METHODIST CONFERENCE

Taranaki Daily News, 21 February 1931, Page 5

METHODIST CONFERENCE

SUPERANNUATION FUNDS ANNUITIES NOT TO BE INCREASED UNEMPLOYMENT LEVY QUESTION. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Dunedin, Last Night. The Methodist Conference, sitting in Dunedin, was resumed , this morning under the chairmanship of the president, Rev. E. D. Patchett. At the instance of Rev. F. Copeland (convenor) 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. The election by districts of lay representatives to the stationing committee of the conference resulted in the appointment of the following: Auckland district, Messrs. A. Peak and W. S. McKay; South Messrs. J. A. Clothier and J. C. Tietjens; TaranakiWanganui, Messrs. J. T. Griffin and P. B. 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; OtagoSouthland, Messrs. C. Cheat and I. Winton; Solomon Islands mission district, Messrs. D. C. Cameron and S. G. Macfairlane (additional). The eminent services rendered to the Church during his year of office by the ex-president, Rev. A. N. Scotter, were acknowledged with great cordiality in a resolution moved by the vice-president, Mr. W. S. Mackay. The mover said the president had taken his office seriously and been indefatigable in his labours for the inspiration and enheartenment of the Methodist people of New Zealand. la supporting the resolution, the president, Rev. E. D. Patchett, said the expresident’s visits to the various parts of the Dominion had left a gracious impression upon the minds and hearts of the. people. Responding, the ex-president said his year of office had been an education, and he had found great joy .in his visits of encouragement to the 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 deaconese from Edinburgh, and visiting. New Zealand. The visitor briefly acknowledged the welcome and conveyed; greetings from the deaconess order in the Old Country. Arising out of the business of the committee on circuits, the following adjustments regarding status and staffing of circuits and home mission stations were agreed to: That in the present circumstances in the devastated Hawke’s Bay area the appointment of a second agent to the Napier 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 Committe ewith a request for adequate financial assistance; that in order to enable Wanganui North to maintain its probationer the Home Mission Fund make a suitable grant. The following probationers were ad'mitted into full connection in the ministry: Revs. B. R. Hames, N. P. Larsen, G. I, Laurenson, A. R. Pen, A. W. E. Sylvester, H. V. Utting and A. H. Voyce. The following candidates for the ministry were received for theological training: Arthur P. Dorrian, George H. Goodman, John Hahn, Andrew J. ’Johnston, Howard C. Matthews, Henry J. Tozer, all from the Auckland and South Auck- , land district. ’ Conference grandad the application ’ of the following ministers to become per- ! hianent supernumeraries: Dr, C. H. Laws, Revs. A. C. Lawry, H. L. Bia- ‘ mires, G. S. Cook and J. Featherston. 1 ’ Rev. M.. A.,’Rugby Pratt introduced ■ ■ the Supernumerary Fund Board business and stated that the fund showed an ag- 1 gregate of £144,649 17s. Bd., the income : being £12,001 Bs. 4d. Allied funds ad- ' ministered by the board amounted to : .£14,802 Ils. Bd. A good deal of considJeration had been given, by he board to ’ the scale of annuities and certain‘ano- ; malies that - required adjustment in the ' existing gradient of benefits, and these matters had been the subject of corres- 1 pondence with the actuary. Whilst 1 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 uncer- : tainty caused thereby.the board deemed it wise at this juncture to defer pro- 1 posals for such an increase in the an- 1 nuity-rates. < The report was adopted. Conference approved of the setting ' apart of Rev. J. D. Grocott as organ- 1 isep of the Young Men’s Bible class ' ■movement for a period of two years. i The transfer of Rev. W. Beckett to the ■ Victoria and Tasmania Conference, was approved. The-attention of the Unemployment ; Commissioner 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 uhmployment levy. Exemption 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.