METHODIST CONFERENCE

Evening Star, Issue 14308, 5 March 1910, Page 8

METHODIST CONFERENCE

MISSIONARY MEETING. There .vas a good attendance at Trinity Methodist Church last night, the sitting of the Conference being devoted, to missionaiy enterprise, both home and foreign, the Rev. J. N- Buttle (treasurer of the Foreign Mission Fund) presided. The Chairman explained at the outset that the meeting had a twofold object. They had to consider the interests of their own homo mission work, closely allied with whieli was Ihe Maori Mission, and they had to consider the work of their foreign mission, it was with the latter that he was more r.'osely associated, it would ho satisfactory to Methodists to know that the foreign mission income i.aiscd in the Dominion had.,just about trebled since he had been placed in charge seven years ago. —(Applause.) Last year (lie income was £2.558, or an ineiea- e of £177 over the previous year, hut remnants of subscriptions for 1909 received this year (£66) brought the increase up to £313. Ihic was exclusive of some £76 for the mission boat fund, towards which Now Zealand had to date subscribed ovei £Boo.—(Applause.) One of the hc.sl results of foreign missionary work was the development of character it brought about in the agents, whether European or native. Mr Rutile gave instances of tin: devoted epirii and enterprise the native agents showed in their work. The ladies’ auxiliaries were becoming an important branch o ; the home organisation. Iho Otago branch had the honor of being the most vigorous of these organisations;, ns they weio already maintaining two sisters, in the foreign field, and had undertaken to maintain a third—Sister Julia- She bail worked in Papua for ten years, but her health hn.ko down, and she returned to the colonic.-. Now Hie mis* sion office in Sydney had an anger] for her return to Papua, her support being undertaken hr the Dunedin I.a,lies' Auxiliary. The Canterbury Ladies’ Auxiliary had undertaken to support a lady missionary among the Indian coolies in Fiji, where she would be associated with the Rev. .7. W. Burton. The North Island was also doing something to support missionary sisters, and he had completed negotiations to send Miss Jamieson, of Palmerston North, who had attaint d a inch position as a teacher. The Methodist Church was not only rending sisters, hut, young men as well. He was thankful that the Conference bad been able to set apart Rev. W. VT. Avery, one of the three who had been ordained on Sunday, for foreign mission work. Mr Avery had been accepted by the mission office in Sydneys for work in Papua, and would shortiv leave with, his intended wife for Australia, en route for' Papua.— (Applause.) The Rev. T. G. Brooke dealt, with the< home mission field, and particularly with the missions to Maoris. Re stated that in ten years the Methodist Church had more than doubled its expenditure on Maori missions. Rev. \y. Si::do •••ive an interesting anecdotal address, dealing with missionary experiences in the Islands. During the evening the Chairman announced receipt of a cheque for £IOO as a donation to tint meeting, the amount to ho divider! equally Irtimu home and foreign missions. Svituhav. MAlton 5. The Contemn e resumed this morning, the Rev. C. 11. Law.-, presiding. —Personal.— The Rev. P. W. Fairclough called at-; tention to the presence of the Rev. W. L-. Rlamires, father of three of their ministers. and the president accorded the* visitor a hearty welcome to a scat at the* Conference. Half a dozen delegates applied for and! were, granted leave of absence, during theremainder of the sittings. It was resolved unanimously, on. .the; morion of the Rev P. W. Faircloughi --“ That the next Conference., be recommended to accede to the requeet- of thol Rev. S. La wry to visit England during) 1911. provid’d that the arrangements for; carrying on th-> work cf tonuexional sec-' re:ary fie app.-nved by "Lie several com-! miile.'s hav! , : . !;«• re cf the department,; and eitd.oa d hv toe t Vi.erbnry Synod.”* Mi "i . P. 1 >: -i. i ; Christchurch,., was anno;-.: *d !<• i;* 1 ■eatative to the Eng-1 lid. i ' - ' M:.sn, T. Allen. J.j 1.. C'..d, *. I * ”-.t re. .amended toi lie Jin : s'i . c i Mr ('■ m- v s i • *:' v representative 1.. il.c Lis I. .; ■ .*. ■. The dev. :. * .. . i Mr T. Allen were mciiiv* , y-.- 'l-ncrni Conference fo- a'.»> a. .i mi the Ecumenical < f,V-, I- ' in 1911. - Si Mr- ■ y Turd.— Mr E. 1... c*. •v. ;..e.J the statement of ■■ / ‘ ddure of the snperiiumman min i re. and ministers’ widow;.’ ti11..1 i.; •; C. ip.;s wr-e £1.542 0s 6<l fr.:m . ; u - ; . ; ihurions (Otago leading with ri;27 I";-), a id £9.745 from minister.-.’ sid;*-. tO;:.go at the lop with i! 355 1.-. i. *.t i ihi.-i-vrr.r mentioned liial t;:r < a !y i..-: a .car with circuit coiirt'ii.u, i.t.- w.;.- Wrii ngton. to the aiooan: .i' J.Tdi A- fid. Th? ministers’ arrear- aid fines .-.me to.a total of £592 17s j Jd. 1* n.r.i .in *;it . -intrant ions he had received £H<2 'err than in the nre\ions yea.*. '1 hj:- regurl. together with a* letter (rum Dr Me. ley, had been considered by .i spoehd connnitlco of tho Conference, wi;.> ren.inmended the re—j ..T.ii-niaUon <i| last yam’s minute as to I arrears. flu* ('onl'ert uec decided to leave this matter of art ears in the hands of the. president and trT.suivr, On the motion of the Rev. ('. )i. (.garland it was resolved that i; in-.raria amounting in the aggregate to £l5O he paid by the .supe-rnmnerary fund i.i •he treasurers in Leu of the amount- ->.iw paid as incidental expenses. That, .- id the mover, was the reeominend-ii hj n of the Committer. Ji re.ognised that a email honorarium was due in respect to the book-keeping and letter writing. The Conforeuee accorded thanks to the treasurers (the Rev. P, W. Fairclough and Mr Rosevear), and reappointed them. Mr Fairclough explained that Mr Rosevear did all the work. Mr Rosevear also reported as to (ho balance-sheet and revenue account of the supernumerary fund for the whole of Australasia, and staled that the balance transferred to capital account was several hundreds of ponnds more than in the previous year, and that the fund was now in an exceedingly satisfactory position. The, expenses of the fund were, paid entirely out of interest on invertrr,cuts, and the assets totalled £599,358 16s. —Retiring Ministers.— -V proposal was made, fo recommend the General Conference to so alter the law with reference to the retirement of ministers, and their coming on the supernumerary fund, that either after forty years of service, or at sixty-five years of age they should retire without a medical certificate. This led to a short and sharp dri.-ii;'ior and a tie on the vote being taken, and th* president, gave, his casting vote with, th* ayes. The Rev. W. Baum her. who th-r came in, said that if present he would have voted “No.” —Homo Mission Fund.Tho Rev. T. G. Ihookea. organising secretary of the home mission fund, je ■- seated and explained the els he rate’ st:n •>- raont as to the. financial position cf tie fund. The total income v.-.v, } 5.013 15s 2d: the total expenditure at £3.267 17s 2d.—Tho statement was adopted.