METHODIST UNION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1667, 6 February 1913, Page 10

METHODIST UNION.

AND INDEPENDENCE. AN IMPORTANT ACHIEVEMENT HISTORY OF THE MOVEMENT., A most 'important event in the history of tho Methodist Churches in New Zealand was partly consummated last evening, nnd will be wholly consummated today. It is now generally known that tlie Alothodist Churches in New Zealand are to unite, but before union was possible tho Methodist Church had to secure independence Iroiii Australia. "Until that separation was accomplished, tho Primitive Methodists would not join tho.Methodists. While it appears that the great achieveluent is the union, the really serious obstacle that has been surmounted is tho dissolution of partnership of tho New Zealand .Methodists nnd thoso in Australia. Tlie meeting last night transacted necessary important business connected with tho-independence of the New' Zealand Methodist Church, and to-day the copingstone will bo put upon the structure of union of the New Zealand Methodist Churches. Tho history of the independence nnd union movements was given to a Dominion reporter yesterday by -Mr. J./A. l'lesher, convener of the Legal Committee of the General Methodist Conference. , "Tho union," lie said, "will probably appeal moii strongly to the imagination of tho general public, but independence is the thing to' whitfh we attach most importance,'and it is the thing we have been so long fighting for. AVe have fought for separation, for the last thirty years.' It was discussed first at the General Conference of ISBI. So confident were members of tho Weslcynn Church of securing their independence that they entered into negotiations for union with the other Methodists, and.a.basis of union .was prepared in 18S3. It was approved by the district meetings, but the--General Conference held in Christchurch in November, 1881, refused to sanction the independence of the New 'Zealnnd CVurch, and as a result all 'the negotiations were r;ndered futile. "Tho next step in regard to union was in 1891, when the General Conference, sitting at Adelaide, laid down a basis upon which it was prepared to sanction union with other Methodist Churches throughout Australasia. It was as a result thereof in 1896 that tho union of tho Wesleyan, Free Metli'odisf, and Bible Christian Churches ill New Zealand took place. That union was consummated in Auckland in IS9G. 'In 1902 Methodist union became general throughout Australia, and New Zealand was the only colony in which union was incomplete. The Primitive Methodist people, from time, to time declined to unite with tho other Methodists so long as tho latter were still connected' with Australia. "Our conference then eet about again to secure separation from Australia. This was finally sanctioned by tho General Conference at -Adelaide in 1910. Tho conditions under which it was granted, however, necessitated the passing of Acts by all the Australian State Parliaments, as well as.tho Parliament nf Nqr Zealand. All these Acts liavo now been passed, and the president of -the. General Conference, pursuant to his authority, fixed January 1 as the day on which tho independence of the Church of New Zealand should take effect. ~ i ) ■ . "The independence of the New Zealand Methodist Church having been sanctioned in Mayi 1910, the Primitive Methodist Conference held in the following January appointed a committee to confer with a like committee of tho Methodist Church, to formulate.a, basis for the union of the two Churches. Thoso committees met in Wellington in June, 1912, nnd a basis was agreed upon. This tentative agreement was subsequently , approved by tho Churches, and tho union is now virtually accomplished, except for tho leiwl formalities which must be observed."