WESLEYAN METHODIST CHURCH.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1168, 1 July 1911, Page 10

WESLEYAN METHODIST CHURCH.

BASIS OF MEMBERSHIP. •\s was generally anticipated, the District Svnods of the English Wosleyan Methodist Church, which met in Hay, declined to approve the Conference proposals for a reform in the basis of membership. These proposals, which were the result.of a compromise and were not acceptable to either sido in the. controversy, were, briefly, that, the class meeting must be maintained ns the basis of membership, that all members must be diligent in their attendance', not only at the classmeeting, but also at, the Society meeting, the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and the public ordinances of God's House; and the persons who are regular communicants may bo admitted to full membership after probation, provided they are willing to place themselves under the pastoral care of a minister or other leader, who shall enter their names in a classbook and meet them at stated periods for mutual counsel and spiritual oversight; provided also that they are willing to attend the Society meeting and submit to Methodist discipline.

The Synod approved of these proposals, but there was a remarkable lack of unanimity as to the reasons of their rejection. First. London, Oxford, Portsmouth. Cornwall, S'outh Wales. Liverpool, Manchester, Halifax, and Bradford, Nottingham and Derby. York, Whitby and Darlington, and 'Ncwchsllc-on-Tyno entirely condemned the proposals as containing no solution of the problem, and in the case of at least half these synods the recommendation was added that the Conference should let the- question drop for the present. Whitby and Darlington went so far as tu urge Unit stops should be taken to enforce the discipline at present in u.-c. Kent expressed the view that the condition of Church membership should be a. confession of faith in Christ, an oxDressed desire to live a, life hi harmony

with His teaching and ii willingiio.-s to unite in fellowship with the. Church.

Exeter asked Hull in any iiil'ure proposals throe aims sh.mld be Inirno in mind; one uniform ;'.nd clearly defined basis of membership, one way at filtering ini'-.i organic union with the Church, and line mode of enrolment and enumeration. Dcvonport and .Plymouth expies-cil the opinion that the time had eoine when the class meeting should be regarded as a most' important means of fellowship, but not as a test, rather as a privilege. Macclesfield pointed out that (lie proposals were unsatisfactory as not dealing with the serious problem of the large number of Church members who do not attend class, Bolton expressed ('lie view Ihat in the interests of uuiformily it was the immediate duty of Conference to summarise in an ordered statement all the existing laws and regulations conditioning Church membership, and to make" the Leaders' Meeting the responsible authority for saying who were the per.-ons duly qualified to be received and continued as members of the Church.