METHODIST SYNOD

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2936, 23 November 1916, Page 3

METHODIST SYNOD

ANNUAL CONVENTION

Tho -annual Synod of tho Methodist Church (Wellington district) continued its session at tho Lower Hutt Church on Tuesday. The Rev. J. Or. Chapman, chairman of the district, presided. The Rev. M. J. Evans,, of Johnsonville, brought before tho Synod the matter oi the Spiritual needs of seaside resorts, and urged that a church he built at Plimmerton on a site that had lately beon secured. After discussion it was decided that the -Synod heartily approve of the scheme outlined, aud .comnieiul it to tho consideration of tho Homo Mission and. Church Building Committees ajid also of tho Wellington and Palmerston North Circuits. It was reoommended that either a superannuated minister or home missionary be appointed to . the Wellington South Circuit, and a probationer or home missionary to Kuripuni, in the Masterton Circuit. Tho chairman extended- to ChaplainCaptain Head, of tho Hospital SWp Marama, a hearty welcome back to New Zealand. ■ Officers were appointed as follow:— Secretary, Rev. W. Beckett; assistant secretary, Rev. A. Reader; journal secretary, Rev. W. Abbey; reporter to "N.JJ. Methodist Times," Rov. white. Tho statistical secretary reported a total in tho district of 40 ckurcnes, 22 other .preaching places, 23 schoolrooms, is 3 local preachers, 21 ministers and home missionaries, 2599 senior members, G99 junior members, 1903 communicants, 90 membors of Endeavour Societies, 407 members of junior societies, 8706' attendants at publio worship, 333 Sunday-school-teach-ers, iand 364-3 "scholars. ' In tho ovening a public reception was given, to visiting members of Synod, when thcro was a good attendance. The

Rev. Beckett and Mr. Walton, circuit steward at Lower Hutt, welcomed tho visitors on behalf of tho local church, and Mr.' H. Baldwin, 1 Mayor of Lower Hutt, on behalf of tho toivn. Addresses in reply were given by Chaplaip-Captains, Read and Neale aud by the Rev. J. A. Hosking, of Masterton. Besides three anthems by the choir, the following contributed items: —Misses Knight aud .Castle,. and Mr. Orr, Mrs. Lowry, tho chiiTch organist, gave an enjoyablo organ recital. YESTERDAY'S BUSINESS. • Tho Synod resumed its sessions yesterday morning. The Synod discussed the annual church and Sunday-school statistics,. and tho following resolution was passed, on tho motion of tho Rev. W. Beckett:—"Tho Synod learns with regret of reported decreases in the number of teachers and scholars. The decrease in members ot young men's Biblo classes is rather a matter for pride, as wo rejoico that our young men have so nobly responded to' the oall of Empire.- The decrease among the children is due, we tear, largely, to the growing carelessness of many parents, who so lightly regard the - claims of Christ's Church and the. sanctities of the Sabbath." The following was also passed/on the motion of the Rev. C. B. Jordan-.—"That we recommend tho conference to urge the Sunday-school workers in all our circuits to instituto a spe. cial Sunday-school campaign, to begin, say, about the beginning of May next, with a view to getting into our Sundayschools all the children who at present attend none." In its motion on the spiritual welfare of tho Church, the Synod, expressed its gratification on the reported increases'of 22 adult members and 163 juniors, besides increases ill the number of communicants and attendants oil public worship. Whilst rejoicing that church members are taking their full share in social and pa'triotic work, the Synod urged the importance of putting "first things first," and pointed out that nothing should take precedence to the claims of Christ and His Church. A motion on the 'censorship of pictures was passed on the proposal of the Rev. ,T. Richards, expressing satisfaction with the work of tho Government censor, aud recommending the extension of his powers to newspaper and poster advertisements. . The Temperanco aud Public Morals Committee was urged, on tho motion of the llov. A. M'Bean, to take steps to get legislation passed to prohibit peoplo under ago having liquor in their possession. On tho subject of Sunday observance, a motion, by tho Rov. C. B. Jordan, was passed, that churches aud circuits be urged to form local branches of tho Lord's Day Alliauce, and "to, co-operate with other churches with a view to combating effectively what threatens to become one of the greatest evils of our tinio." s It was decided to recommend an increase in the home mission grants to the Eketahuna and Otaki circuits of £10 and £20 respectively on condition that, in view of the increased cost of living, the stipends of tho two ministers' concerned be correspondingly raised. Grants wero recommended as follow:—Eketahuna, £15: Otaki, £S0; Johnsonville, £40. The lollowing were nominated iis nienibers of tho District Home Mission Advisory Coramittee*. The ministers of "Wellington City and Suburban Circuits, the chairman of tho district, aud Messrs. W. E. Redstone, F. Chinehen, C. M. Luke, C. Survey, G. Pethorick, B. ,T. Lynncbery, W. Truman, J. P. Shnud, A. U. Moss, W. J. Clark, J. Laurenson (Convener, Rov. A. Reader). , The report of tho District Secretary of Church Properties (Mr. E. Dawson) was received. It reported tho raising by the

following circuits of more than .£IOO for various trust purposes:—Wellington, !Poi tone, South Wairarapa, Hasterton, and Otaki. Tlie total amount of liability on account of loans was ,£3049 103. 5d., a reduction of .£929 10s. lid. from last year. The operations in the way of erection of new buildings had been limited to the erection of a church at Waikanae, and considerable alteration to a motor garage at I'eatherston. , The report of the Rov. C. H. Garland, Principal of tho Theological Institution, was received. Of 21 students passed through tho college during the last three years, thirteen have enlisted for mijitary service. They aro:—Messrs. A. ley, 0. Burnett, A; E. Gordon, M.A., P. T. Harris, H. H. Marshall, S. J. Mogridge, H. ,T. Odell, T. E. Olds, G. S. Bhoridan, W. S. Smith, It. B. Speirs, E. R. Warburton, and W. A. Watson. Lieut. Sheridan lost his life on September 15 during the Somme Battle. 'l'hs affairs of the Wellington City Mission were * discussed at length, and the following motion wns caTried: "That the Wellington District Synod believes that the erection of an.institutional mission hall in the City of Wellington for tho permanent housing of the Methodist Central Mission would be a fitting memorial to the noble sacrifice made by so many Methodist men in this great war, and this Synod, therefore, asks Conference to set apart a returned chaplain to visit all the chief centres in furtherance of this memorial."