METHODIST SYNOD

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18236, 21 November 1924, Page 11

METHODIST SYNOD

NORTH CANTERBURY. The North Canterbury ' Methodist Synod was continued yesterday. • Mr .;W. A. Baseand, .secretary,! P re " scuted the report of the Young People's Department. Thcro wcro 509 teachers" in; the Sunday Bchools, an increase of 27. The average attendance was 422. Scholars totalled 4454, with an average, attendance of 3160. The Cradlo Eoll had a membership of 50S. Tho attendances at the Bible classes were as follows: —Young women's '243, young men's 229, junior girls' 260, junior boys' 193'. The Young Worshippers' League possessed' a membership of 847. Tho returns led to an interesting, discussion, which stressed tho great importance of the work amongst tho young people and the necessity of providing adequate buildings for carrying it'on.. . Mr:M. Kershaw presented the financial statement, of the .young'people's movement. The. income was considerably short of the allocation, and circuits were urged earnestly to endeavour to reach their • allocation.- ■ ■■ -_. • The election of a representative, to•the ' Station Committee .of Conference resulted in' favour of the Be v. E. D. Patcbett, with the Kev. H. Byan as substitute. . Mrs "W.'J. Williams appealed for the •sympathy- and interest of the .churches of North Canterbury in the work, of the Deaconess Institute. There was work crying out to bo undertaken which could only be done by the .trained womanhood of the church. There was a mass of humanity, even in tho' city of Christchurch that needed the assistance and guidance of Buch a-body of noble women as the. deaconesses of the. Church. Mrs Williams's remarks were loudly applauded. The Bev. J. Harris presented a report in connexion with the Papanui Orphanage. The balance-sheet 'showed an income of £3785 7s Id, which ,in- : eluded a number of legacies. The expenditure amounted' to £1503 Is. After deducting legacies, income did not meet expenditure by more than £250. The Eev. W. Laycock was appointed organiser for 1925, and it was hoped that the Orphanage would be able to pay current expenses without touching legacies. Tho chairman' drew.the Synod s attention' to the sale of' goods and garden . party to take • place *» at the Orphanage. • The following were recommended to Conference as the Orphanage .Board for 1925:—Chairman of the district, the Connexional secretary, the superintendents of the Durham street, Christchurch east, St. Albans, Papanui, Sydenham, A'ddington/AVoolaton, and Biccarton Circuits; Eevs.W. Baumber, A. Peters, W. J. Williams, C. E. Ward, W. >Laycock, and B.'Dudley; Mesdames W. J.- Williams, E. Bowron, W. H. Seed, E D Patchett, and Sisters Mabel and Euth; Messrs W. H. Seed, J. C. Pnidhoe, J. A. Flesher, G. Bowron (treasi urer), P. Thompson, L. M'. laitt, M.P., P. a!' Sheaf., J. Lomas,.W. T. Burley, F. Campion, M. Kershaw, W. H. MarI shall, and J. Gilmour. : Mr Shepherd Green, secretary of the District Foreign ' Mission Board, presented the annual report. The financial returns for 1924 were not yet complete, but in 1923 the district raised £1442 15s 10d.' Mr Green said that the church should be raising £IBSO as a district. It was decided to adopt the suggestion that Sunday, November 30th, be set apart as a day of special and united intercession for foreign mission work.

The B«v. A. A. Bensley, a missionary on leave from the Solomon Islands, laid the claims of the Solomon Islanders'be-, foro the Synod. The work was, still being seriously hampered by. the lack of funds. '

Mrs Bowron-presented the report of the North Canterbury Women's Missionary. Auxiliary, showing'that there were 2SO members throughout the trict, and that £265 was raised this rear, and that a number of boxes of linen, etc.,.had.been sent.away. The report . of the • Ifew Zealand Methodist Local .. Preachers' Association .was received and' adopted, and satisfaction expressed at the .work being, done by the Association.. A motion of appreciation of the vainable assistance'of the local preachers, s of whom there are over 100 in the. district, was heartily supported. The -loss of one, of the ablest local preachers in' the late Mr J. H. Wilson was noted with sorrow. Tfr6 report of the •Temperance and' Public Morals Committee. was introduced by the Eev. W. J. Williams. The Synod expressed its cordial approbation of the attempt made in'the Lower House to resist reactionary legislation on the gambling question, and regretted- thai the ; iseeafc BUI was

carried. If the Bill embodying the. I report of the Parliamentary Committeo on licensing affairs were, brought j before tho Hovso, tho Synod felt that it would.be urgently necessary to support only those candidates who- would oppose legislation which would put further away than ever the reforms for which it worked and prayed. In dealing with the report of ctho Pastoral • Session Committee; clauses 1, 2, and 3, embodying the idea of extended powers to tho -chairman, Ministerial Committees, and District Commissions, wero rejected. After a lengthy and interesting discussion tho report of tbfi iJomokal Expenses Fund. Committer was received and adopted, with tho alteration of the period of trial from three to five years. An amendment was also carried that tho relation of tho departmental. offices to the fund be reviewed by the committee. . The Kev: E. D. Patchett and Mr A. 'A.,.Sandford* wero..appointed treasurers of tho. fund.

, ' Mr'F. Thompson moved a motion ,of regret at the projected departure of the' Rev. Ti. A. Joughin for Auckland. Appreclatioii was expressed of th# work of Mr Joughin as'chairman of the dis-. trict; arid sorrow that .his State of health compelled' his retirement. Mr Joughin replied,: thanking, tho Synod for the kind words of farewell. Mr F. Thompson also presented the report which had for its object the making of the office of vice-president of Conference more, useful, and influential. It was decided that the vicopfesident be ex officio.-a member of tho Stationing Committee of the . succeeding Cohferenco■ at-'which r he is elected; 'that : in the absence of the" president, the vice-president be the chairman of all Conference functions; that the ..re-' , tiring vice-prepident; shall' speak for 20 minutes on questions dealing .with tho progress and welfare of tho Church; that ho shall, have a seat on-the platform of "the Conference at which he retires from'office;'ahd that tho .vicepresident shall be ei officio a member ! of,'all Connexional Committee'sj including . the. President .'s :. Committee -. of • Advice., • -• • * '

A number of machinery clauses in the report of the cbmmittee for expediting Conference-busiflesSjWore carried almost without discussion.. The object: of the clauses. is' to endeavour" to limit the length of the Conference to seven'days. The whole question will be debated- at Conference, which has' the final, word upon'the ] On tho question .of Bible in schools,' Mr J. C. Prudhoo moved: "That. this. Synod . supports'A the. repeal of the statutory provision first ' enacted; in 1877, by which the secular basis was established in the public schools of the Dominion." After-Mr Prudhoe had spoken, a vote was taken, and the motion was carried by one vote in a very thin Synod. . . .. . ' ... The Bev. S. Lawry's notice of motion that a probationer be set apart to assist tho chairman of districts, during v the year was carried unanimously.' 'The motion with regard to, election of eecre-; taries of Synod and chairman of. dis-tricts-was also- carried. The Bev. B. D. Patchctt was elected 'secretary of Synod for 1925. - - The District Executive was re-elected, with the addition' of Mr W. H: Marshall, and Mr .W. C. 'Francis, and with tho alteration of, the-Bev. S. J. "Werren | as convener.. . Votes of thanks were carried to the chairman of tho district (Bev. W. A. Hay), the secretary and hisassifltantsj the reporters," and a special 1 vote was passed to the Press of the city for their fine reports of the Synod session. The Durham street ; ' Church Trustees wero also thanked for the use of the church for the se3sions of the Synod. : The Synod closed after the reading ( of the,'journal. i