THE METHODIST CHURCH.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21266, 21 February 1931, Page 21

THE METHODIST CHURCH.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE. YESTERDAY’S SESSIONS. The business of the Methodist Conference now sitting in Dunedin was resumed in Trinity Church yesterday morning, under the chairmanship of the president, the Rev. E. D. Patchett. At the instance of the Rev. F. Copeland (convener) the Conference Home Mission Committee was appointed a special committee to consider the situation of the various churches and parsonages in the stricken Hawke’s Bay area. LAYMEN ON STATIONING COMMITTEE. The election by the districts of lay representatives to the Stationing Committee of the conference resulted in the appointment of the following laymen:— Auckland district, Messrs A. Peak and W. S. Mackay; South Auckland, Messrs J. A, Clothier and J. C. Tietjens; TaranakiWanganui, Messrs J. T. Griflm and P. R. Spicer; Hawke’s Bay- Manawatu, Messrs R. Thomas and W. B. Cameron; Wellington, Messrs S. T. Martin and T. H. Crosbie; Nelson, Messrs S. Gorman and C. Cresswell; North Canterbury, Messrs W. C. Francis and C. K. Wigglesworth: South Canterbury, Messrs F. G. Marshall and F. Frampton; Otago-Southland, Messrs C. Sheat and I. Winton; Solomon Islands mission district, Mr D. C. Cameron. The conference elected Mr S. G. Macfarlane as additional lay representative on the Stationary Committee. EX-PRESIDENT THANKED.

The eminent services rendered to the church during his year of office by the ex-president, the Rev. A. N. Scotter, were acknowledged with great cordiality in a resolution moved by the vice-president, Mr W, S. Mackay. The mover said that the ex-president had taken his office seriously, and been indefatigable in ins labours for the inspiration and enheartenmcnt of the Methodist people of New Zealand. ~, ~ In supporting the resolution the president, the Rev. E. D. Patchett, said the expresident’s visits to the various parts ot the Dominion had left a gracious impression upon the minds, and hearts ot the people. ' Responding, the ex-president said his year of office had been an education, and he had found great joy in his visits ot encouragement to Methodist people, especially in the lonely places of the Dominion. A tribute was also paid to the valuable work of the ex-vice-president, Mr A. Peak, during the past year. A cordial welcome to the conference was given to Sister Margaret Gibson, a Methodist deaconess from Edinburgh, now visiting New Zealand. The visitor briefly acknowledged the welcome, and conveyed greetings from the Deaconess Order in the Old Country. STAFFING AND STATUS OF CIRCUITS, Arising out of the business of the Committee on Circuits, introduced by the Rev. W. B. Scott (convener), the following adjustments regarding the ‘ status and staffing of circuits and home mission stations were agreed to:— The Pukekohe circuit, in the Auckland district, to be worked with two agents; the Auckland Central Mission to be relieved of its present appointment, and a married home missionary and deaconess appointed, with a suitable grant from the Home Mission Fund; that the Otautau circuit (Otago-Southland district) be reduced to a home mission station; that in the present circumstances in . the devastated Hawke’s Bay area, the appointment of a second agent to the apier circuit be deferred; that no second agent, be appointed to Greymouth for 1931; that Hawarden, North Canterbury, continue as a circuit with a probationer and a suitable grant; that in view of the problems of the Geraldine circuit the question of the status of this circuit be referred to the Conference Home Mission Committee, with a request for adequate financial assistance; that in order to enable Wanganui North to maintain its probationer, the Home Mission Fund matye a suitable grant. The following circuits are to be relieved for a further term from the obligatoin to take additional married ministers: —New Plymouth (third), Marten, Taihape, Wairoa (Hawke’s Bay), Wellington East. Dunedin Trinity, Christchurch (Durham Street), Woolston (second). In the event of being necessary for certain circuits to take additional married ministers, the following order of priority was agreed upon:—Wanganui (Gonville) with a suitable grant; Wellington South, with a suitable grant; Durham Street (Cashmere), Woolston.

CANDIDATES FOR ORDINATION. On the motion of the' convener of the Examination Committee, the Rev. W. A. Burley, the following probationers were admitted into full connexion in the ministry:—The Revs. B. R. Hames, N. P. Larsen, 6. I. Laurenson, A. R. Penn, A. W. E. Sylvester, H. V. Utting, A H. Voyce. The president congratulated these candidates for ordination, and expressed the hope that their ministry would be very successful. PROSPECTIVE MINISTERS. On the recommendation of the Examination Committee the following candidates for the ministry were received for theological training:—Arthur P. Dorrian, George H. Goodman, John John, Andrew J. Johnston, Howard C. Matthews, Henry J. Tozer, all from the Auckland and South Auckland districts. RETIRING MINISTERS. Conference granted the application of the following ministers to become permanent supernumeraries:—Revs. Dr C. H. Laws, A. C. Lawry, H. L. Blamires, G. S. Cook, J. Featherston. SUPERNUMERARY FUND. » The Rev. M. A. Rugby Pratt introduced Supernumerary Fund Board business, and stated that the fund showed an aggregate of £144,649 17s Bd, the income being £12,001 8s 4d. Allied funds administered by the board amounted to £14,802 11s Bd. During the year new connexional ofhces had been opened in Christchurch, the contract price being £13,877. These offices, which were known as the Epworth Chambers, were used for the accommodation of the various connexional departments operating in Christchurch, and also for letting suites to business firms. A good deal of consideration had been given by the board to the scale of annuities, and to certain anomalies that required adjustment in the existing gradient of benefits, and these matters had been ’the subject of correspondence with the actuary. Whilst satisfied that the state of the fund at present would warrant an increase of benefits, yet, owing to the present world-wide economic depression and the uncertainty caused thereby, the board deemed it wise at this juncture to defer proposals for such an increase in annuity rates. The report was adopted. On the motion of the Rev. W. H. Speer, the following resolution was carried by acclamation; —“That this conference desires to record its appreciation of the able management of the Supernumerary Fund by the board, and congratulates the board on the business acumen and foresight displayed in the acquisition of that fine business block known as Epworth Chambers.” . . A general resolution of appreciation of the work of the board was also carried. . , , ~ The question was raised as to the status in conference of medical men attached to the Church, and a committee was appointed to go into the matter and report. , c ~ „ Conference approved ot the setting apart of the Rev. J. D. Grocott as organiser of the Young Men’s Bible Class movement for a period of two years. PORT CHALMERS CIRCUIT. It was recommended to conference that the Dundas Street circuit be divided and that Ravensbourne and Broad Bay he attached to the Port Chalmers circuit, with a probationer as second agent, the probationer to reside at Ravensb°Ul TRANSFER TO AUSTRALIA The transfer of the Rev. W. Beckett to the Victoria and Tasmania conference was approved by conference. UNEMPLOYMENT LEVY. The attention of the Unemployment Commissioner (Mr Malcolm Fraser) was called to the fact that 31 supernumerary ministers who were never likely to become claimants on the fund administered in the interests of the unemployed were compelled to pay the unemployment levy. Exmption had been asked for in these .cases. The commissioner stated that the ’general question of exemptions was under consideration, and when a decision was reached publicity would be given to it through the press.