METHODIST CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15864, 10 March 1915, Page 9

METHODIST CONFERENCE.

i ■ ■ RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED. :•"?•" MANY SUBJECTS CONSIDERED, - J,v/.[bY TEtHSKAPH.— ASSOCIATION.] - m 1 Chbistchcech, Tuesday. . /""The annual conference of the New Zea- •. ; -^ ! land Methodist Church was concluded to- , / : day. It was decided to hold a self-denial \-; ■week during tie first week in July, the - proceeds to be devoted to wiping out the deficiency in the foreign mission fund. ."-'!"The conference decided to accept, the offer of the Rev. Vai Trigg to visit the - '• '-..Dominion in 1916 for evangelistic missions. '-„ . . The report of the committee on temper--1 .. ance and public morals was brought down. ;'; Resolutions were passed deploring the increase of gambling, Sabbath desecration, : and the growing practice of people taking ' - .'.;: week-end trips. ■ The conference reaffirmed a resolution ■> ~ passed at last year's conference with referr""" V 1 'race to the large number of serious ofh':C.':\ fences committed against girls and young ■; woraet, ft' /■'.".;." The following resolutions were adopted: £ . "That, in! the interests of public morality, % ' the conference strongly protests against ;_ : -;^ permits, being granted for any form of gambling in connection with the efforts ?';(>;made for patriotic, or relief funds;" * 7f"! ; ".That the attention of the conference . having been called to the grave liquor scandals in the King Country, it calls upon the Government to take the most .--, effective steps possible to enforce the pro- ..•• ' hibitory laws, as it has been shown ' that leading representative chiefs of the King ,;;-.Country are most emphatic in their de- '■•-■ mand that the sale of liquor shall be pro- •";.. hibited." ■*;vj;|;The committee on matters connected ;:; ; ;-V; with the ne temere decree reported that . during the year the committee had conc. ferred with similar committees appointed ■};_.''- by other Protestant bodies for the purpose ■' ;.l Viiof considering the advisability of forming ~. a Protestant association or-alliance representative of all the Churches, through '• ™ ; which -united action might be taken if necessary to safeguard Protestant liberties, . and for the promulgation of Protestant ~ principles. It was agreed that such an association was desirable, and the follow- ' -<.<•■ ing. was suggested as a tentative plat- ]. form:—lnstruction of young people in \.{ Protestant' principles, by delivering lec- *• tares and addresses, . and the distribution iV;:t|4<>f suitable literature; to promote the canf>'t*i! didature of Protestants who would pledge ■'■A ''■■. ""■■ \ themselves to support Protestant measures; V^^i 1 to oppose the granting of State aid and ; 'the holding of State scholarships in de- . -Tnijminational schools and colleges. The - ■'• Presbyterian General Assembly had aljjj ready at its sessions in November last „'/ considered these proposals, approved of ; v"K the formation of the association, and ap- .,■ pointed its representatives. The commit- ~; tee recommended the conference to apv. prove of the formation of'the Protestant /'■■'#> association, on the lines indicated, and to . appoint four representatives. The report .'. was adopted without discussion.