METHODIST CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13484, 10 May 1907, Page 6

METHODIST CONFERENCE.

• i RECOMMEDATIONS FROM NEW -' :,.■ i' •. • ZEALAND. •_.. '....■.':.; [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] i Dunbdin, Thursday. . . The Rev. O. ;H. Laws, .secretary of .the Methodist Conference in New Zealand, ■states that the chief question to bo- discussed at i the; General Conference, which will be opened in Sydney on the 30th_inst., will be, the supernumerary and' Ministers' widows fund, which provides annuities for retired ministers and widows of ministers. Another question will be that of foreign missions. The Conference will survey .the Church mission work in the South Seas, and review each . particular field. Tho Rev. George Brown,- D.D., who has been connected with Methodist, missions .' in the South Seas for the last. 44 years, and who has occupied the office of general secretary for 20 years, is retiring, and the conference will have to appoint his successor: . Among the proposals 6ont v forward by the New 'Zealand _ Conference are some having in view the liberalising of the policy of the Church. The first of these is that members of the Church shall: be able to elect representatives from anion* themselves to Church courts. It is further proposed that increased powers bo ; given to laymen in the annual conference, and that the following matters- be dealt with in representative session of conference when laymen are present:—(l) Inter-conferentialexchange of ministers, i.e., that ministers be exchanged between New 'Zealand and Australia; (2), making ministers supernumeraries; (3), stationing of ministers; and (4), election of chairmen of districts. There were also several minor recommendations from New Zealand. , ... ■. Mr. Laws expressed himself hopeful of the New Zealand recommendations being adopted by the Conference, though he remarked that, on the other side ; New Zealand was generally . regarded as being rather radical in Methodism, as in other matters, and that was,- in fact, the reason why, the • separation desired 'by New Zealand was ! not conceded. ■■■;:'.,'/;"'. ■ " , v.'Y ••.■'. : .v-: A.;