METHODIST CONFERENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18802, 3 March 1923, Page 13

METHODIST CONFERENCE

YESTERDAY'S SESSIONS. The Methodist Conference was continued in Trinity Church yesterday, the president (Rev. B. F. Rothwell) presiding over a large attendance of delegates. GENERAL. Arrangements for celebrating the Jubilee of the New Zealand Conference at the Conference to be held in Christchurch no.it year were referred to a special committee. Rev. T. A. Pybus, Roalyn, was recommended to be made a supernumerary for one year. Rev. G. Frost was accredited to the Australasian Conference at Melbourne in May. Appointments were confirmed, and the list left to lie on the table for 24 hours. A motion moved by Rev. E. T. Patchett .from a recommendation sent forward by North Canterbury—“ That the tine has arrived for a revision of the method of electing a representative to the Stationary Committee; we therefore recommend that such representative be elected by ballot after nomination”—was lost. FOREIGN MISSIONS. Mir E. J. Sayers was accepted as a student in training for medical suasion work. In committee the Conference considered an interview with a trader that had appeared in a Timaru paper. —A decision was arrived at but the resolution was not read to the open Conference. Rev. W.' Sinclair moved that the report on labour conditions in the Islands be adopted in a general way, and that copies be sent to the Prime Minister, Minister of External Affaire, and Administration: of Western Samoa. —Carried. District Foreign Committee* were appointed. In committee Rev. M. A. Rugby Pratt gave an account of his visit to Tonga, HOME MISSION MATTERS. Home mission matters were further referred to when Rev. G. Bond announced that- a grant of £2OO would be made to the Wellington mission if a married minister was appointed, or £l4O if a single probationer is appointed. The Rev. A. J. Seamer was designated the General Superintendent of the Home Mission and Maori Department. THE CENTENARY FUND. The Rev. A. C. Lawry reported that £42,600 bad been promised to the Centenary Fund by subkmbers throughout the dominion. The first objective had been £40,000, so the canvass had been entirely successful.—(Applause.) The clerical treasurer, Rev. S. Griffith, showed that about £30,000 had been paid already. The working expenses had considerably exceeded the original extirnnte and £SOOO more would be required to leave a net result of £45,000. The Conference extended its thanks to the organising secretary. Rev. A. C. Lawi-y, and the treasurers of the fund—Revs. is. Griffith and H. Field. It was decided that in those circuits where the appeal had not been completed the Anal appeal should be made before the end of May of this year. The motion was strenuously opposed by the Rev. T. J. Brooke, who moved an amendment that the appeal end rin March. He declared that the other «funds were being interfered with by the drawn-out appeal It was decided that the question of calling on the guarantors to meet the lofb on the centenary volume should be held over until next Conference, canvassers to be appointed to sell the balance of 500 volumes. RECOMMENDATIONS. It was resolved that home missionaries in the district who have completed the required probationary tests and have been admitted as home missionaries, or who, having been admitted as homo missionaries by the Conference or Home Mission Executive without such parliamentary tests, had been seven years continuously in the home mission work. On the recommendation of Auckland Synod it was decided that the secretaries of synods for appointment to Conference, but in cases where the minister so nominated is appointed to another district, the members of the district first at the Conference shall nominate to the Conference.