PRIMITIVE METHODIST CONFERENCE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1024, 13 January 1911, Page 2

PRIMITIVE METHODIST CONFERENCE.

FIRST DAY'S PROCEEDINGS. The eighteenth annual conference of the Primitive Methodist Church cf New Zealand was opened at the Webb Street Church yesterday morning, and was attended by delegates from all parts of the Dominion.

The retiring president (the Rev. S. Henderson) declared the conference opened.

Hie following officers were elected:— President, the Rev. "George H. Mann (Geraldine); vice-president,- Mr. G. H. Stiles (b'oxton); secretary, the Rev. John Southern (Wellington); assistantsecretaries, the Revs. J. Foatherstono, 13. Mctson, T. Coatesworth and Mr. T. Moore;' G.C.l).'a assistant, the Rev Ben Dudley. (Wellington). The general committee delegato representing the English Conference was the Rev" G. Knowlos-Smith.

-The president, in thanking the conference for his election, said:—"l am certain I cannot adequately express my feeling of gratitude and sincere appreciation for the very high honour .much you have done. me. 1 feel, to have been appointed to this, which isthe chief office, of the church, is a matter 1 liavo reason to be proud of. and 1 trust to the.Blessing of God I maybo able to occupy this position with honour to the church and credit to myself. I do sincerely hope that this conference will be a memorable one in the history, of the church, in this Dominion. J..bono that all'our sneakers mil be pervaded with a sense of the presence of God, and that all the business transacted shall be such as to promote the extension of Christ's. Kingdom by. the agency of this church. ,'V Jlav , 6 been preaching'the Gospel for 29 years.. For thirteen years I was a.local .preacher, and have been sixteen .ears ,n.the ministry. You ca'n seo theiefore that the bonds between my--clt and the church are so strong that there is nothing in the world that can oe just the same to mo as the Primitive Methodist Church. I 'pray God will bless us, and wo shall go on and exercise more influence for the Glory *? d o?M d th< ? salra tion of men." nrl tL' li ' r ice :" r< ; s . id ent, also thank-, etrthe delegates for h» election to that' hSw..S 0 S A' d h l v. a v b?en an officers '? *° Pr'mitivc Methodist Churcn for the last 13 years,' and a xhe W °- f th ° Forfon c ' ircuit during Me last six or seven years. METHODIST UNION. b^l^K i T u S on ,vas evoked hy a motion by the Rev. G. Knowlesthat "the rtmils of. distrief, ' bUl ?''- Taranaki . «nd.' other TJnhn ■ i* - pert ?' n 'ns . to ' Methodist union, bo considered m committee, on iuesday morning next." An amendment was moved to have the words "in committee" deleted. On a ballot bein" taken the amendment was carried by '3( votes to 35. The motion, as amended was then carried. THE MINISTRY. On the recommendation of. the Examining Committee, it was decided/to admit into the ministry, Messrs. J. B Carlisle,- Frederick Frost, and F inompson, who were now probationers, and had, passed tha necessary examinations for the higher position-." Messrs Gorman Hyde, James Charteris, and 13. Maiden, students, were admitted as probationers, and recommended to'f the Stations Committee to bo placed in charge' of Home Mission stations. the conference went into committee' to consider two other,.applications for admission to - tho ministry. The East' Egmont members of the Church applied to havoi their;;circuit- divided into; two : stations. "It" was given as a reason that owing to the advanco' of settlement the' present district''was-becom-ing top large; to -be easily controlled. The matter . will receive, the: attention of the Stations Committee. ',- ;■..-.;.: ' WIDOWS' AND ORPHANS' FUND." The balance-sheet of the Widows'/and Orphans' Fund was read, and disclosed a very satisfactory credit. During the year £210 had been refunded;' £500 was lent on mortgages. Rent received ;amounted.'to ■,£6OO. There was also £SSO placed in the Savings Bank, and the capita] of tho fund at present was £■1520. • The profit for tho past year camo to £344.

Tho Otago and . Southland districts forwarded a proposal that owing to the increasing number of ministers and members, and the consequent heavier liabilities, tho_ annual contribution to .the fund be increased. The majority of tho delegates' were in favour of this and a resolution was recorded that each circuit contribute £4 per annum to'tho fund. THE OFFICIAL SERMON. ' : Last evening at tho Webb Street Methodist Church the Rev. G. KnowlesSmith, G.C.D., preached tho official sermon of the conference. He took for his text words from Luke 23 and 33: "The place'which is called Calvary." In tho course .of his address the speaker said: "It. is surely fitting that in the very opening hours of our annual. assembly that wo gather in spirit at this spot, Calvary, which is the most sacred .ground on this earth. It is the 'Holy of Holies' of our Church and service. With tho vision.of tho soul ire shall .'gaze,once more upon tho pierced hands and feetaud thorn-crowned brow." He then dwelt upon Christ's victory over :death, and spoke of far-reaching effects of His Gospel among the nations of the r oarth. Vast armies had attempted and .failed to conquer savage peoples, but missionaries, unarmed and" bearing onlv the Bible with them, had enlightened those people and shown them the light. He appealed to. those present to support the foreign missions, and reminded them that though "our, language may -vary and our methods differ from thos'o of our forefathers, granted that.' our .message is the true message, and ourspirit of deliverance tho spirit of Christ, thou shall the day of modern miracles be yet," . ■ A number of hymns were sung at the conclusion of the sermon. ' •;;THE' CONFERENCE PROGRAMME... The ; conference will sit to-morrow from 0.30 a.m.- till 12.30 p.m., and •from two o'clock till five in the afternoon. This afternoon the retiring president, tho Rev. S. Henderson, will address the' conference. On Tuesday, at 11.30 a.m., deputations will ho : received from tho NoLicense Association and tho Ministers' Association. ■ . . ' , ;,At Island Bay on Saturday afternoon', a missionary garden party will bo held. Special services will bo conducted by local and visiting preachers on Sunday, and in the afternoon at Newtown .Park a "great camp meeting" will take place. A number of special services and meetings in addition to tho daily sittings of the delegates arc'set down for this week, and on Thursday evening tho conference will bo concluded bv an ordination service at the Webb Street Church. THE DELEGATES. ' Tho following is a list of the delegates and the districts ' they represent :— Ex officio.: Retiring president, tho Rev.S. Henderson; G.C.D., the Rev. G.-Knowles Smith; General Committee, representative, Mr. David Goldio; missionary, Mr. Joseph ' Watkinson; N.Z.S.M.W. and 0. fund, Mr. George Froggatt; furnishing fund, Mr. William King; church loan fund, tho Hon. Charles M. Luke; church extension fund, the Rev. John Dawson; I.P. Friendly Society, the Rev. Charles Ward; Sund.'.,v School Committee, Mr. John H. Push.

Taranaki.. .district.—New Plymouth: Tho Rev. James Guy, Messrs. Charles E. Bclliingcr, and Reuben Peppcrell. Stratford: Tho Rev. Basil Mctson and Mr. George Collingwood, and Mrs. Elizabeth Parker. Elthain: The Rev. Thomas R. Booloxall, Mr. James Ballantine, and- Mrs. luargaret Stanners.' Wanganui: The Rev. Samuel Bailey, Messrs. Robert li. llorslcy and Arthur Varney. East Egmont: Messrs. Herman Foster and John Campbell. Wellington district.—Wellington 1 (Sydney Street) ? TJ.c Rev. Percy J. Cossum, Messrs. Isaac Clark and James B. Hadden; Wellington 2 (AVebb Street): The' Rev. William S. Potter, Messrs. Ernest Dawson and William Johnson ; Wellington 3 (Donald M'Lcan Street): Tho Rev. Charles A. Sims, Mr. Wilfred Higginbottom. Foxton: Messrs. Peter J. Mails, George H. Stiles, and Matthew A. Walker. Fcilding: The Rev. Joseph Sharp, Messrs. Jolin C. j Thompson and John C. Glover. HalI combe: The Hev. James Glover. West ] Coast Mission (Denniston): The Rev. ] John Southern, Messrs. Albert Hooker I and Fred. Frost.

Auckland District!.—Auckland 1 (Alexandra Street): Rev. James Cocker, Messrs. George Higgott, and Peter J. Hawkins. Auckland 2 (Franklin Road): Ticv. Roliert Raine. Messrs. William Thompson-and Alfred Whittaker. Auckland 3 (Eden Terrace): Rev. Thomas H. Lyon, Messrs. Thomas Moor and Frederick Hitchcock. Thames: Rev. Georgo P. Hunt and Mr. Carl F. Lance. Waihi: Mr. James Holloway and Mrs. Bosworth M. Kinn. Hamilton: Rev. Job Benning,- Messrs. Edwin Watkin, and Andrew Jamieson.

Canterbury District.—Christchurch 1 (Cambridge Terrace): Rev. Samuel Henderson and Mr. Edmund W. Hall. Christchurch 2 (Battersea Street): Rev. George Clement, Messrs. William Dobbs and Tom Sharp. Greendale: Rev. Arthur Harding and Mr. John Wells. Ashburton: Rev. Ralph J. Liddell and Messrs. William T. Lill and Thomas Carlisle. Geraldine: Rev. George H. Mann arid Mr. Frederick H. Wallach. Timaru: Rev. John Olphert, Messrs Jesse Boothroyd and John Tieizens. Waimato and Oamaru: Rev. John Harris, Mary. Fow. and Emily A. Carlisle. Temuka: Rev. Thomas Coatsworth, Mr. George Smart and Jane Prattley. .' Otago and Southland District.—Dunedin 1 (Dundas Street): Rev. Joseph B. Suckling. Messrs. John Barnes and Andrew King. Dunedin 2 (Kew): Rev. Edward Drake.' Messrs. Edward Turiey and Warren Kaler. Invercargill 1 (Don Street): Rev.' William Lavcock, Messrs. Charles Hughes and Francis C. Smith. , Invercargill 2 (Elles Road): Rev. T. Arthur Pybus.' Bluff: Rev. Ben. Dudley. Waikmiaiti: Rev. Jacob Fentherston. Ederidale: Rev. Herbert Daniel. .