METHODIST SYNOD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2355, 15 November 1921, Page 2

METHODIST SYNOD.

HAWKE’S BAY-MANAWATU DISTRICT.

The Hawke’s Bay-Manawatu district Synod met at Napier last week, the Rev. T. R. Richards presiding. Fifteen ministers and 30 lay delegates were in attendance. Ministerial reports indicated an important spiritual progress movement. The statistical secretary (Rev. G. F. Stoekwel]) presented his returns. In the district are some forty-five churches, and forty-eight other preaching places, fifteen ministers and eighty-live local preachers; membership 2,352 seniors and 007 juniors, 1,740 communicants, and 0,711 attendants on public worship. The report revealed increases in members, communicants and attendants at public worship. Mr G. 11. Stiles presented the report of the Sunday school and Young People’s Societies. Returns are: —Schools 44, scholars 2,838, teachers 24!). An increase of 412 scholars for the year was reported. A resolution was framed urging circuit superintendents to arrange an Abstainenee Pledge Sunday for children in each Sabbath School. A recommendation was made that Young People’s Decision Day be held the first Sunday in August, and a reception service on the first Sunday in September. In the discussion of the temperance question, the following resolution was passed unanimously: — “Persuaded that the traffic in strong drink is the source of innumerable miseries, and the stronghold of all these forces that war against the moral and spiritual wellbeing of the people, this Synod recommends to conference to rally all our Ministers and office-bearers and the whole Methodist Church into the forefront of (he fight against the liquor traffic.” The Chairman read a telegram from the organiser of the New Zealand Centenary Fund of the Church (tlie Kev. A. C. La wry), announcing that the sum total to date was £33,150. The amount aimed at is £45,000, to lie raised by the time of the conference in February next.

PEACE CONFERENCE,

A motion was unanimously passed concerning the Disarmament Conference at Washington. It was as follows: —“That this Synod views with the almost satisfaction the conference now being held at Washington to consider the important, question of disarmament and the establishment of a permanent peace among the nations of the earth. It regards this Conference as the most momentous in the history of modern nations. It is devoutly thankful that the time has arrived when the leading statesmen in the world see that the most effective way to procure and make secure the peace of the world is in the abolition of armaments, and all engines of destruction that menace the peace of the world. It earnestly prays and hopes that from the Conference there may come forth proposals that will ultimately result in brotherhood between man and man and reconciliation between nation and nation.

It was reported that £1,038 had been raised in the Hawke’s BayManawatu District, and that the Dominion total is much higher than last year, amounting to over £12,000. DIVORCE LAW. / In connection with the recent divorce legislation, the following motion was passed: —That this Synod records its emphatic protest against clause 4 of the Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Amendment Act, 1921, which strikes at the sanctity of the marriage vow and threatens the welfare of the home and communal life of the State, and respectfully urges Parliament to repeal this legislation.

An inspiring report was received from the New Zealand secretary foj Foreign Missions (Rev. I\. A. Sinclair). The new field (Solomon Isles) is to be taken over by the New Zealand Methodist Church in January next.