THE WESLEYAN METHODIST GENERAL CONFERENCE.

Evening Star, Issue 6761, 28 November 1884, Page 2

THE WESLEYAN METHODIST GENERAL CONFERENCE.

[From Our Own Correspondent.]

In a final sketch report I shall lay before your readers some acoount of questions which have been discussed and settled by the Conference since my last. The debate on Monday moraine was upon a subject deeply interesting to Wesleyans and to not a few who belong to other churches. It is generally known that all Wcßleyan ministers are appointed to their circuits for one year at a time, aud that Buch appointment oannot extend beyond three years. The minister and people may go down on their knees asking for a fourth year's appointment, but it cannot be granted. The reason why this rule is carried out so 6trict'y is not that ministers and people are especially in love with it, but as the law stands it cannot be helped. All Wesleyan churches are settled upon one model deed, drawn up duriDg Mr Wesley's life 5 and one of its provisions is that no preacher can remain for more than three years. If Conference broke the law, any trustee could enter an action in the Supreme Court forbidding the ministr appointed for the longer term to preach in the church. John Wesley believed that there must be free circulation of his preachers, or stagnation would surely follow. A brave attempt has been made during this Conference to change this law, and has failed. A new model deed is in course of preparation, and the Committee entrusted with the work of drafting it reoommended that the limit of a minister's stay should be six years instead of three. The question narrowly escaped a very hard fate. The president ruled that the Committee had gone beyond their powers in recommending an alteration of so important a law. Those who desired the change were determined, however, to havo the question ventilated. The Rev. A. Reid moved, therefore, as a direct resolution that the appointment be annual with a six years' limit. He oontonded, not that a minister's stay should generally exoeed three years, but that the Conference should have power to make exceptions where sufficient cause could be shown. The Holy Spirit was as truly in the Church to-day as when that deed was framed. It was undignified for the Church to tie its own hands by legal enactment for oenturies to come. We knew our own circumstances, and what was best for us; far better than John Wesley could possibly know them a century ago. The Rev. J. C. SymonJs, a staunoh Viotorian Conservative, seconded the motion. The Rev. W, C. Oliver, of Wellington, supported it. In answer to those who contended that this would lead to ministers Btaying longer than was desirable, he affirmed that the principle of annual appointment would prevent that. He had carefully averaged the length of ministers' stay in the Free Methodist Church, where there was no law to limit the term, and had found it to be only a fraction Over two years. He referred to cases in which the law had been broken in New Zealand before the annual Conference was formed eleven years ago, with the best results. Heaven had thus endorsed the wisdom of the longer term. The appointment for a fourth year of the Rev. Mr Buddie to the church in which the Conference was held, during which a gracious revival broke out, was a case in point. The Rev. H. Bull urged that the alteration desired was in the spirit of John Wesley's legislation. It was only the itinerant preachers who were required to move by the deed. The clergymea of the Church of England, who at that time often ministered in Wteleyan chapels, were exempt from the law. There were no such cases of olergymen taking part in our services now; but if any Wesleyan minister were to obtain Anglican orders, and still remain in the Weslbyan Church, he could be appointed to one place for any number of years. Moreover, in Wesley's time appointments were generally for only one year, and never for more than two. The maximum term fixed by law was, therefore, longer than the term which waß followed by custom, which was really what was attempted to be secured now. Mr Moxham, of Wellington, argued that the present plan was certainly not suited to our circumstances. A minister was removed almost as soon as he knew his people and was known by them. The Rev. W. Morley pointed out that there were two questions involved—ono of legal power, the other of expediency. The present motion only dealt with the first. The proposal was not to lengthen the term, but only to secure the power eo to do should the Church in some future day desire this. He admitted that the day had not yet come. The present law was sometimes evaded even by the British Conference, as in the case of the Rev. C. Garrett, in Liverpool, and the Rev. R. Hardy at Aldershot. Such evasions, he held, were immoral, and such a law tended to results of that kind. All the speakers in favor of a change but two belonged to New Zealand, which is another evidence that the Conference here is out of touch on many questions with the sister conferences. Altogether a Btrong oase was made out, but the voting was against the resolution by a majority of 40 to 26. A further amendment that the limit be four years fared no betttr. I shall outline the arguments advanced on the other side. Many urged that the present plan worked well, and had, therefore, the endorsement of experience. Mr Hobbs contended that if the law were altered a few leading men would seoure the best positions, and younger and less able men would be at a serious disadvantage. Mr Thomas (Victoria) contended that whilst the present plan put the ministers to some inconvenience, this vras reduced to a minimum. They received valedictory tea-meetingß and presents, and kind vrords on leaving, and were warmly welcomed to their new Bpheres, where friends waited to receive them in comfortably-furnished houses. They had, therefore, no right to complain. Mr Nock pleaded for no alteration, on the ground that the present custom was good for a minister's health. Changes of climate and scene were j whoHsonie. Tho people were not wining to I lose the advantages they enjoyed now of I hearing the truth presented by different minds. It was also pointed out tbat in Canada the three-years clause was retained, and that in the great Methodist Episcopal Church of America the shorter term had j been re-enaoted after a longer one had been tried. Country places needed able men as j well as cities, but would not be able to secure them if the law were meddled with. Thus once more conservatism prevailed. A strong attempt was made to pass into law a recommendation that each annual Conference send every year one or two ministers to other colonies and receive other ministers in exchange. It was thought that tiis extension of the itinerant principle was necessary to keep tho thought of the Church equalised. But tho proposals were lost. The end proposed could only be secured by leading men being transferred, and these are not generally willing to move, and if they are, their Conferences are not willing to part with them. 1). Kelynack referred to the Revs. Morley, Berry, and Bavin, as ministers in New Zealand, whom the other colonies would be glad to secure; but it was hopeless to ask the New Zealand Conference to give up men of this class. Those ministers who wißhed to be transferred to another colony, can, however, secure this by obtaining the consent of their, own Conference. The cast of such interchange is to bo levied on the whole of the colonies pro rata. The seven colleges in connection with the Conference came under review, and were found to be in a satisfactory condition. The next Conference is to meet in Melbourne in May, 1888. Sundry resolutions were passed relating to social purity, Sabbath observance, local option, and other matters of public interest. Very hearty votes of thanks were passed in the closing session, and many kind things were said of the wonderful hospitality with which the Conference had been entertained by the Christchurch people. The daily papers here have given very full reports of the proceedings, and this fact was fully and gratefully acknowledged. All tho membors stood while the president signed the journal, amid deep feeling, the thought in many a heart being that those present, brought together as they were from four colonies, were not likely to meet again in this world.

Tims closed what a Presbyterian minister assured me was the finest ecclesiastical assembly he had ever seen since he bad left Scotland.