WESLEYAN GENERAL CONFERENCE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 477, 4 June 1890, Page 3

WESLEYAN GENERAL CONFERENCE.

Several matters of general interest have been discussed by the Wesleyan General Conference' at Sydney. From files to hand to-day we extract the following : Mr Henry Berry (Victoria) moved : “That in the opinion of this Conference the time has arrived when the subject of funeral reform should be taken into serious consideration, and recommends the annual conferences to take such steps as they may consider expedient, with a view to bringing about such changes as will be calculated to relieve the various classes to whom the circumstances of climate and obligations of fashion are tyrannical and burdensome.” The Rev. J. W. Crisp (Vic.) seconded the motion, which was supported by the Rev, J. C. Symons and canied. INTER • EXCHANGES. The Rev. Joseph Berry (N.Z.) proposed that the name of the Rev. J. A. Taylor be re transferred to the New Zealand conference. Mr W. Moxham (N.Z.) seconded the motion pro forma. The Rev. R. Bavin (N.S.W.) moved as an amendment that the previous resolution be rescinded,and that the name of the Rev. S. J. Serpell be put down again for New Zealand, and that of the Rev. J. A. Taylor remain on the Victoria Conference. The Rev. J. J. Lewis (N.Z.) seconded the amendment. A long and animated debate followed, in the course of which the whole question of inter-conferential exchanges was introduced and all manner of matters of a personal matter discussed. The amendment was carried.

Mr S. J. King (Vic.) moved thab the Rev. Joseph Berry should be transferred from New Zealand to Victoria and the Rev. Henry Bath from Victoria to New Zealand.

Strong opinions were expressed by the Revs. B. Butchers (Vie.), W. Baumber (N.Z.), Messrs Moxham (N.Z.), J. Campbell (Vic.) and others, and at length MrKing withdrew his motion.

Mr W. Moxham (N.Z.) moved, “That in the case of a proposed removal of a minister from one annual conference to another the annual conference to which he belongs shall in its representative session have the right of assenting to or declining to agree bo his removal.”

The Rev. YV. Lee (N.Z.) seconded. The Rev. Dr. Sellors (N.S.W.) spoke earnestly in favour of the resolution and of the evil of interchanging ministers of more than 20 years’ standing. The motion was further spoken to by Mr J. McGill (Q.), T. Vasey (Vic.), the Rov. R. Bavin (N.S.W.) and Rev. Y\'. Morley (N.Z.).

The Rev. H. T, Burgess (S.A.) argued that the action proposed in the motion was altogether unworkable. The motion was lost by a large majority. It having been announced thab the Rev. YV. Serpell (Victoria) had desired to be relieved of the exchange with the Rev. Mr Taylor (N.Z.) Dr. YVabkin moved, “ That the motion for the removal of Mr Serpell to New Zealand be rescinded and thab the Victorian and Tasmanian Conference of 1891 provide a suitable exchange for Mr Taylor." The motion was carried. EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. The Rev. C. T. Newman (S.A.) presented the report of the committee on educational institutions, Sunday-schools and periodical literature. For the general education and the theological braining of students for the University there were four provisional institutions with 25 students, besides which there were 13 in training for blio Maori work. For the higher education of youth there was the Queen's University College in Victoria with 30 students, four colleges for boys and three ladies’ colleges with 1,205 students. The position taken in connection with the several colonial and British universities by students from these colleges had been of a highly complimentary character both to the management and the students. There were in the several conferences and mission stations 3,185 Sunday-schools, 16,503 teachers, 169,348 scholars. The Committee recommended that the annual conferences should in their returns have a column showing the number of scholars who are members of the Church. In all the conferences there were connexional book depots, except New Zealand, all of which were in a prosperous condition, doing much towards the dissemination of connexional and religious literature. There were five connexional weekly newspapers published, with an aggregate weekly circulation of 11,600 copies, in addition to which there were several missionary magazines and other periodicals published in the interest of and for the advancement of Methodism. He moved the adoption of the report. This was seconded by the Rev. H. T. Burgess (S.A.) and carried. REPRESENTATIVES TO GENERAL CONFERENCE. The Rev. W. L. Blamires (Vic.) moved—- “ That the number of representatives to the General Conference shall in future be in the proportion of one to every 12 ministers in the annual conferences.” He urged that the expenses of the General Conferences should be curtailed if possible. At the present time under the existing rules 134 delegates were entitled to take seats in the General Conference and when the next conference assembled in Adelaide probably the number would be increased to 150. He considered his motion would reduce the number to 100, which would be quite sufficient for effective debate, whilst the work would be done quite as well. On the motion being put there were 31 voted for the motion and 31 against. The president gave his casting vote against the resolution,

THE CLASS-MEETING QUESTION. The report of the Committee on this question was then taken. In clause 2of the Committee’s report the word “ directs ” was inserted, making the clause read “and directs that such meetings be instituted in every circuit,” in order to make it definite. Several alterations were also made in tbe verbage, but none of an important character. The report of the Committee was then agreed to, there being but one dissentient.

The tollowing recommendations of the New South Wales Conference were agreed to without discussion :

“ A list of the members of the congregation who are regular worshippers in any particular church and who are desirous of partaking of the Lord’s Supper or attending the covenant service, and of whose spiritual fitness to join in such service the minister is assured, shall be prepared by the minister and left for the information of his successor.

“ That with a view of assisting to enforce the observance of these rules the following question shall be asked in the district meeting, viz: ‘Are leaders’ meetings regularly held in each circuit ?’ and * Has the roll of membership been duly revised ?’ “ That efforts should also be made to miprove the class-meeting itself, and render

it more attractive and helpfuL It should be understood that speaking in class is nob obligatory on the part of every member, and thab there should be no observance of a stereotyped form and order in the conducting (if the class-meeting. Whilst primarily aiming at the growth and culture of Chris tian experience, the class-meeting should be so conducted as also to provide instruction inScriptural knowledge and to stimulate to Christian work.”

The following recommendation of the South Australian Conference was rejected : —“That quarterly circuit leaders’ meetings be established in each circuit, consisting of the ministers and class leadere, the special business of which shall be the spiritual interests of the Church, the method by which they are to be conducted to be arranged as in the case of local preachers’ meetings. ” The following other recommendation from the same conference was agreed to : —“That in every principal church at least in each circuit a church meeting shall be held by a minister of the circuit as soon as convenient after each quarterly meeting, at which new members shall be formally introduced and recognised, the condition of the membership reported and suitable counsels offered.”

Ic was resolved that these two lines from a motion, submitted by the Victorian and Tasmanian Conference, should be addod to the preceding recommendation and form part of it:—“ Thab the form of recommendation of church member as printed in our aws be nob simply optional bub obligatory.”

The fourth recommendation of the South Australian Conference, suggesting an improved token of membership which might be framed, was rejected by a large majority. The appended recommendation by the New Zealand Conference was agreed to:— “That tlie regulation of the last General Conference directing the formation of junior society classes instead of catechumen classes be rescinded.”

On the motion of Mr Morley it was resolved :—“ That catechumen classes such as were in existence before be formed.”

Sub-section c of recommendations by the New South Wales Conference was submitted as follows:—“That the leader should understand that he is not at liberty of his own authority to omit any name from his book, and on the visitation of the classes each minister be directed to make a careful comparison with the list of the previous quarter in order to ensure that no member’s name is omitted either inadvertently or for any cause.” The recommendation was carried without comment.

THE BOOK OF LAYVS.

It was resolved thab a new edition of the Book of Laws should be printed, containing all legislation adopted by the General Conferences since 1884.