METHODISTS’ ACTIVITY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIII, Issue 13712, 1 April 1905, Page 3

METHODISTS’ ACTIVITY.

FEATURES OF THE CONFERENCE. The Rev H. R.. Dewsbury, who warpresent at the recent Methodist conference at Wellington, returned.to Christchurch yesterday. Altogether ho spent a month in the North Island, and wentas far as Auckland. One of the most important things that had been done at the conference, Mr Dewsbury said, was the appointment of the Rev Charles Porter as organising secretary in connection with a young men’s forward movement on lines similar to those taken by the Presbyterians. The object was the formation and strengthening of Bible classes, the promotion of Christian Endeavour Societies, and the giving of evangelistic services for young men, not only in the large centres, but in outlying places. “ I look upon this as a most important movement indeed,” added Mr Dewsbury, “for it is one touching the young life of the church.” The conference had also taken up foreign mission work with great vigour and earnestness, he continued. A special effort was being made to raise an additional £II,OOO for distinctly aggressive work, particularly in Fiji. “ There wc find that we arc faced with a very great problem,” he remarked. “ The whole islands are practically Christianised; a hundred thousand natives have renounced heathenism, and they have been mostly converted to our church. But there are 25,000 Hindoos in Fiji, and in a few years this number will be doubled. They are bringing in all the Asiatic vices. While the Fijians themselves are receptive of the Gospel, it is a very different matter with these Hindoos. Practically we have our work to do over again in connection with the now population that is springing up. Mr Burton has been working among them with groat success. It is absolutely imperative to send a great many more men and women as teachers, and they require to be the finest that we can send, intellectually, to deal with the peculiar mind of the Hindoo. Mr Burton is learning to speak the Hindustani language with great facility ; he has a singular aptitude in acquiring tho tt-nguo. . “I have no hesitation in saying,” Mr Dewsbury wont on, “that the conference on the whole was one of the best we have had for many years, in tho optimistic spirit that prevailed and in the determination to enter on distinctly aggressive work. We were particularly cheered with the liberal response of the people to appeals for funds for mission purposes, home and foreign. The result was in excess of our expectations. “ We are unanimous as a church in our determination to bring about ‘ no license,’ ” he said, in reply to a question regarding the conference’s attitude on tlie temperance question. "We re-affirmed the resolutions of previous years, and decided to call on the people to take part in carrying ‘no license.’ We are hoping that no-liconse will he carried in several additional districts and reduction in a great many.”