WESLEYAN METHODIST CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 5995, 3 February 1881, Page 5

WESLEYAN METHODIST CONFERENCE.

. [BY TELEGRAPH. PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Nelson, Wednesday. At the Conference the establishment of an independent Conference for New Zealand was considered. It was pointed Out that the General Conference has no legal stations, and that each colony would have to legislate to legalise the tenure of property within its bounds by the Church. It was also urs;ed that an attempt on the part of the New Zealand Conference to introduce improvements in the Church . policy had . been defeated by the conservation of the Australian representatives. Thirty-one voted for the proposed separation, and nine against it, on the ground that it cannot take place without the consent of the General Conference. The representatives to the General Conference, to be held in Adelaide in May next, were elected as follows : Revs. Reid, Morley, Williams, Lee, Buddie, Armitage, and Bull. Lay representatives : Messrs. Manchester, Cock, Conneli, Buddie, Prince, Hobbs, Turner, Moxham, and Mitchell. Rev. Mr. Reid intimated that he had received further information in reference to the (Ecumenical Congress. It was resolved that the Revs. Waxford and Ballantyne represent this Conference on the executive of the Congress. The reports on foreign: missionary ships, John Hunt, book affairs, and theological and training institutions, were read and adopted. It is supposed that the Conference will conclude to-night. ■-.-■.

The following is a general summary of districts for 1SSO;—1. British churches, 153 ; other preaching places, 161; ministers and probationers, G7; catechists, 67 ; Sun-day-school teachers, 1520 ; local preachers, 135; class leaders, 191; full and accredited Church members, 3510 ; on trial for membership, 351; communicants, 1121; catechumens, 664; Sunday-sehools, 150; Sun-day-school scholars, 13,365; day school, 1; day school scholars, SS ; attendants on public worship, including scholars, &c, 35,389. The most notable point in the above figures are: The churches have increased by 1, the preaching places increased by 25, the local preachers have decreased by SS, the class leaders have increased by 35, the Church members have increased by 265, Sunday-school seholars have increased by 1705, and the attendants by 4778. The. statistics in reference to the Maori work are : Preaching, places, 39 (in 1879, 42); Sundayschool teachers, 29 (25) ; local preachers, 32 (33) ; class leaders, 13 (20) ; church members, 369 (3SS) ; communicants, 105 (105) ; catechumens, 15 (20) ; Sunday-schools, 27(21); Sunday-school scholars, .619 (482).