METHODISTS. 



367 



session. The Rev. Theophilus Davison was chosen 

 president, and delivered at his induction an ad- 

 dress on the relation of the Church and the world 

 at the present time, especially the position of 

 Methodism at the opening of the new century in 

 relation to that strong current of secular thought 

 and feeling which was mightily moving the gen- 

 eration. Steady progress was reported to have 

 been made during the year toward the comple- 

 tion of the Twentieth Century fund of 1,000,- 

 000 guineas. There now stood to the credit 

 of the fund 057,000, an increase of 354,000 on 

 the receipts reported at the previous Conference. 

 Neither circuit nor connectional funds had suf- 

 fered during the progress of the fund, but had 

 rather prospered. The committee were of the 

 opinion that after making adequate allowance 

 for failures to fulfil promises, the addition of 

 100,000 guineas to what was already subscribed 

 would carry the fund to a triumphant issue, and 

 it would be possible to hand over to the various 

 objects the sums allocated. The Conference di- 

 rected that renewed efforts should be made in 

 every circuit to secure the speedy payment of ex- 

 isting promises, and obtain additional ones, and 

 that except a public collection in all chapels and 

 schools, appeals for subscriptions to the fund 

 should terminate at the end of the year. The For- 

 eign Missions Committee reported that the income 

 for 1900 had been 136,460, and that a balance of 

 972 was to be carried forward to the account for 

 1901. The importance of the secretary in charge 

 visiting the South African missions was urged. 

 The Conference Was visited by a deputation from 

 the Northern Christian Union, an association of 

 the various Christian churches for closer union 

 which was formed during the meeting of the 

 Church Congress in Newcastle in 1900. The 

 Bishop of Newcastle, who was not able to attend 

 with the deputation, sent a letter of greeting. A 

 message of sympathy in his illness was sent to 

 the Bishop of Durham. Its receipt was acknowl- 

 edged on behalf of the bishop, who, it was said, 

 had been much touched and cheered by it ; and 

 on the death of the bishop a deputation was ap- 

 pointed, by agreement with his friends, to attend 

 h'is funeral. A minute was adopted to the effect 

 that the most strenuous opposition should be 

 offered to any change in the declaration against 

 Roman Catholicism in the coronation oath which 

 would w r eaken the guarantees of the Protestant 

 succession. The Conference declared its disap- 

 proval of any policy which would tend to weaken 

 the direct popular control of primary education, 

 or to imperil the work of the school board. The 

 question of establishing certain or all Wesleyan 

 proprietary schools on a more strictly connec- 

 tional basis was referred to the Education Com- 

 mittee. A misunderstanding having occurred with 

 reference to some Primitive Methodist students 

 attending the Wesleyan training-colleges, the Con- 

 ference resolved unanimously that after provision 

 had been made in the colleges for Wesleyan can- 

 didates, members of other Methodist churches 

 might be properly welcomed on condition that 

 they were prepared to attend the appointed re- 

 ligious .services connected with the institutions, 

 with the distinct understanding that their own 

 denominational relations should not be compro- 

 mised. A report on open-air preaching recommended 

 that the circuits arrange, wherever practicable, for 

 the more efficient carrying on of that branch of 

 church work, and that increased attention be 

 given to the subject in the ministerial colleges. 

 While the educational standard of candidates for 

 ministerial training was considered in the repre- 

 sentative conference, and the committee on the 



subject was reappointed, a resolution \ V ;is unani- 

 mously passed in the |>;,I.-|I,I.H , ,,,,, that 

 "while recogni/ing that only || : /, M-, arc- 

 called by God can rightly and trul !li<-(; 

 of Christian ministry, at the sann i" < 4 in- 

 ference is convinced of the extreme im,.(,i ; ,, ;i , ... ,,\ 

 securing candidates of higher intvlleel IM , 

 cational fitness," and the subject, \va.^ KI.IM.J io 

 a special committee. Attention was CM I led !M 

 both sessions to the serious character of lh 

 questions suggested by a decrease in the nmnlicr 

 of pupils in Sunday-schools. The report of tin: 

 Committee on Baptized Children was remanded 

 to the synods and the committee was enlarged. 

 The conference decided that the new hymn-book 

 be constructed as a unity to cover the whole 

 ground of Wesleyan Methodist worship, doctrine, 

 and experience, and that its title be simply The 

 Methodist Hymn-Book. A Hymn-Book Selection 

 Committee was provided for to consist of minis- 

 ters and laymen. Some other Methodist de- 

 nominations having expressed an interest in the 

 work, places on the committee were provided for 

 their representatives, and a general invitation was 

 given to other Methodists to cooperate. 



XI. Primitive Methodist Church. The sta- 

 tistical reports of this connection, presented to 

 the Conference in June, showed that it had 1,100 

 ministers and 198,874 members, 59,929 teachers 

 and 460,783 pupils in Sunday-schools, and 4,575 

 chapels providing sittings for 1,042,335 hearers 

 and valued at more than 4,000,000. The profits 

 of the book-room had amounted to 5,057, of 

 which 3,500 were devoted to the Superannuated 

 Ministers' Widows' and Orphans' fund. The Con- 

 nectional fund returned an income of 7,285. An 

 increase of 19 Sunday-schools was reported, with 

 131 pupils. The contributions of the Sunday- 

 schools amounted to 70,544. The Bible and 

 Prayer Union returned 1,354 branches and 58,906 

 members. Gains had been made of 201 Christian 

 Endeavor Societies and 5,405 members, the present 

 number of societies being 1,429. The Chapel Aid 

 Association and the General Chapel fund reported 

 progress in the reduction of chapel debts. The 

 Chapel Loan fund had increased to more than 

 12,000. The Church Extension fund had com- 

 pleted the first year of its history with an income 

 of 4,627, and had rendered help in new projects 

 involving an outlay of 65,000. The Superan- 

 nuated Ministers' Widows' and Orphans' fund 

 maintained 310 annuitants and 4 orphans. Re- 

 ports were made of Manchester College, of the ex- 

 amination of ministerial candidates, and of the 

 literary institutions. 



The annual meeting of the Primitive Methodist 

 Missionary Society was held in London, May 20 

 and 21. Owing to a change in the date of audit, 

 the reports were for nine months. The income 

 of the General fund during that period had been 

 8,657, and the outgo 8,433. The total receipts 

 of the African funds had been 8,214, including 

 the former balance, and the expenditure had been 

 3,425. An increase of 129 members was returned 

 in the home mission stations. The foreign sta- 

 tions were in Africa 4 on the island of Fernando 

 Po, 2 in the Niger Protectorate, 1 in Cape Colony, 

 and 3 in Central Africa. All showed progress. 

 The mission at Aliwal North was recovering from 

 the effects of the war. 



The eighty-second Primitive Methodist Confer- 

 ence met at Sheffield, June 12. The Rev. H. B. 

 Kendall was chosen president. A committee was 

 appointed to prepare for the consideration of the 

 next conference a plan for a corporation to hold 

 connectional properties that do not come within 

 the provisions of the Chapel Model Deed. Legal 



