WESLEYAN DISTRICT MEETING.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 44, 25 November 1871, Page 7

WESLEYAN DISTRICT MEETING.

The annual meeting of the ministers of the Middle District commenced its session on the 16th instant, at 10.30 a.m. Present—Revs T. Buddie, Chairman of the District; W. J. Watkin and W. Canned, from Nelson ; J. B. Richardson, Blenheim ; W. Oliver, Wanganui ; W. G. Thomas, Motueka ; D. |M‘Nicoll, Greytown; and G. S. Harper, Hutt. The Rev G. Stannard was absent in chai’ge of the Wanganui Circuit; also, Rev W. S. Harper, of Marton, through indisposition, but it is hoped he will be present before the close of the session.

The meeting opened with praise and prayer and the reading of the Scriptures. After the Chairman’s address the Rev W. J. Watkin was elected secretary. The day’s session was occupied with arranging the hours of meeting, which were decided to be from 10 a.m. to 1 p m., and from 2.30 to 5 o’clock; witk the consideration of each minister’s moral character; with the stations of the ministers for the ensuing year, which passed the first reading ; and with the recommendation of the Wellington quarterly meeting that the Wellington Circuit be divided,

and tbo Hutfc and its neighborhood be constituted a separate circuit. This subject excited some interest, and after being fully considered it was unanimously recommended for adoption by the Conference, to meet in Melbourne in January next. The next day’s sitting was occupied in a general conversation on the further promotion of the cause of Christ in the various circuits of the district; the appointment of a representative of the district to accompany the Chairman to the ensuing Confex-ence, the Rev W. J. Watkin being elected ; the recommendation to the ensuing Conference that the present law affecting the re-appointments of ministers to circuits be modified, and that the term of absence be three yeai-s ; also, that the admission of members into the church be public, to take place at the administration of the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. The subject of a New Zealand Conference was seriously considered, but postponed for still further consideration. The following Saturday and Monday were occupied with various mattei-s affecting the interests of the Wesleyan Church in the Middle District. In reviexv of numerical statistics it was found that in the district were : —Chapels, nineteen ; other preaching places, thirty-five ; ministers, ten ; lay preachers, twenty-eight; class leaders, twenty-seven ; sabbath schools, eighteen ; teachers, one-hun-dred and fifty nine ; scholars, twelve hundred and thirty ; and attendants on public worship, 3,925. A conversation then arose on the necessity of promoting the greater efficiency of local preachers. The question of a New Zealand Conference was resumed, when resolutions from every circuit in the district were read urging the meeting to strongly recommend the subject to the ensuing conference. After fully considering the matter it was l-egarded of the utmost importance, for the interests of the Wesleyan Church throughout New Zealand, that this colony should have a conference of its own, and therefore the meeting unanimously resolved to petition the next Conference to grant New Zealand a eonfei’ence of its own. The enlargement of the Middle District, by including the Hokitika and Greymouth circuits, was recommended to the conference, in which case the District Meeting will hold its next session in Nelson. The condition of the various funds was next considered, which were found to be in as satisfactory a state as could be expected from the commercial condition of the various circuits in the district.