METHODIST UNION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1545, 14 September 1912, Page 9

METHODIST UNION.

MEETING OF COMMITTEES. The committees appointed by tho Methodist Church and the Primitive Church mot in conference at Christchureh recently. The presidents of the two Churches, the Rev. W. Ready and tho Rev. Kuowles Smith, and some forty delegates were present.' It was decided that .the first united conference should meet in Wellington on Thursday, February G, 1013, nt 2.30 p.m. In regard to the membership of H>o first Stationing Committee, it was decided that for this first conference each Church should appoint its own Standing Committee in the usual manner, and that these should unite to make the appointments. ' The Revs. S. Lawry, P. Cossmn, and Knowles Smith were appointed to prepare the order of business for the conference. It was resolved that all candidates for tho ministry and all probationers who are finishing their probation should he examined by the united Examination Committees nt the conference, of 1913; also, that the candidates for the ministry should preach trial sermons at that conference, and that the Examination Committee should meet on Tuesday, February •1, at 10 a.m. Adjustments needed in the working of the Connexional funds wore In reg.ii'il to the supernumerary fund, it' wn= recommended that the Management Committee should be increased to live ministers and five laymen, in addition to the. treasurer ,antl that ministers of the Primitive Methodist Church uniting with the Mothodist Church should be. required k to purchase from, the suwoniujuciary fuud

of tho united Church benefits .equal to not less than the prospective bcnclits to which they may be respectively entitled from .tho hinds.of the Primitive Methodist Church at tlie time of union.

It was resolved that the loan funds of tho two Churches should be amalgamated, and that the Committee of Control should includo representatives of both Churches. It was resolved tiiat the departmental offices at present sustnind by the Methodist Church, being that ot. Homo Mission organising secretory and Couucxional secretary, should be continued in tho united Church. It was also resolved to amalgamate tho two Conncxional pnpers. With regard to tho 1913 Conforenee; it was decided that the representation ns> provided lor in the basis of union should bo adhered to; that an illustrated booklet in celebration of this Conference should lw published, under the editorship of Che lievs. J. Guy and J. W. Burton. The committee recommended that at the first united session of tho Conference,. Dr. Youngman, President of the General Conference of Australia, should preside and conduct tho elections; that on the evening of tho same cloy a great public gathering should be held in the Wellington Town Hall, at-which the declaration of union should be signed and attested and speeches delivered by Dr. Younginau and Dr. Morley, and the President and Vice-President of the united Conference.

Tho committee decided that on the Friday morning a Communion service should be attended by members of the Conference. Tho Rev. W. Beady was appointed to address the candidates, and the Rev. Knowles Smith appointed to address the Church at tho ordination service. Arrangements for a procession of the uniting Churches were lclt to the Wellington Committee.

Tho spiritual needs of the Churches were specially discussed, and it was decided to urge the members of both Churches to assist the Mission of Inspiration and Appeal in 1913, and to unito with tho League of Prayer. •It was recommended that the organisations at present in operation in the Methodist Church for Home and for Foreign Missions should be adopted by the united Church; that a special ticket of membership should bo prepared and given to each member to commemorate the .Union; that the united Conference should take iuto consideration the setting apart of a minister to take charge of a department for the welfare of the youth of the Church. It was.resolved that a Sunday should bo set apart on which there should be an interchange of pulpits for both ministers and local preachers of the two Churches. A committee was appointed to prepare the formal resolution of Union to bn published in the New Zealand Government "Gazette." This, it was stated, woulti legalise the act of Union. —"Xew Zealand Methodist Times."