METHODIST CHURCH.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1062, 27 February 1911, Page 2

METHODIST CHURCH.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE. STIRRING ADDRESS BY THE RETIRING PRESIDENT. NEED FOR FULLER TOUCH-WITH . THE LIFE OF THE PEOPLE. The annual conference of the Methodist Church of Australasia in-New Zealand opened at Christchurch- on' Thursday, February 23, in the Durham. Street Methodist Church. There was a largo- -attendance of delegates and the general public. After the roll had been'called the retiring president, Rev. C. H. Laws, 8.A., delivered an address reviewing -the past year's work, The following are eome extracts:— "A Trained and Effective Ministry." ■ Tho programme that lies before us in the next few years is an inspiring one for every man. First, there is (lie question of a' trained and effective ministry. (Hear, hear.) It is a Question of supreme importance, and it is fundamental to the welfare of the -Church.._, There are some who speak very freely as though the standard of • ministerial proficiency were lower than in former years. On the contrary, it is steadily, rising. : I have made it my business to go through the list' of ■ ministers and probationers name by name, and I do not hesitate to eay tnat we have among the younger ministers, whom we havo received during the past ten or-fifteen years, as large a per-, centage of able men, who are qualified to tako up the work of the Church in the immediate future, as we have had at any' time in tho past. If, as has been suggested, men i below an adequate level of attainment are finding their pay into the ministry of our Church, the first fault lies at ilie door of tho laymen of the Church. If, in the estimation of our brethren, men of meagre qualifications aro received by the conference,' that is only made possible by laxity in'dealing with them "at' the first stages of their candidature. If tho laymen, inour quarterly meetings, insist upon satisfactory qualifications, unsuitable candidates will be barred at the beginning. And, further, no man can-enter the ministry of , the Methodist Church until he has given evidence of capacity as a. local preacher.'lf, then, our congregations will encourage the work, of the local preacher, and-if,'more-over), our local preachers-meetings will steadily insist' upon -those.whb come before them seriously ". preparing themselves for their calling,_and'will;also uso every, pressure to induce the more promising young men to_ takei up-courses 'of after-study, /that will •• give ■' us. a constituency to appeal to for- the -itinerant ministry of -higher, equipment.'; than <w6. uave to-day.■•• , ~'...'.:..:.. '•"•

Steadily .In speaking thus frankly to meet tie irresponsible criticism, I do'not wish it to be thought for one. moment that I regard the standard of entrance" ;to our ministry as sufficiently high. Tho past ten years have seen it steadily rising, and the tests to-day are higher* than ever before,, they are more searching than in most, if not all, of the sister conferences of Australia, and they by no meansVcomgare unfavourably with those of.other hurches. But,' with the educational facilities that are increasing around us, I ; trust wo shall never rest until «very candidate for our ministry is required to; reach the matriculation standard of the New Zealand University—(applause);and I hope the laymen of this conference will use their every influence'to make' that possible. We must be careful of the type qf .men we set up to tepound Christianity; and to. present:.the", claims of Faith in such an age as this. ■ It will hot do to turn men loose upon'-the : Church' with a mere bundle of ill-consid-ered opinions ipy, ,tlfeif ■' slock in trade. We want a training which imparts';know- : ledge, which develops personality,! which rtea'chesjmenr,i;he skUfnl,i.nse„of the.wea-. pons they will have to handle in their life work, and which fires; them with ardour-to present Jesus Christ as the Saving l Lord of men. If it costs money; llio money must be found: A' Churchican.make no better investment of its funds. '•".. ..-"■..'•

''■'■■ Opportunities. In our' outlook upon the future a' second .call presents itself. We need, by a settled and quiet policy, to try to bring our Church into, fuller touch with the life of the Dominion at every point. ■ I do not'.mean that we must proceed .to feverish activities and denominational advertisement, but rather that there should be an earnest- taking up of the opportunities that are presenting themselves on every hand, and that the ' impact of Methodism upon the life of the people should be made;to count for more than it does; We need to Mo our own.work in our' own way, and to do it quietly and confidently, but, above all, to do it. We want,, at the back of all our work, to cultivate a keen' and quick denominational life, a Methodist esprit do crops, and we went this not merely in our conferences, but as a moving spirit right down to the.smallest cause in the Connection. (Applause.) We must, further, keep our eye upon the-cities. No cause can carry the nation till it has carried the centres of population, and -no Church: can be a Church of. the'people unless it is. working effectively among the busy masses. - We must/ man our city and suburban pulpits with all our ministerial strength, and with men whose outlook is not bounded by a Methodist parochial-: ism. And, beyond this, we must dispose our forces so as to follow up the rapidly increasing settlement in many > parts of the Dominion.

"Inroads of a New Paganism." The sons of Methodist families are moving into the back-blocks and have ' a claim upon us. A population is growing up without'any definite Churchy attachments, and, though I do not like. the' word, we have to watch against the inroads of a new paganism. We must never rest until we have so placed out agencies in relation to those oi other Evangelical Churches, that every man, woman, and child in New Zealand shall have the op- : portunity of hearing repeatedly and effectively the Gospel of Christ. (Applause.) These suggestions must not blind us to less conspicuous ways of bringing the influence of our Church upon the whole round of our country's life.- On College Councils, Public Boards, School Committees, and similar bodies, it is a fit thing that our Church should be adequately represented—(applause)—and, .if the right step be taken, it can be accomplished. In the appointment of chaplains to the Territorial Forces we must see that the Methodist Church is not quietly set.aside (hear, hear);; in the grave questions of licensing reform, gambling, social vice, Sabbath desecration,' prison reform, the education of our youth, which are assuming so prominent a place in the thought of the day, we must thr6w our whole weight on the side of the Kingdom of God. .-''•'

•fTho Tide Is Coming In." In conclusion, Mr. Laws said:—A tide is gathering.that will sw«p all human thought, and, when it is at the full, nothing good will have been. lost. The old materialism is dead beyond recovery. The crude philosophy that thought and consciousness can bo accounted for by a few vibrations of' brain substahco is untenable to-day. Matter I We cannot say what it is, but the one thing that seems sure is that it is not matter at all. Life! Our science has not touched its mystery, and the materialistic theories of its origin are still discredited all along the line. Immortality! There are frontrank men among us who maintain that we have evidence of the persistence of tho soul after death. God! Never was the old epigram truer, that if there were no God wo should have to invent one. And Christ! Hear" Sir. Oliver Lodge, who, speaking of the belief that a Son of God, in the supreme sense, took pity. upon tho race, laid aside his majesty, entered into our flesh, says: "Asa student of scicnoe I am bound to say. that, so far a<we can understand such an assertion, there' is nothing in it contrary to accepted knowledge." Verily, the tide is coming in l It is no unreasoning / faith, but ono justified by nil past history, that ■ out of the critical movements of this difficult age, out of the great humanitarian pulsings of which the world is full, ou t of the heat of political' and sociological strife, out of tho feared; unrest wprkin" like hid leaven in so many Eastern lands" out of all the seeming welter of' the timesr-God is bringing in a better age Docs it seem slow to you? Does your

eager heart, like mine, cry out,'""How" long, 0 Lord, how long?'. This fine old world of oars is but a child' let in the £o-oart. Patience! Give it - time ' '-. .•■-, ;...;, ; ,■■'■ - To learn-its limbs; there is a hand I that •* 'guides.. : -■ _ -..■i ■:.-,.-.., vii .'• And so, Fathers and Brethren it- ia' ShS.i? f Dch out ,, brav % into the mid- ■ sticanf of our noble work and to give ourselves away to ChrisUand to ■ Risk **&* be : 60 ' an< i>e shall KartV--'-' added .■something to, the spiritual'-', assets"'-. : '- u-u , world ana hastened the da'y;-;for v which ten thousand hearts- are-prayine' ' when 'the Kingdoms of this world.are become the Kingdoms of our Lord-and -" : ■■■-"■ of His Ciinet." (Loud and prolonged applause.) ,; .-,-; •...->, v . '- v- ;-■ .-.: s STATIONING COMMITTEE." -■ CBy Triesraßn—Press Association.!l;"• - Christchurch, February 25; •'." The Stationing Committee.of the Meth- "■■■'- odist Conference 'submitted rits first-draft as follows:— _Wahganui Distric't.-r^ew,: Plymouth, '■ Eev. W. J. Elliott and a home mission-' ary;_ Waitara, Rev.v W. Willis; , Ingle,' ' wood, Rev. W. S. Bowie; Stratford, Uev.v C. C. Harrison; Eltham, R>;.. H. A. G. ' - Keck; Hawera, Eevs.F.- VV.'Boys and-W. ■-*-'■■ A. Burley (Manaia)';.Ca'p"e' Sgmont.'wEev. .'' .- J. W, Griffith and a home missionary ' (Rahotu); Kaponga, Eev. W. ,B. Scott; • .- Wanganui, Eev. J. A. Luxford; Aramoho, \ Rev. E. D. Patchett; Rangitikei; Rev. G. Griffin (MartonKand-a rhome missionary '~' . , (Mangaweka);., Sanson .-.: ani..:Rong6tea,:;. . Eev. G.; Frost; Feilding, . Rev. .A, :■' v Chappell; Paimerstoh "2<orth, : - Revs.' • G.' -. '-■" '• ■= JV. J.Spence, T..T. : Thomas (Cuba S htreet), and-one wanted;-Taihaoe,-Rev.';' A. Alien; Wnitnariuo, Eev.J. Richards; '■•".".V.' laumarunui, one wanted;". West,' Coast. - Maori Mission," Eevs. T.". G. Hammond,' ■■■: ' R. Haddon, G. Kirkwood, and two deacon- iV esses; Patea, 'Kimbolton, Ohiira, and s- . ; "?#!?,Taranaki, each a home missionary.' - • Wellington -.. District. — Wellington: •''V Taranaki Street,. Revs. J. G. Chapman, >'.-". ,-. J. R.XJlark (Karori); Central Mission,: ; ' -.'.' Rev. E. 0. Blamires; Thorndon, Rev. T. Fee (C. H. Olds, supply); Wellington "■-' ."' bouth, Rev." J. Ward-and one wanted; -; ' (Kilbirnie); Johrisoriville, Rev. J.-J. Mather; Hutt,". Rev..,B. H. .Ginger; Pe-;,V tone, Rev. A. J. Seamer; South Waira-^-'.-.". ■; rapa,' Eev.' ,C. -H. Standage (Carterton) 1 " v., and One wanted; ;-.-,', Eev. S. J.' Serpell arid a home mission-'' ''-" ary,-Napier, Revs.. H.L/Blamires and" :v A'. F. Burchell; Greenmeadows '-(Hast- ':■■— •'■•: ings),' Rev. T. J.Wallis; Gisborne, Rev. '. ' J. ■ A." L'ochore; Eketahuria, ■' Rev. J. J.. Penray; Dannevirke,-Rev. F. Copelaid;.." -• Levin andOtaTu, .Rev:': T: T.- Jones ..' (Levin) and F. Rands (Otaki);: Wai-; •"■:..'■ ; pawa.Rcv. A. Hooper; Woodville, Rev.': , J.. A.; Hoskin;- Pahiatuai ;Rev: W. <H. ■! ■;.-' : Speer; Nbrsewood, a home missionary. . .~ " The Committee on Circuits ■".,; ed the subdivision : of the Auckland dis- ' ''"• trict as proposed ;by the Auckland Synod,'. , but in view,of the possible, uinon with;. -."■■: the Primitive Methodists involving the' v readjustment of districts, the conference: decided that it was ihespedieht to alter:-; existing districts. ; '■:].'_ •:".- ■■:';'-..;■.-,