A Church Strike.

Te Aroha News, Volume XIV, Issue 2095, 19 April 1898, Page 2

A Church Strike.

The decision of the recent Methodist Conference to remove the Rev T. A. Joughiu from Woodend, where he had ministered with much, acceptance since the death of the Rev J. Hello w, bids fair (writes a correspondent of the Lyttleton Times) to have a Jjj|gg£- deplorable effect on a hitkertfjunited and flourishing congregations Every effort was made by the congregations at Woodend and other parts of the Rangiora circuit to move the Conference Stationing Committee to settle Mr Joughin in Woodend, but without avail. The result has been that the choir and organist have struck, some of the principal office-bearers have resigned, the Bible and Mutual Improvement Society has wound up, and a large majority of the church members and adherents havd~ signified their intention to cease supporting the church. At a meeting to wind up the society above-named, the following motion was unanimously adopted : ‘ We, the members of the Woodend Bible and Mutuallmprovement Society and young people connected with the church, hereby pass a resolution of extreme regret at the removal of the Rev T. A. Joughin from Woodend, and severely censure the unfair and unchristian treatment that he h.as received from the conference, action of removing him, against the. voices of the entire Methodist congregation in Woodend, and! other parts of the Rangiora circuit, withou any adequate reason, to the great, detriment of all spiritual work iu that circuit j and that this petty conduct of the conference in' acting -directly counter to the reasonable -wishes of circuits, is, to say the very least, unchristian > and as a policy is quicklyundermining Methodism in the district and elsewhere. Further, that we, as a society, and theyouug .peopleof this church, refuse to accept, any appointment so made. 5 ' Unless better counsel prevails, the Rev. Mr Griffin, who takes charge of the circuit within a few days, will find that lie? has not dropped into a bed of roses.