WESLEYAN HOME MISSION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4573, 16 November 1875, Page 2

WESLEYAN HOME MISSION.

Last evening a meeting in connection with the above mission was held in the Wesleyan Church, Moles worth-street. Hr. Waters was voted to the chair, and after a few remarks he called The Eev. H. E. Dewsbury, who read the following : REPORT OF THE HOME MISSION FUND. Up to the close of the year 1874, the contributions of the Wesleyan Churches in New Zealand to missions were divided between—(l) The Maori and Foreign Mission Funds, and (2) the Horae Mission Fund, the latter term designating the efforts made for extending Gospel ordinances among the European settlers in newly-oecupied or thinly-settled districts. During 1574 there were sustained in New Zealand by the Maori branch of the first-named fund, threeEuropean and five native ministers, at a total cost of £783. Towards this sum there was raised in the Wellington district £42 Ss. 3d,, of which £33135. lOd. was obtained in Wellington. From the European Horae Mission Fund, the sum of £422 was voted, in sums varying from £lO to £ll2 to twelve dependent circuits, in which eight ministers and four laypreachers were stationed. Grants were also made to three circuits of a total sum of £2OO, to aid in the purchase or erection of ministers' houses. The Wellington district contributed £GS toward this fund, £4O being raised in Wellington. The Conference held in Auckland in January last,, determined that the Foreign Mission should he entirely separate, and that all sums raised for that should be applied to the support of the missions in. Fiji, Samoa, Friendly Islands. Eotumah, and the new mission to New Britain, and the Islands adjacent. It was also agreed that the efforts on behalf of Maoris and Europeans in New Zealand should be combined, and that the fund should be called the New Zealand Home Mission Fund, with an income derived from rents of connection*! properties originally obtained for the Maori .Mission, and the proceeds of Sabbath collections, public meetings, subscriptions, missionary boxes, and juvenile collecting cards in the various circuits. A committee of ministers and laymen, by whom the subject was considered during the Conference session, reported that the probable income of this fund for the present year would be as follows; w £ s. d-

There is thus a margin left by excess of expenditure over income for the liberality of the churches. "When the spread of settlement in the colony, ana the large increase of population by immigration is taken into account, no one will be disposed to think that wo are endeavoring to cover too much ground, and in view of the general prosperity the amounts expected from the circuits are within the mark, the interest of the natives in religious matters appears to be reviving, and heuce it was wisely determined to employ additional teachers. Among the huropeans, seven ministers and four lay-preachers are employed in localities where they could not be supports! except 'bv help from this fund. From other localities come^ tie request tor additional laborers. Such stricts as the W.tirarapa and Waikato .with ‘he>r rntoss an enlarged Income is if wilUn-to “ SS? m his bind this day tito th |or’the Fore?gnMiMtons.' > ' the collections, subscriptions and one-lSlf proceeds of the children s collecting ca?ds in May last, amounted in tins circuit to £f For 4 tiie < Home Mission, on behalf of -which an appeal is now made, the following sums have been already received;— Sunday collections, £l7 ls._ Md.; subscriptions, £9 6s-; juvenile collectors, £ld Ss. tid. Total, £J2 11s. 4d.

The Eev. Mr. Law said lie Lad been reminded on bearing tbe report read of- those words of our Lord when He said “ Truly the harvest is plenteous, but tbe laborers are few; pray ye, therefore, that the Lord of the harvest may send forth laborer's into his harvest. He did not intend to give a sermon from that passage, but he thought it graphically described the position of the Wesleyan Church in this colony. He was there that evening to advocate the cause of Home Mission, and he would earnestly press it upon the attention of all present. The Church sorely needed men and means, but he did not think there need be any fear about means, so long as men could be found. Unfortunately, there was a great lack of men ; very few appeared to be coming forward "within the colony to enter into the work, and this was a most painful matter to contemplate. Only a short time since they had sent to the English Conference for four young men, but news had not yet been received that they had left, and he feared they would not be able to get the four. Perhaps one or two might be obtained. Yet, they could not expect to be supplied with young men from England. .Anyone looking over the minutes of the C ouference would see that most—-at least half the ministers in Yew Zealand, had been sent out from Home. There had been a great and continual demand upon the English Conference, and really he thought they had no right to expect that this supply would be kept up. Colonists must begin to look to the young men beino- brought up and educated in the_ colony to enter into the work of the ministry. Parents should think upon this matter, and strive to give their children a religions education. It might be that they were not able to give their children a first-class education; they might not be able to put them in possession of farms, or place them in the ranks of the professions, but under any circumstances they could give them a religious education. A great deal of the good work that had been recently done in the Old Country might he attributed for the most part to the prayers and holy influences of pious parents, and if parents would only exercise their influence in bringing up their children in the '■ nurture of the Lord they might depend that in the generation to come there would be zealous preachers and earnest laymen to work for the glory of God. Parents must train their children, and bring them up in the fear of the Lord. Solomon had said, “ Train up a child in the way he should go, and he will not go from it. The curse of the law is in the house of tbe wicked, but He blesseth the habitation of the just.” What was wanted was not only men to fill the pulpits, but active laymen were required to take their share in the work of the Church —to relieve the minister in temporal matters. It was a great pity that ministers should have time taken up in in these matters which should properly be devoted to the work of visiting and preaching the Gospel. Laymen were wanted to lead classes and attend prayer meetings—men of the stamp of Richard Watson, who had been so ready and so anxious to attend prayer-meetings that he broke his leg twice—(a laugh)—in running to the meeting. He (Mr. Law) did not wish his hearers to he so earnest as that, and perhaps it was unnecessary for him to say that he did not desire it (a laugh)—but he wished to impress all with the duty of endeavoring to assist the ministers as much as possible. He then spoke of the progress which had been made in the Wairarapa district, and said they had much to he thankful for. At Eeatherston, Greytown, Carterton, and Mastertou the congregations were increasing. AtEeatherston a new church was being built at a cost of £3OO, and the people of the district were asking the conference for a young man, whom they hoped they would he able to support. Last year and this year instead of coming hat in hand to beg of the conference, the superintendent of the circuit had brought down £6 6s. It was not a large sum, but it indicated progress. (Applause.) The Eev. Mr. Caek spoke of the difficulties there were to he encountered in the work of establishing missions, but said that notwithstanding the difficulties, these were entirely lost sight of in the joy of success. It was a privilege to know that they preached the same glorious Gospel in New Zealand as was preached in England. He referred at length to experiences of New Zealand missionary work, and gave a vivid, and at times amusing, description of the troubles he had to contend with. He thought the centres of population did not contribute so liberally to the work as they ought to. In Wellington it seemed that only £33 was collected out of £7OO. That was scarcely worthy of the place. He stated that it had been rumored that Gisborne was to be abandoned ; he trusted it would not be so. The Rev. Mr. Smalley (of Napier) also addressed the meeting, first assuring his friend Mr. Carr that there was no _truth_ whatever in the rumor as to abandoning Gisborne. A new church had just been built there, and he looked upon it as one of the most prosperous places in the district. He gave an interesting account of mission work in Napier, and urged the necessity of the laity relieving the ministers of the anxiety of temporal matters, although he admitted that the Wesleyana were doing well. The Wesleyan body was the only denomination that did not receive assistance from Home. Every other Church was receiving help from Home, and taking funds from the struggling poor of fatherland to assist in preaching the Gospel to the wealthy colonists of New Zealand. He said the great want of the Wesleyan Church was intelligent educated ministers, and he trusted men would be found to forgo worldly prospects and come forward to work in the Church.

The Rev. Mr. Richardson (of the Hutt) supported an idea thrown out by the Rev. Mr. Lewis some time ago, that a band of itenerant Evangelists should be established. The matter would come before the Synod, and would no doubt receive great attention for the value of such a service could not be over-estimated. Between Wellington and Wairarapa a large population had gathered—not settled, but migratory, moving slowly as the railway works proceeded—and the only way to reach these men was by means of itinerant preachers supplied with tracts and leaflets. Something ought to be done for these people, and be trusted the matter would be looked at in a practical manner. The Rev. Mr. Moeley also said there was an idea of abandoning Gisborne, and then spoke of the financial results of the Home Mission services so far. A little over £l7 had been collected at the churches on Sunday, against £2O last year—thus there was a decrease of a small sum. The collection that evening had been £2 13s. 9d. The meeting was brought to a close by the singing of a hymn, and the pronouncing of the benediction.

Balance from 1S74 26 0 0 Kents, &c., of connectioual properties .. S57 0 0 Keceipts from circuits Missionary Society towards house for re* S77 0 0 turned missionary ,. ,, Donation of Rev. J, Aldrcd for students’ 150 0 0 training: CO 0 0 On this basis the following grants were £1970 0 0 Maori Mission—Three European, 6 native £ 8. d. ministers, and 7 native catechists .. 015 0 To dependent circuits, six Towards erection and furnishing houses 240 0 0 in five circuits Day schools from rents of properties held 300 0 0 for that purpose 204 0 0 Scandinavian Mission 50 0 Training of students.. 125 0 0 Expenses of General Conference, &c. Travelling expenses of Chairman of 175 0 0 District SO 0 0 £2039 0 0