METHODIST CONFERENCE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 59, 5 March 1909, Page 8

METHODIST CONFERENCE.

CONTINUATION OF CONFERENCE

. -sChe thirt^-^xjJi^annual conference of the New Zealand! Methodist Church was continued in Wesley Church, Taranaki Street, on Wednesday. The Rev. Thomas Fee president, was in the chair. COMING DEPUTATIONS. A letter was read from the Welling--Ix>n Ministers'" Association, in which it was notified that it had appointed the Revs. J. fc-ioson Smith, J. Reed Glasson, J. Bawson, and J. J. North as its representatives, to wait upon the -conference. It was decided to invite the deputation to~ be present at lunch -the' following day, 'when its views -would be heard by Conference. ; me New Zealand .alliance also intimated that it wished to wait upon the conference, which resolved to make arrangements to receive the alliance representatives when the No-license 'Committee's report was received. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS. In accordance with notice of nkr ±ion, the Rev. W. J. Williams moved: That this conference avail itself of the right given it by the general conference to elect its president a year in advance of the time when he will be called upon the occupy the chair. He mentioned that this system was followed by other denominations^ and ■seemed to him to be a very desirable thing to follow. The motion was seconded by the Rev. G. W. Spence. The Rev. C. H. garland and others ■opposed the suggestion on the principle that each assembly should have the right to elect th© man who was to preside over it. They urged that it would not be right for the conference of one year to elect the president for the succeeding one, as its membership miglit be very differently constituted, and the choice might not be welcome.

The motion was lost by 83 votes to 55. RECOMMENDATIONS CONSIDERED. On the recommendation of Committee A, it was decided that a home missionary, with, suitable home mission grant, be appointed to Willowby, Canterbury, instead of the probationer asked for last year. In connection with the Ashburton Circuit, the northern portion of which was recommended for abandonment, the committee recommended that the portion should be detached from the ■circuit and formed into a separate liome mission station with a suitable grant. Also on the committee's recommendation the Amberlev home mission station was appointed a circuit, and it was decided to appoint a probationer with a suitable grant. It was decided to appoint a probationer as assistant to the superintendent of the Dunedin Central Mission for one year, and that the Home Mission Committee bo recommended to " make a gra,nt of £60. The conference agreed that the :married minister should be withdrawn from the Wellington Suburban . Circuit, and that a probationer be appointed in his stead; if possible an •ordained, unmarried minister to be sent. Following upon this it was resolved that, apart from the probationers recommended for appointment in the "Wellington Suburban, Christchurch, and Dunedin Central circuits, the order in which probationers should be appointed should be: Otahuhu, Napier, and Amberley.

The committee's recommendation that the chairman of the Auckland district be requested to visit Opotiki and report on the advisability of appointing an agent there was agreed

to. It was decided that periodical services at Cheviot should bo arranged for by the chairman of the Canterbury district, who should .also be requested to arrange for occasional visits to Kaikoura for the holding of services; abo that in each case a report should be presented to the Canterbury district. Waiau, Southland, was constituted a homo mission station, the agent to work from Tua Tapiri, and an adequate grant to be made from the Home Mission Fund. Cromwell circuit was reduced to the status of a home mission station, it being decided that a married home missionary should, be placed there. PROVISION FOR MARRIED MINISTERS. A number of recommendations from Committee A respecting provision for married ministers were also approved. They were to the following effect: — The Stationing Committee was recommended to place married ministers in this order: Motueka, Auckland East, WcfiWcrt, and South Wairarapa second. Rotorua is to be relieved for a second year; Taihape for another year; Levin-Otaki for the present year; Kaiapoi for one year, but to be informed that it will be expected to fulfil its obligations next year; Malvern for another, year, the question of continuing the probationer there to be referred to the Canterbury Synod; Dunedia (Cargill Road) for a second year, with the addition of a reference to tho Otago Synod as in- the previous case: Mosgiel for one year. The Rev. C. H. Laws, chairman of the committee, said that the members had viewed with regret the large number of circuits applying for relief fi-om their obligations in respect to the provision for married ministers. It was the committee's suggestion that probationer's stations should be required: to make written reports to it upon their position, and the preparations being made in each for the reception of married ministers. The committee's suggestion was endorsed. HOME MISSIONER. , At the afternoon sitting the Rev. Mr Spence reported that the committee had met during the luncheon adjournment, and, decided to recommend three names in the following order as candidates for the above position: — Rev. W. Slade, Dunedin. Rev. T. G. Brooke, New Plymouth. Rev; S. Lawry, Christchurch. The voting on the first ballot was: Rev. Brooke 68 votes Rev. Slade ... 38 votes Rev.. Lawrv... ■'■■ ■•■ 33 votes As this did not give the Rev. Mr Brooke an absolute majority, a second ballot was taken, with the result that ho was elected-by 91 votes to 51. The result of the ballot was received with hearty applause. In response to insistent cries of "speech/ the Rev. Mr Brooke thanked the conference very much for the honour conferred upon him, though he felt some doubt as to his own ability to.carry the work out successfully. He had, he confessed, some regrets at giving up circuit work,.but with the sympathetic help and support of the Church's ministers he would do his best. (Applause.) The Rev. C. H. Garland urged that now it would only be right for :.the conference to make some financial provision for their newly-appointed organiser. It was all very well_ to elect him, but what were they going to do in respect to his support? His suggestion was that every member of the conference should contribute, say, £5 for this purpose. He moved— That the home mission committee be instructed to submit a financial scheme to the conference for the

present year. After some discussion the motion was carried on the voices.—N.Z. Times.