THE AUSTRALASIAN WESLEYAN CONFERENCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1386, 22 November 1884, Page 2

THE AUSTRALASIAN WESLEYAN CONFERENCE.

At the Wesleyan Conference yesterday it was resolved that the i;ext general Conference should bo held in Melbourne in May. 1888. The revision of the book of discipline was completed, the Conference agreeing to adopt the book now revised as containing laws by which Australasian Wesley»n Methodists are governed, with the understanding that the legislation of the present Conference be inserted therein. The cordial thanks of the Conference were presented to the Committee in Melbourne, who have had this subject before them during the last three years, and especially to the Revs J. 0. Symons and W. F. Wells. . The Rev George Martin road a draft of an address to be presented by the Conference to the British Conference. After greeting the Fathers and Brethren of the British Conference, the address continued —■ “ It must surely be gratifying to you to know that a result of your wisdom and foresight in extending your missionary operations to these colonies in the early part of the present century, the methodism of the old land is n >w doing noble work in leavening the religious life of the people of Aus ralasU with those great truths which we have received as part of our Christian heritage. Whilst looking on the past with thankfulness, we look on the future with hope.” Reference was made to the material progress made in New Zealand and Australia. One of the difficulties in church work arose from the scattered and migratory character of the population, and the Conference found itself straitened to moot the spiritual necessities of these lands where the conditions are widely different from those of the Old Country, but Wesleyans here were anxious to build up a firm, compact and united Methodism, which should stand as a bulwark against the encroachments of disbelief, and become a mighty agent for the dissemination of Christian truth in connection with the Home and Foreign Missions. The lamented death of the Rev Benjamin Chapman was referred to, whose office of Secretary for Foreign Missions had been filled by the Rev W. Kelynack, D.D. The language of the savage natives of New Britain bad been reduced to writing, and the Gospel of St. Mark translated for them. The election of the Rev J. H. Fletcher, President of Newington College, Stanmore, showed the value of Australasian Methodists being placed in their educational institution. The establishment of a Ladies College at Hawthorne, near Melbourne, was a new departure, and, under the management of the Rev W. H. Fitchett, rendered good service to the cause of religion and the culture of Australasian Methodism. The address concluded with an expression of renewed confidence in God, and the beat wishes for the continued prosperity of Methodism in the fatherland. In the afternoon the members of the Conference had a picnic at Lincoln, which was attended by about 600 and passed off very successfully.