METHODIST CONFERENCE

Evening Star, Issue 22578, 20 February 1937, Page 9

METHODIST CONFERENCE

FIRST BUSINESS SESSION ORPHANAGE WORK REVIEWED [Pee United Peess Association.] AUCKLAND, February 19. The first business session of the annual conference of tho Methodist Church of New Zealand was opened this morning. Lay representatives to the Stationing Committee from tho various districts were appointed as follow: — Auckland.—Messrs S. E. Chappell and L. E. R. Rhodes. South Auckland.—Messrs J. C. Tietjens and P. Rushton. Taranaki-Wauganui—Messrs C. E. Bellringer and F. Webb Jones. Wellington—Messrs R. Hampton and J. M. Thompson. Nelson—Mr M. F. H. Southgate and Miss Avery. North Canterbury—Messrs W. C. Francis and H. Chapman. South Canterbury—Messrs H. H Brown and H. Oldham. Otago-Southland—Messrs J. F. Barclay and G. Crossbie. Solomon Islands —Mr T. L. Hamcs. Tho conference was mostly occupied with routine business and in passing junior ministers in their year’s examination and probationary course. The Rev. A. E. Waite, of Bluff, passed his final examinations, and was received into the full ministry of the church. Through continued sickness the Rev. T. R. B. Woolloxail was placed on the supernumerary list. Orphanage work was reviewed at the evening session. It was reported that a total of over 170 children were being cared for in three homes operated by the church—two in the hiorth Island and one in the South

Island. There had been a noticeable decline in the. number of applications for admission in Auckland, this probably being due to the gradual improvement in the economic conditions throughout tho Dominion. A similar tendency was noticed at the Masterton Orphanage, but in the case of the Christchurch home, applications had tended to increase.