"WE ARE NOT DIVIDED."

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVII, Issue 34, 8 February 1913, Page 3

"WE ARE NOT DIVIDED."

UNION CONSUMMATED

(Special CoiTespondent.) WELLINGTON, Fob. 7. The greatest Conference that has met in the Dominion dealing with the religious aspect of the day is now assembled in the Taranalri Street Metho-

portant meetings arranged in connection with the opening of that Conference reached a crisis on Thursday. In the morning Dr Youngman, president of the Methodist Church or Australasia, addressed the gathering ou the far-reaching effects of the great bond of union that would that day cement the Primitive Methodist Church in this Dominion and the Methodist. Church as one. The Rev. Dr Morley also addressed the Conference on the same lines.

j Dr Youngman then inducted the j new- president, the Rev. S. Lawry, of i Christchurch, who was elected to th© ': position by a. very strong vote, and : the Hon. C. M. Luke, M.L.C., who ! was elected vice-president of the Con- • ferenoe by a unanimous and unique i vote.

At 2.30 in the afternoon the ministers, and laymen of the Conference walked to the Wellington 'lown Hall, where they met the uniting contingent representing the Primitive Methodist Church. The members of the two Churches then formed into procession and marched through the streets to the Taranakil Street Church, whore- the Conference was being held. The ' procession was led by the iievs. Dr Youngman and Dr Morley, and nest to them the president of the Conference and the other officials. There were about 700 persons in the procession. The procession through the streets was a most unusual sight, and the footpath was full of interested and curious spectators. As the ministers marched through the street they sang the wellknown lines:—

"We are- not divided. All one body we. One in hope and doctrine, One in charity."

The union was consummated by a very largely attended tea-meeting a.nd a subsequent public meeting in the Town Hall on the . same evening About 2000 persons sat down to tea. At the after-meeting the Town Hall was crowded, about 3000 persons being present. His Excellency the Governor (Lord Liverpool) was in the chair, and presided- over th-evast gathering. On the platform, in addition, were the Prime Minister and Mrs Massey, a party of ladies from Government House, and several wellknown Methodist, and Presbyterian ministers. ; At that history-making meeting the deed of union between the two uniting Churches was signed, and was witnessed by his Excellency the Governor.

_ The sp3eches delivered at the meeting were very able, and showed, that the speakers were seized of the importance of the .occasion and the farreaching effects of the union which was consummated that day. His Excellency said that the great question of the day was the religious one the need of training the young people to work for the good and solidarity of Empire. And the only cementing power that could bind Empire and Church together was the moral and regenerating power of the Bible. The Rev. Dr. Youngman, the Rev. Dr Morley, and the Hon. C. M. Luke also delivered addresses of a very high order.

On Thursday the Conference elected the laymen who are to sit with the ministers chosen to draw up a draft of stations locating ministers for the present year. Mr W. D-. Pike was elected by the Conference aa one of the laymen on the Stationing Committee, and the Rev. T. R. Richards as one of the ministers. The Stationing Committee will probably sit at the end of the present week, and the first araft of stations will be published next week.