METHODIST UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 324, 10 June 1911, Page 5

METHODIST UNION.

PARTICULARS <")[•' THE BASIS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Friday. The report of the conference of committees appointed by the Methodist and Primitive Methodist churches to formulate a basis of union states that the utmost harmony and good feeling prevailed and the decisions were unanimous. The main features to be submitted to the courts of the respective churches are as follows:—The church to be known as the Methodist Church of New Zealand; members in good standing in either church to be recognised as members of the united church; the status of ministers and probationers to remain unaltered: the annual conference to consist, of an equal number of ministers and laymen; annual district synods to be held as at present, with a ministerial committee at each synod; a district committee of emergency is provided for; quarterly meetings and church meetings to be continued; provision to be made for conncxiomtl funds of various characters; a foreign missionary society to be established as soon as possible; all church properties to be vested under a common Trust Act: all matters relating to Sundays schools and young people's societies to be referred to a joint committe representing the two churches; no change to be made in the basis of union affecting constitutional questions or the rights and privileges of minister- or the laitv except on certain conditions; recommended that the conferences of 1012 make provision for the examination of candidates and probationers iu the following year by a combined conimitt.ee representing both churches.