WESLEYAN DISTRICT MEETING.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Issue 349, 20 November 1882, Page 2

WESLEYAN DISTRICT MEETING.

(from special correspondent.)

On Friday morning there were present at the district meeting at New Plymouth, in addition to the ministers, Messrs. T. Veale, J. C. George, and R. Dingle. Devotional exercises were lead by Rev. Luxford and Mr. George.

The report of the District Secretary of connexional property was read. It showed the debts to be as follows : — Wanganui property, £732 6s. 3d. ; Patea dp, £482 ; Rangitikei do, £480 ; New Plymouth' do, £430; Waitara do, £290; Palmerston do, £100; Sandon do, £81— total, £2396 6s. 3d. The report further showed the' following new erections, improvements, debts reduced, &c. : — Waitara : church enlargement, £270; debt remaining on same, £150. Patea : church new organ, £46 ; no debt — Patea trust debts reduced by £50. Pihama : one acre of land, £16 55. ; no debt. Rangitikei: parsonage improvement, £40, no debt; Rangitikei debts reduced by £150. New Plymouth ; , debts reduced by £80. Waitara : debts reduced by £70. Huirangi : half- acre land, given by Mr. Cleave, value £10. Sandon : debts reduced by £20. On the motion of Mr. George, seconded by Mr. R. Dingle, the report was received and adopted, and Circuit officials were requested to report regularly to Mr. Stevenson of Wanganui, all particulars concerning Wesleyan properties. Conference was requested to sanction the erection of a new church at Palmerston North, to seat 400, cost £500. Waitara Circuit has permission to purchase or erect a new parsonage. A request from Wanganui trustees to sell two town sections in township of Wanganui, was forwarded to Conference. New Plymouth and Hawera trustees obtained permission to lease Wesleyan Church sections in the townships of New Plymouth and Hawera respectively. Balance- ! sheets of the Contingent, Supernumerary Childrens', Grey Institute, and Foreign Mission Funds, were presented by the Secretary, received and adopted by the meeting. The balance-sheet of the Home Mission or Church Extension' Fund provoked a long discussion. The district income was £34& 16s. lid., derived from the following sources :— New Plymouth, contributions and collections, £36; Waitara, do, £6 10s.; Patea, do, £11 *Ss. ;' Wanganui, do, £60 j Rangitikei, do, £1-B 'ss.' ld.; Sandon, do, £10; Feildin", do, £8 Is. : Palmerston North, £20 13s.' MM.*; itfnts, £188 12s, . Before passing the above statements, estimates for 1883 were passed, amounting to £402. Conference was requested to grant £10 toward Waitara. On the motion of Mr. Dingle, seconded by Mr. Luxford, £40 was requested for Hawera, but was reduced to £80 by proposition of Mr. George. £25 is to be granted toward parsonage furniture in Patea manse, same amount for Waitara, parsonage, and £25 toward stipend for 1883 of tbe young minister taking Mr. Ensor's place al

Opanake. ". '' =' • •• ; On the motion of the Rev. W.Wwker,

seconded by Mr. Dingle, Fielding, which is now a home mission (station, is to be attached to Sandon Circuit.

Ptilmerston North preferred a request to be relieved 'of responsibility of building parsonage and taking a married minister for 1883. Mr. Luxford proposed, and Mr. George seconded, that the request be granted on condition the ciicmfc pa 3's £20 extra to Home Mission fund.— Carried. BThe Rev. Mr. Worker was requested to attend the quarterly meeting ofPalmerston North Circuit, and explain the reason for making this demand of .£2O. The minute of olerical meeting, that Opunake be constituted a Wesleyan Circuit, and a young minister placed three, after March, with £25 grant was unanimously adopted. The statistical returns were presented, and showed the membership of Wanganui and TaraDaki districts to be 428; communicants, 278 ; Sunday school scholars, 1671; attendants at Wesleyan services, 4810.

The election of representative to the conference resulted in Revs. "Worker and Williams each receiving an equal number of votes. The president gave Mr. Williams his casting vote.

Reports of interim committees were read, and principles embodied were fully endorsed.

Votes of thanks and prayer closed the 1 session.