Wesleyan District Meeting.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6703, 16 November 1889, Page 4

Wesleyan District Meeting.

The devotional exercises of the district meeting, were conducted by the Eev Mr Gray and Mr Moor. The following erections were reported sb having been completed, viz. : — A new parsonage and caretaker's cottage, in connection with Durham street; a church at New Brighton; a gymnasium at Sydenham; a church at Leeuton, another at Temuka, and a parsonage at Woodend; It waß reported that a site had been given by Mr Job Brown for the church at Temuka, and also a site at Methven by Mr Stevens. The following erections, &c, were Banctioned, viz., erection of a new parsonage at Timaru, or the enlargement of the old parsonage. The purchase of a new site at Aahburton and removal of the present church thereto, at a cost of .£SOO. The purchase of a church to be ereoted on a site at Darfiold. The erection of a school church at a cost of £60. Permission to sell the old school site at St Albans, the church and site at Waltham, the church site at Cameron street, Ashburton. The following Bales were reported as I having taken effect :— Worcester street ! parsonage for £SOB ; two acres of land at Seafield for £8. j The income of the Supernumerary Fund for the year was reported to be .£2SS 16s ; the Contingent Fund, .£159 7s ; the Children's Fund, .£426 183 7d. Mr Dawson read an encouraging report on the state of the property of the district, after which Mr Dawson was thanked for his services and his appointment to the office of Secretary or the Church property. The Church statistics were then reported as follows .- 51 churches, 42 other preaching places, 18 ministers, 568 Sunday school teacherß, 101 local preachers, 80 class leaders, 2272 accredited Church members, 355 communicants (in addition to the members), 330 juvenile members, 5453 Sunday school scholars, 13,007 attendants on public worship. Oa the motion of the Eev J. J. Lewis, it was decided to recommend that the Ashburton circuit be relieved of their obligation to take & second married minister, if practicable ; if not, to have a grant in aid of .£SO. The Eev J. Luxford moved, and the Eev G. Bond seconded — "That an additional Native agent be employed in the Maori work in the district, with a grant in aid of .£3O. The appointment of a City Missionary for each of the four large centres of population was strongly recommended. The following motion, of which notice was given, was discussed at length, and passed unanimously, viz. : — "l. That, instead of the present arrangement, the ministers and lay representatives meet on the day fixed for the opening of the Conference, and elect the Presidents and Secretaries of the annual conferences, the qualifications for these offices to be in accordance with paragraphs 303 and 309, pp. 70 and 73, ' Methodist Laws.' 2. That the second day of Conference be devoted to representative business only, after that such mornings as may be found necessary be taken for ministerial business. N.B. — That the Stationing Committee meet as at present, viz., prior to the assembling of the Conference, and that the station-sheet as published by them be taken as the first reading." The following motion by the Eev W. J. Williams was unanimously passed : — " That we recommend an alteration of the law relating to the appointment of preachers (Methodist Laws, p 76, clause 324) so as to read ' not return to the same circuit until he shall have been absent three years/ " It was recommended that the ministers of the Christchurch, St Albans, and Sydenham circuits, together with Messrs C. W. Turner, W. Harris, E. W. England, and D. H. Brown, be the Committee of the Church Building and Loan Fund for the ensuing year. A resolution expressive of gratitude for the success of the past year and hopefulness for the future was passed. A vote of. thanks Jtojjhe Ch airman- for his Mud »mi able iTresidency oveirthff.sessions of the meeting, to the Secretaries and reporters, was unanimously passed. A special vote of thanks to the friends who had entertained the representatives .was carried. The Editor of the Lyttelton Times waa thanked for the full reports of the proceedings of the meetings. Devotional exercises brought the meeting to a clobc