AUSTRALASIAN METHODIST CHURCH.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12604, 6 March 1903, Page 6

AUSTRALASIAN METHODIST CHURCH.

ANNUAL NEW ZEALAND CONTERENCE. (From Our Special Reporter.) CHRISTCHURCH, March 5. The Methodist Conference resumed this morning in representative session". The Rev. J. N. Buttle read an abstract of tho minutes of tho Board of Missions and tho balance sheet, which showed the total receipts' to have been £1275 19s Bd, the Auckland district contributing £306 5a 2d, Wanganui £127 17s lOd, Wellington £151 4s 4d, Nelson £85 15s Bd, Canterbury £391 9s 9d, and Otago £213 6s lid. The Foroign Mission Secretary reported that tho Rev. J. W. Collier had been selected for deputation work in the South Island of New Zealand during the months of April and May. A plan of tho work was submitted and approved. It was docidcd— (1) That in connection with the New Zealand Auxiliary of tho Foreign Mission Society an executive committee should be appointed to have charge of all tho business of the auxiliary; (2) that all income, together with lists of contributors, should ho forwarded to tho Foreign Mission Society not later than December 31 in each year, and that moneys received after that date should be carried forward into tho following years; (3) that tho secretary and a layman should be appointed treasurers; (4) that the secretary should be a member of the confercnco, and that his travelling expenses to the conference should be paid out of the mission income; (5) that tho executive committee and superintendents should arrange a plan of deputations to rover tho whole of tho colony; (6) that circuit superintendents should be requested to call the attention of congregations to the mission literature with a view to securing wider circulation. It was also resolved that mission services with special mission collections should be held in all churches on a Sunday during the year, and the appointment of a treasurer and secretary was deferred till the third draft of stations had been approved. Tho first Sunday in August was fixed a Foreign Mission Sunday. It was also resolved—" That the confercnco again commits tho foreign mission onterprifos of tho Church to tho prayerful consideration of it 3 members. From many lands voices call for help. Most of New Guijica. is still without the (Jospel. In those fields in which wo have entered there is great need of extension, and from distant India our brethren repeat the old invitation, ' Come over and help us' to save the milliom of mankind. Without a largo augmentation of means these crios must be disregarded, The confcrencc therefore urges on all the members of tho Church the needs of tho millions who, whilst wo are satisfied with every good thing, look up and are not fed." Tlii> Rov. James Gibb (Duncdin) has promised to conduct tho anniversary services of t-lio Durham Street Methodist Church next month.

The Homo Mission balance sheet and report were submitted, and took up the attention of the conference for a considerable time.. The income amounted to £2720 ISs Bd. Auckland district had forwarded £575 18s lOd, Wanjranui £199 10s 7d, Wellington £244 16s Id, Nelson £144 Is sd, Canterbury £413 2s Id, Otago £206 3s 2d, Birthday League £65 12s 4d, concessional properties and interest on investments £781 15s 2d. The estimated expenditure for the present year was passed as follows:—For Maori missions, £1037 3s 4d: Home Mission stations, £318 15s! aided circuits with homo missionary, £200; aided circuits, £460; special, £110; general. £211;— a total of £2436 18s 4d. The conference expressed its appreciation of the services of Mr F. L. Prime (Auckland) as financial secretary aud treasurer of the fund, and he was reappointed.

Several resolutions were adopted that had been sent up by tho different synods, and a number were remitted to the committee to inquire into and report to tho next conference. A resolution that had been sent forward by the Otago Synod for years past, lnit without success, has been adopted—viz: That in consideration of Home Mission grants the conference commence with tho district in which the conference for the time being sits. During the interval between the afternoon and evening sessions a very happw reunion of Three Kings students was held. Twenty ministers who had passed through their theological training in tho Three Kingn College were present, as al s o an ex-principal and the present principal. The third deputation waited on the conference this afternoon representing the Ministers' Association. It consisted of the Revs. J. M'Kenzie (Presbyterian), D. Hird (Oongregational), C. E. Ward (Primitive Methodist), and R. 8. Gray (Baptist). The greetings were solicitous. Tho Rev. W. A. Sinclair (Dunedih) and Mr E. H. Penney (Blenheim) replied on behalf of the conference, The evening session was devoted to what is called a "Conversation on tho work of God." A very pleasurable time was spent, many of the older members of the conferonce saying it was tho best gathering of its kind held for years, A very largo number of and laymen related their experiences, The subject was introduced by the Rev. G. W. ,T. Spence (Blenheim) and Mr E. Aslin (Dnnedin).