and apathy. These people never heard the word of God. Ii the Church failed to grapple with this question, by tho organisation of city missions, it would surely fail in its woik. (Hear, hear, and applause.) Mr. Laws spoke of the successful venture of Methodism in London in taking the Lyceum Theatre for mission services. The Home Mission Committee in Wellington had appointed a travelling organising secretary! (Applause.) *Ie would like to see the Home • Mission given, another name. He thought there should be an authority to determine by investigation the needs of each district. It might be called the " Central Mission of Church Review." Then they ought to strengthen its loan fund. (Ap.plause.) Bnt behind all policies mid organisations there must -be a deepening of the spiritual tone of the Church. (Applause.) A vote of thanks -wan carried to the committee for the conception and execution of thes scheme of the banquet. During the course of the evening songs were contributed by the Rev. A. Mitchell, and recitations by Mr. H. B. Cooper. _ <■ WitK' a vote of thanks to the chairman and the singing of thc T Doxology proceedings closed.