THE GENERAL WESLEYAN CONFERENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8821, 3 June 1890, Page 3

THE GENERAL WESLEYAN CONFERENCE.

The following, from the Sydney Morning Herald, shows the changes made in the legis* lative powers of annual conferences by the series of resolutions passed on the motion of the Rev. W. H. Fitchett, B.A. :—

1. Whereas tb.B General Conference is a necessary part of our church system, and its maintenance essential to the unity of Methodism throughout Australasia, and io the successful dischargo of that work among the heat-hen races of the South Seas which God has committed to J us. 2. The General Conference, however, re- | cognjsin" that diversity of circumstances justifies provision for diversity^of methods, records its willingness to confer upon the annual conferences a discretionary power to deal within constitutional lines, according to their own requirements, with such matters as are from time to time for this purpose specifically remitted to them by the said General Conference. 3. That the General Coi> ference hereby empowers_ each of the annual conferences to frame for itself regulations dealing with the following subjects:—I a) The constitution and operation of its stationing committee ; (6) the order and form in which the business of such conference shall be transacted; (o) the constitution of the quarterly meeting ing; (d) the management of its Sunday schools; (c) the term during which a minister may be appointed to the ssmo circuit, subject to the following conditions:—(l) No minister shall be appointed to the same circuit for reore than five years in succession, and the appointment shall ba made year by year as at present; (2) no annual conference shall exercise the power thus conferred upon it until it has taken, upon approved legal advice, the steps necessary to mako Buch appointment legal; (3) each such appointment beyond the present term of three years shall be made only upon the request of a two-thirds majority of the September quarterly meeting preceding, and by a two-thirds majority of the annual conference; (4) any regulations made in the exercise of these powei-3 shall be reported to the next succeeding General Confer-

ence. N.B.—Nothing iv the above shall prejudice any decision to which this1 General Conference may arrive upon questions remitted by annual conferences, or of which notico of motion may have been givun. On the motion of the Rev. J. J. Lewis (New Zealand)' it was resolved that tho restriction with regard to tho period of a minister's stay in tho same city be abolished. It was resolved—"That March 2 next being tho centenary of tho death of tho Rev. John Wesley, it is recommended that the event should ba commemorated throughout tho whole of Australasia in connection with the Wesloyan Foreign Missionary Society, aud that the board of management be respectfully asked to give tho recommendation its best consideration." Tho foil iwing representatives were elected to represent tho conference at the Ecumenical Methodist Council, to be hald in America iv September 1891:—Rev. Jo3eph Sponco and Mr W. H. M'Clellaud, Now South Wales; the Rev. W. H. Fitchett aud Mr Henry Berry, Victoria; tho Rev 3. W. Morloy and Joseph Berry, New Zealand. It was decided that six other representatives should be selected by tho anuual conferences. Inthoeveutof any gentleman selected being ur.ablo to go, power was given to the president to fill up any vacancy which might thereby occur.