PRIMITIVE METHODIST CHURCHES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXIII, Issue 7484, 25 February 1885, Page 4 (Supplement)

PRIMITIVE METHODIST CHURCHES.

The opening session of the thirteenth annual District Meeting of the Primitive Methodist Church were held in the Cambridge terrace Church on Jan. 20, when a <*obd!y number of representatives from various parts of the Colony assembled. During the day, reports as to the present state of the Church property were presented, and received, from which the following facts are culled:—ln the whole of the Colony there are 38 churches, in addition to which there are 13 houses used for the purpose of divine worship, the original cost of which was .£27,856, there being only a debt of J 88925 upon the properties at present. Two new churches have been erected during the year, which have been opened almost .-ee of debt. The reports were considered satisfactory, the finances being found to be in a sound and healthy condition.

On Jan. 21, the District Meeting proper was opened, and the following officers were appointed:—President, Mr D. Goldie, of Auckland; Vice-President, Eev P. W. Jones, of Greendale; Secretary, Eev A. J. Smith, of Wellington; Assistant-Secretary, Eer W. S. Potter, of Auckland; Letterwriter, Eev Jesse Boothroyd, of Auckland; Headers, Eevs J. Dumbell and W. J. Dean; Reporter to the Press, Mr W. H. Crabtree. The representative of the English General Committee is the Eev J. Guy, of New Plymouth. The whole of the time during the day was occupied in examining the station reports, in the course of which a somewhat animated and interesting discussion took place on tho present state, and future prospects, of the Primitive Methodist Church in the Colony, in which the Revs W. J. Dean, C. E. Ward, J. Nixon, J. Sharpe, J. Guy, W. S. Potter and Messrs J. Taylor, E. Ayers, H. Clarke, and W. H. Crabtree took part. In the evening, the Eev J. Guy preached the opening sermon in the Cambridge terrace Church. It was avery able discourse on "The Fatherhood of God," and was attentively listened to by a large congregation. The Eev Mr Potter assisted at the service, which was followed by the administration of Holy Communion, at which the Eevs Dean and Dumbell officiated. It may be mentioned that the Eev C. E. Barley, of the Thames, and the Eev Josiah Ward, of Christchurch, have resigned their connection with the Primitive Methodist Church of New Zealand. The business of the Conference was resumed on Jan. 23. Two young men presented themselves as candidates for the work of the Ministry. After a prolonged discussion with regard to the division of the Wellington Circuit, it was decided to form an additional Circuit in connection with that city. Fraternal greetings were received from the Wesleyan Conference, Dunedin, and the district meeting of the United Methodist Free Church, Christchurch, praying for the continued success and prosperity of the connection. Letters, reciprocating those good feelings, were directed to be sent in reply. The stationing of the ministers occupied the whole of the afternoon session. The following are the appointments for the ensuing year : New Plymouth —Thomas Sadler. Wellington, I.—Philip N. Hunter, John Dumbell, sup. Wellington, IT.—Peter W. Jones. Auckland, I.—Arthur J. Smith. Auckland, ll.—Jesse Boothroyd. Invercargill—Daniel Dutton, F.R.A.S., William Laycock. Timaru —William J. Dean. Thames—William S. Potter. Greendale—Joseph Sharp. Ashburton —One to be obtained. Christchurch —James Guy. Manawatu—James Clover. Geraldine—Henry Clark, con. Dunedin, I.—Charles E. Ward. Dunedin, ll.—John Nixon. Oamaru—Eobert Freeman, con. Waimate—One to be obtained.

The Conference met in the evening at 7 o'clock, when the examiner's report was received, showing that Mr Laycock had gained 77 marks in his first ministerial year, and Mr Boothroyd 85 in his third year, and that Mes3r3 Clark and Freeman had satisfactorily passed their examination as candidates for the ministry. The Eev J. Ferguson, F.R.A.S., of Tunstall, England, was appointed delegate to the British Conference, and the Eev P. Aston, of Hanley, Staffordshire, England, as vice-delegate. The Eev D. Dutton, F.E.A.S., of Invercargill, was chosen a General Committee delegate to the next district meeting, which will be held at New Plymouth in January next.