Upper Thames Wesleyan Quarterly Meeting.

Te Aroha News, Volume XIV, Issue 2091, 5 April 1898, Page 2

Upper Thames Wesleyan Quarterly Meeting .

The quarterly meeting of the Upper Thames Wesleyan Circuit took place at Te Aroha on Thursday evening last. Rev S Griffith presided, and there were present: Rev J W Burton, of Paeroa, Messrs W Tetley and W S Allen, M.A., Circuit Stewards, and about 17 other officer-bearers ; the Circuit as a whole being well represented. The returns of church membership show a satisfactory increase. A very interesting and racy account of the Dunedin Conference was given by Mr J. C. Allen, who had attended as the representative of this circuit, and who received a very jhearty vote of thanks for his excellent services and his entertaining report of the Conference. Owing to the large and pressing demands upon the Home Mission Fund the Conference had been unable to increase the grant to this Circuit, but the financial returns of the Circuit, as presented by the Stewards* are regarded as favourable to the appointment of an additional agent to reside at Waihi, and it was unanimously agreed to invite Mr M. K. Gilmour, of Kuaotuna, to this post. The Chairman reported that the new churches at Waihi and Karangahake are- now in course of erection, and that stonelaying ceremonies are to take place on Wednesday and Thursday, of Easter week, when it is expected that Rev S. *L Serpell* and a number of local ministers and friends willftake part in the proceedings. He also reported that about £SO were still needed for each of the building funds, and that he would be glad to receive donations for this purpose. The sanction of the meeting was given to the placing upon the market for ©ale, of the present Te Aroha Parsonage and sections, with a view to the ereetion of a new parsonage adjoining the Wesleyan Church. A good deal of routine business was transacted, and after as earnest and profitable conversation upon the spiritual aspects of the work, the meeting concluded with devotional exercises.

The local preachers* meeting was hold prior to the quarterly meeting, the chief business being the case of Mr W Tuck, who having served the usual term of trial, was examined in matters of Christian experience and theology by the Chairman, and satisfactory reports au to his preaching having been supplied, was unanimously received as an accredited local preacher. Several' pew places were added to the Circuit for week-night services.