METHODIST CHURCH CONFERENCE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 140, 8 March 1919, Page 8

METHODIST CHURCH CONFERENCE

RESOLUTION IN FAVOUR OF CHURCH UNION SEPARATE MISSION FIELD By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, February 7. The Methodist Conlerence continued its session. , The Contingent Fund account showed the receipts for the year to be ,£2757, and the payments X2Oll. A special vote of thanks was passed to Mr. E. Rosevear on his retirement from the position of district secretary of the Church Property Fund nftcr thirteen years' service. It-wis announced that .£8963 from the Foreign Missions Fund had been sent to the General Fund in Sydney, and £1552 added to the Capital' Fund, which now amounted to ■£•1073.; A tion of the committee for a- more _thorough dissemination of missionary information was adopted. The Rev. \V. A. Sinclair, general secretary of Foreign Missions, moved that the conference reaffirm the necessity for the' Methodist Church of New Zealand assuming the responsibility for maintenance and the control of a separate mission field; that, the Church should aim at the establishment of the new field in 1922, the New Zealand churches' centenary year; and that the field comprise evangelist and un.evanselised territory, the suggested field being Tonga, Samoa, and Solomon Islands. The motion -was carried, and it was decided to enter into negotiations with the Nmv South Wales Conference and the Jlission Board, The Rev. H. L. Blamires moved that the conference recommend the adoption by their churches in connection with the peace celebrations of the yeaee hymn written by Mr. John Ball, editor of the Wanganui "Chronicle." After some discussion it was decided to recommend the hymn as one that might be used. Permission was given for the establishment of n juvenile mi«ion»ry association. _ | At 'the Methodist Conference to-night the Rev. S. Griffith, who presented a report on the Val Trigge Mission, caul that with the permission of conference it was suggested that the Rev. \at Trigge should continue his work in r,ew Zealand. . The question of Church union was then discussed. „ The Rev C. H. Laws said the union of the Methodist Church niul the Roman Catholic Church was out of the question. Ho thought that for many years to tome it would not be found practicable to unite with the Anglican Church, though they all esteemed and revered this great Church. On the other hand, there seemed to be no real bar to the union ot the Presbyterian, Methodist, and Congregational Churches. . The following resolutions were carried unanimously: "That the conference (.e----eires to express its appreciation of llio action of t.ho Presbyterian Assembly in sending a deputation to convey its fraternal greetings and to bring before conference the question of Church union, nnd cordially reciprocates these greetings ; that conference receives with satisfaction the communication of t lie Assembly conveying the discussion on union m the recent Assembly, and desires to asnii.e the Assembly of its willingness cordially to receive aiid consider any overture in favour of union that may lie forwarded to it by the Assembly at a subsequent date; that the conference is impressed bv tiie widespread m favour of Church reunion that is stirring throughout the Christian Church to-day, and especially by the success (hat Jiaß thus far attended tho negotiations lor corporate union of the Pmsbyterian, .onereeational, and Churches in Canada and Australia; that conference affirms its adherence to the principle or union between the Presbytennn, ConnieRational, and Methodist Churches ill !sew Zealand, providing that a sahsfaclou basis of union both as to creed ami poim can b» agreed upon, the terms of winch pliall bo equitable to The several. uniting Churches; that conference ifi fully Persuaded that such union would be a practical step towards the recovery of the -New. Testament ideal of iliQ unity of tho Christian Churches, and would also emove 6evious causes of disability ..nu weakness and add greatly to the 1"™" and effectiveness of the Evangelical Church in this Dominion, and prays that the wisdom of God may continue to "j 11 , 1 , His people until this end is reached. \ resolution affirming the desirnbili-.j of' establishing a. Methodist secondary school in each island was passed, am sub-committees were set up in Auckland nnd Christchurch to consider the mattei.