WESLEYAN DISTRICT MEETING.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1063, 23 November 1877, Page 3

WESLEYAN DISTRICT MEETING.

The financial session was held on Thursday, commencing at 11 a.m., with devotional services, led by the Rev. W. B. Marten and G-. C. Waby. There were present, in addition to the ministers, the following laymen : C. W. Turner, W. Harris, J. Ballantyne, T.Wilson, W. Lawry, Joseph Thompson, J. W. Philpot, and H. W. Perryman. It was decided to transfer Ohoka, in the Kaiapoi circuit, to the Rangiora circuit. On the motion of C. W. Turner, seconded by the Rev. W. B. Marten, it was recommended that Rakaia and Chertsey be separated from Ashburton, and constituted a iiome mission station. The statistical returns of the district wero presented as follows : —Circuits, 13; churches, -11; other preaching places, 20; ministers and probationers, 15 ; catechists, 1; Sunday school teachers, 391; local preachers, HI; class leaders, 51; full and accredited members, 1012 ; on trial for membership, 45 ; communicants, 220 ; catechumens, 38 ; deaths, 12; Sunday schools, 37; Sunday school scholars, 3674 ; attendants on public worship, 9394.

During the year church sites had been secured at Ashburton by purchase ; at Rakaia, by purchase; at Watcrton, the gift of Joseph Clark, Esq. ; and at Chertsey, the gift of W. A. Brown, Esq. Churches had been erected at Waimate to seat 350 persons, costing £450, and at Colombo road, to seat 400 persons, costing £2500, including cost of site. Permission was given to build churches at Ohoka to seat 130 persons, costing £240; at Ashburton to seat 350 persons, costing £660 ; at Waterton, to seat 150 persons, costing £300; at Chertsey, to seat 150 persons, costing £300; and at South Rakaia, to seat 150 porsons, costing £3OO. Permission was also given to build parsonages at Ashburton, costing £450, and at Leeston, en a site given by F. J. Smith, Esq., costing £SOO. Permission was granted to exchange a parsonage site at Leeston. The following sales of property were recommended :—Lincoln road church and site, the proceeds to be appropriated to acquiring new site and church in the same district; Ashley Down church, proceeds to be appropriated to church or parsonage purposes; and the Harper street church and site, the proceeds to be appropriated to the erection of a new school adjacent to the new church in Colombo road.

The chairman (the Rev. J. Crump) called for a report of the various connexional funds, which showed the following amounts received :—Home Mission fund, £3OB 8s lid ; foreign mission, £SO lite !)d ; education;.l fund. £39 9s t>d ; children's fund, £200103; contingent fund, £99 7s sd. Grants from the Homo Mission fund were recommended as follows: —Ashburton, for parsonage .1 :'.30, for furniture £25, for circuit income £SO ; Rangiora, for furniture £25; Leeston, ic parsonage £SO, for furniture £25 ; Chertjey, in case a probationer be appointed £SO, but it u married minister £IOO ; Amberley, in case a probationer bo appointed £SO, but if a married minister £IOO.

The afternoon, seßskm opened at 2.-VJ p.m., with prayer by the Rev. J. S. Smaller. a lengthy and animated conversation took, place on the Home Mission and Church Extension

Fund. Objection was taken by several speakers to the usual method of assessing the circuits for this fund. On the motion of C. W. Turner, seconded by W. Lawry, it was resolved —" That this meeting strongly urge* upon the churches the necessity of increasing their contributions towards the fund next year by at least 50 per cent, on the amounts of the present year." The Chairman laid before the meeting the following correspondence which had passed between himself and the Rev. Mr Macfarlane on the matter of Methodist Union. A similar letter to that which was sent to Mr Macfarlane was also addressed to the minister of tho Primitive Methodist Church, but no answer had been received : St. Albans, Oct. 9th. 1877.

Dear Sir, —A resolution was passed by the Conference of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, held in Christchurch in January last, as follows, "That a committee be appointed to confer during the year with any similar committee appointed by the District Meeting of the United Methodist Free Church, or the Primitive Methodist Church, with a view to the ultimite uuion of the three bodies in one Methodist Church of New Zealand."

Will you kindly take such steps as may be necessary to represent the views of your church in committee in reference to the object stated in tho above resolution ?

Please inform me if a meeting of the committee may be arranged for in Christchurch at an early date. I remain, dear Sir, Yours affectionately, John Crump. Rev. S Macfarlane, Durham street south.

Christchurch, Nov. 2nd, 1877. Rev. J. Crump. Dear Sir, —In the course of correspondence with our missionary secretary in England, I find that he and our missionary committee arc labouring uuder some mis-apprehension as to our proceedings re " Methodist Union." This being the case, I think it would be beat, until at least such mis-appreheusion be removed, that we do not appoint a committee to confer with ;i, similar committee appointed by your Conference to consider this subject. You will kindly understand that my own views and those of many of my brcthrea on this subject are unchanged, but we wish to act, as we are loyally and in duty bound, in concert with onr brethren at home: premature or hasty action on our part would only retard, not further this desired object. With kindest regards, I remain, Yours very truly, Saml. Macfarlane. The correspondence was ordered to be remitted for the consideration of Conference.

Several matters of general importance affecting the constitution and rules of the Church, which will be reportod in a future issue, occupied the remainder of the afternoon session.