WESLEYAN CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5249, 19 January 1878, Page 3

WESLEYAN CONFERENCE.

(Morning Session, January 18.) The Conference assembled at 11.30. Prayer was offered by the Rev. D. McNicoll. The following ministers were present;—The Revs, J. Crump, St. Alban’s (President); T. Buddie, Win. Kirk (Auckland); W. Gittos (Kaipara); R. Bavin (Wanganui); A. Reid, H; Dewsbury. P. Dewsbury (Wellington); Hetarald Ware! (Native Mission); W. G. Thomas (Hutt); J. B. Richardson (Greytown); J. Berry (Napier); E. Neilsou (Scandinavian Mission) ; T. G. Hammond (Palmerston) ; G. S. Harper (Nelson) ; J. S. Rishworth (Blenheim); H. Bull (Greymouth); W. Morley, secretary (Christchurch); Wm. Lee (Lyttelton); J. A. Taylor (Springstou); P. W. Pairclough (Leestoa); W. B. Marten (Ashburton) ;A. R. Fitchett (Dunedin); J. Armitage (Oamaru) ; and D. MoMicoll (Invercargill). The following arrangements were made:— The Revs. D. McNicoll and H. Bull to report proceedings of Conference to the daily papers, and the Revs. W. E. Marten and J. Armitage to the “New Zealand Wesleyan.” The Secretary presented a plan of business for immediate transaction, which was agreed to. The first draft of Annual Circuit ; appointments was read, and passed without discussion, and Monday afternoon fixed for the second reading. The consideration of Mi*. Gray’s case, a candidate for the ministry residing ia Otago, brought before the Conference by the Rev. A; Ri Fitchett, occupied its"'attention for some time.‘ Mr. Fitchett, as chairman of the district iu which Mr. Gray resides, was informed, in reply-to his question, that the responsibility of appearing before the ’ Conference lay with Mr. Gray himself.. . • • . This closed the morning session. The afternoon session, which was open to the public, was commenced with prayer, offered by the Rev. J. B. Richardson. , The case of the Rev, J. -T. Shaw, a, super, numefary of the New Zealand Conference residing in Victoria, next occupied the attention of the meeting. Mr. Shaw was appointed by the last Conference to the Motueka Circuit, but was unable to proceed to his appointment on account of the delicate, health ,of Mrs. Shawl . Correspondence relating to this matter was read by the Secretary; and on ..the motion of-the Rev. Thomas Boddie itwfis agreed to ‘send a cablegram to the President of the Victorian Conference to arrange, for a suitable exchange for Mr. Shaw. Letters .were read from the Revs,, W. .G,. Lane and J. Edmonds, of the Canadian Connection, seeking admission to the New Zealand. Conference. The correspondence was ‘carefully considered, and it was finally-agreed that ou account of the present'difficulty 'of, prbyid- ; iug parsonages for, married ministers, ( the offers of Messrs. Lane and 1 Edmonds be not; accepted.' Correspondence was read by the Secretary from the Rev. James Buffer, now residing in, England, enclosing letters .from the .Revs. -Peter!Prescott and Jos. Lawrence, relating to', young inen, candidates for the ministry, who had failed to pass the' London July examination for the, English work. The .subject hav- 1 . ing been fully .discussed by several of its mtm-' hers, the Conference was of opinion that it was .undesirable to , depart from the'; instructions, conveyed by the first Weffingtou.Confefenoeho Mr. Buffer, its English representative, viz., that the ministerial supply from England .be limited to those who have satisfactorily passed the required literary aiid theological examinations. ... The annual question, “ What, ministers are recommended to .be made supernumeraries next year?” was next considered. Requests, were preferred on behalf of' two ministers whose health had been impaired by excessive, work during the past year. , The ’considefation of those cases was referred to a committee, consisting of the' Rev. Messrs. Reid, Fitchett, Richardson, Bavin, and Buff, to; report oh Saturday morning. A request on behalf of the Rev. S. R. Purchon, a probationer, for a year’s rest on account of delicate health, was granted, several members of the Conference expressing tlieir opinion that a voyage to England, undertaken at. a favorable season of the year, would prove beneficial. “What supernumeraries now return to the full work of the ministry?'’ On the motionof the Rev. D. McNicoll, seconded by the Rev. A. R. Fitchett, the Rev. J. J. Lewis, now in the Dunedin Circuit, was again received into full circuit work. Also, on, the motion of the Rev. J. B. Richardson, the Rev. F. O. Dewsbury, who has been laid aside from the active duties of the ministry during the past year. «What ministers have died during the year ?” There has been one death during the year—the Rev. James W. Wallis. The Rev. W. Morley read a carefully prepared obituary notieeof this esteemed miuister. Mr, Wallis was thirty-five years of age, and had been fourteen years in the ministry, several years of which were spent in,mission work in Samoa and the Friendly Islands. Under the severe labors he undertook iu those tropical climes his health was undermined, and hisreturn to New Zealand necessitated. In 1876 he was entrusted with the co-editorship of the Ncio Zealand Wesleyan, and In this capacity rendered most valuable service, wliich continued to the end of his life.—The Rev. Thomas Bdddlb said he had known the deceased more than thirty years, and had the honor of preaching his funeral sermon. He visited Mr. Wallis during his last sickness, and fonnd him in the enjoyment of perfect peace. Mr. Wallis possessed a rare fund of varied information, and his departure would be deeply felt.—The Rev. A. R. Fitchett said he had known Mr. Wallis eleven years, and had. been associated with him in literary work. Ho remarked that although Mr. Wallis had died at the premature age of thirty-five, his was not ~a short life; fir '.‘ho liveth long who livoth : weft.—Similar remarks were made by the Revs. W. Kirk, T. Berry, and . the President. —The hymn commencing I the good light have fought, 0, vrhon shall X declare, was then sung, and Mr. Kirk offered an appropriate prayer. The Revs. Messrs. Bull, Thomas, and Marten were then appointed to hoar and report upon the, sermon of Mr. Dellow, a candidate for the ministry.—This,finished the afternoon’s se-sion, the President pronouncing the benediction. • '