METHODIST CHURCH

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 306, 25 November 1937, Page 6

METHODIST CHURCH

SYNOD PROCEEDINGS. REPORT ON~PROPERTY. The annual synod of the Hawke’s Bay-Manawatu district of the Methodist Church was continued yesterday. The first business dealt with at the afternoon session was the report of Mr C. E. Taylor, district secretary of Church property. Trust fund debit balances had been reduced by £7OO during the year, and mortgages had been reduced by over £3OO. Every trust account in the district came under review-, and the exact financial position of each was brought before the synod. The general position of trust funds throughout the district w-as regarded as encouraging. Mr Taylor was cordially thanked lor his services, and was recommended to conference for reappointment.

Mr Taylor also presented the foreign mission report. It was very enheartening. The new- commissioner for the Solomon Islands had visited the mission headquarters at Ivokequolo and had expressed high praise at the state of affairs there. Methodist stiP dents at the medical school in Fiji had been very successful in their ■studies, giving evidence that their earlier training at Ivokequolo under Rev. J. F. Goldie, chairman of the Solomon Islands Methodist district, and his European assistants had been good. The total contributed thus far was £1149, with good hope that the sum would reach £1250 before the Conference in February next. Mr Taylor w-as thanked for his report, and recommended to the Conference for reappointment. Mrs T. R. Hodder presented the report for the district of the Women’s Auxiliary of Home and Foreign Missions. Over £340 had been raised during the year, and numerous cases of goods had been forwarded to the Solomon Islands. The New Zealand membership of the auxiliary w-as 3081, and the district membership 380. Rev. A. Blakemore w-as nominated to the Conference as district secretary for 1938. Rev. R. B. Gosnell was coidially thanked for liis four years of faithful service as district secretary. BIBLE IN SCHOOLS, ■

The Public Questions Committee report w-as brought forward by Rev. F. E. Leadley, who asked Rev. E. 0. Blamires to bring matters relating to the Bible-in-Schools League before the synod. Of the nine education boards in New Zealand, seven had granted permission for daily religious exercises at the opening of school in the morning. In two districts the new system alternated with the long-established Nelson system. The general opinion concerning the new- system was very gratifying, and' an improvement in school discipline and in the tone .or schools had been noticed An ever increasing number of teachers were becoming sympathetic to the s J ste ™ °. daily religious exercises. The thanked Mr Blamires for his lucid explanation of the activities of the Bible in State Schools League. The follow-ing resolutions were then nassed:—“The . synod rejoices that during the year a great step . forward has been taken' by the .permission of the daily Christian observances, m the schools of six education, districts It regrets the opposition that is evident in some quarters, and is convinced that when the benefits of the daily worship are realised such opposition will ciisappeai. TJRGR T 0 IjEAC e. “That Conference De recommended to direct.. that circuit quarterly meetings give special attention to .the facilities now available for the Bible in schools.” ;■•’>- . - ~’j The report concerning -peace called forth a discussion. The following resolution was passed:—“Recognising the peril of the international situation to the peoples of the world and the almost universal prayer for peace, this synod, believing that war is a fiendish crime against humanity and conti aiy to the highest Christian principles, urges officials and members of the Methodist Church to humble penitence before Almighty God, seeking Divine guidance in the determination to foster a more brotherly spirit in every relationship of life and to encourage ‘the will to peace’ among all men The synod also urges that members of our Church should make every endeavour to study and search out the causes that make for war in order that they may help to prepare the way for a more Christian organisation of international society.”

TEMPERANCE WORK. Concerning temperance, the following resolution was passed:—“That the synod affirms the need of stressing the definite temperance work of our Church and recommends to Conference that a committee be set up specifically to carry out that work, without having it submerged as one objective among many.” EVENING SESSION. At the commencement of the evening session, Mrs J. Wilson presented tile report of the Deacons’ Institution. ■ Mr J. H. Oldham presented the report of the District Youth Committee. There are 41 Sunday Schools in the district, with 1703 scholars, 80 men teachers and 137 women teachers. The Cradle Roll totals 446; young women’s Bible Classes have a membership of 398; the young men’s classes have 351 members. . It was recommended that the District Youth Committee should be stationed in the Manawatu for the coming year, and Mr M. A. McDowell was recommended for appointment as district youth secretary in place of Mr J. H. Oldham. Mrs C. E. Taylor presented the report of the Young Women’s Bible Class Union, which was encouraging,

as was the report of the Hawke’s Bay Young Men’s Union, which was presented by Mr R. Laws, and the Manawatu Union’s report presented by Mr J. Thompson. The synod placed on record its appreciation of Mr J. H. Oldham’s splendid work as district youth secretary. Rev. R. E. Fordyce was elected to represent the district on the stationing committee at the forthcoming Conference, Rev. A. Blakemore being elected, substitute representative. 1