METHODIST PROGRESS,

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 716, 15 January 1910, Page 6

METHODIST PROGRESS,

.;.'■;.. /TEAK'S; // .■Writing ':-in- the "ifeftodistS Outioofc* the. Eev., S..Lawxy. saysr-"It will. bo,-,af; ffltenjst.;to. readers;:.of:.the"'Outlook*:. ; to. know what the Methodist statistics for tt» v < pastjyear have to. say as. to'.the.'progress, ior otherwise, of;the Church.: The foDoirw ing /i, are/; reccijled: Y.Elevei c&uTches "and;nine/other preaching places,. . four./schoolrooms, -and. six -;■/parsonages; The ;Church members .have-:'increased .by 516—exactly. 100 more!than;.'the'.increasa reported, for. the preceding .'year.,- Then are four more .Sunday schools than reported, a year "ago,, with an.increase, of 61: teachers and; 531 scholars,'-while there .j are ?8 additional' scholars m'the mem-i bership' of the Church. There are,. how-; ever,": some serious-decreases: to-,' report..' Christian .Endeavour . Societies have "de-' ,creased : by'l7 ;,senior/-:societies.. . members,' while there are two ■• less ■ junior '. societies, and U3-leas members/ /Possibly I ■'.-' these-. decreases' : may -be -accounted for im. itwo;ways.ln..this. department-the, returnr: are. not always; so accurjite; as they .-'might',:-' be,. and it is: ho /uncommon thing ■/ omissions in-this department. It is ak» ' well known l that other -forms,of'..;youngl people's societies are in some places tat-J , ing the .place of CE.. Societies, -and for.| these .no place, is: found: in .our.:.-.official! •'■ statistics. 1 :' As.V'activoj'members of.: ■ be reckoned as Church mem-j, bers, :; it,-is not surprising that a falling-off' j:-'of\these societiesiis accompanied;by'a decrease : of .junior --members' of: the Church! :■; amounting/to; 163. ;There: is -also 'a smaller!\ ; number; returned as .attendants, on/publM worship.;, In:6ome -circuits'..this appearsi ;to bo. the result "of /different ramputatioaiY by/new', superintendents./, The '.foregoing:'■".--figures refer"to..the-European work.-,lay the -Maori -,work there: is also', a..; reported! / increase'in-almost everjrbranchjinclnoV.' ing '224- Church .members. .One', item. in; : the: Maori.returns',is a* '; .indicating, policy.; In" : 'jnosfcl . of the .circuits all .the. Sunday school? : . are. reckoned as. junior ■ Church;; members;- On: the wholeivtha past'-yeac/. hasibeon-one of progress,' which has-been,,' well-distributed over the;, several;districts, 1 •aid- in'; nearly:,all departments;/of; .tha.; work."':':"; '"•''. '"■"- ■;■ /-"/■"''• ;/ .'"\y i ?/:'"■ ; ,v: "■ "■ '"