308 



METHODISTS. 



difficulties having arisen in Australia respecting 

 the transfer of properties in consequence of Meth- 

 odist union in that country, a committee was ap- 

 pointed with plenary powers to settle the ques- 

 tion. Resolutions were passed declaring the edu- 

 cation hill before Parliament mischievous, de- 

 manding public control for all schools supported 

 by public funds; insisting that all branches of 

 education should be under the control of public 

 bodies elected for that purpose; and demanding 

 that training-colleges should be freed from sec- 

 tarian tests. It was decided that ministerial in- 

 vitations can not be given more than twelve 

 months previous to the Conference at which they 

 will come up for ratification. The question of 

 setting apart ministers as connectional missioners 

 was referred to a committee for consideration. 



XII. Methodist New Connection. The one 

 hundred and fifth Conference of the Methodist 

 New Connection met at Hanley, June 12. The 

 Rev. (;. T. Candlin was chosen president. A me- 

 morial asking that more time be given to the 

 purely spiritual aspects of the Christian life and 

 work of the Connection was answered by a pro- 

 vision of devotional addresses at the opening ex- 

 ercises of part of the morning sessions. Progress 

 was reported in raising the Extension fund of 

 10,000 which the Conference had undertaken to 

 secure, 4,090 having been promised and partly 

 paid. In order to expedite contributions the Con- 

 ference resolved to send special deputations to 

 canvass all the circuits. A report was made of 

 negotiations with the Wesleyan Book Committee, 

 respecting the preparation of a common hymnal 

 for all the Methodist Churches. The college 

 for the training of ministers and the Worn-out 

 Ministers' and Widows' Society were subjects of 

 amendatory legislation. A resolution with refer- 

 ence to the South African War included a passage 

 urging the people of the Connection " to watch and 

 guard against the military spirit, and to labor 

 more strenuously than ever for the time when 

 disputes between nations shall be determined with- 

 out recourse to arms, by arbitration or other pa- 

 cific measures." 



XIII. United Methodist Free Churches. 

 The following is the summary of the statistics of 

 these churches as reported to the Annual Assem- 

 bly at Redruth in July: In the home districts 

 number of ministers, 356; of local preachers, 3,022; 

 of leaders, 2,913; of members, 72,508, with 6,474 on 

 trial; of chapels, 1,264, and (52 preaching rooms; 

 of Sunday-schools, 1,227, with 23,065 teachers and 

 185,448 pupils. The foreign stations returned 49 

 missionaries and 10.555 members, making the 

 total membership 83,123. The total cost of 

 chapels, schools, mininsters' houses, etc., was 2,- 

 ,41(5, and the liabilities were about one-sixth 

 of the original cost. The churches provided sit- 

 ting accommodations for 381,872 persons, and the 

 total attendance at the services March 24 1901 

 was 264.353. 



The Annual Assembly met at Redruth, July 9. 

 I he Rev. David Brook was chosen president Re- 

 ports were made of the Chapel Relief fund, the 

 income of which had been 798, while grants of 

 E375 had been made and of 545 promised condi- 

 tionally; the Benevolent and Superannuation 

 fund, receipts 9.270 and expenditures about the 

 the book-room, which had realized a profit 

 the Fire Insurance Association which 

 was continuing to make steady progress; the 

 Loan fund, which had a capital of 13,810, 10,- 

 11 of which were out on loan ; and home and 

 foreign missions, the income for which had been 

 1.) ,_47, and which returned a balance in hand 

 of /38. The report of the Twentieth Century 



fund showed that the 100,000 guineas which had 

 been aimed at had been exceeded, the total sum of 

 109,829 having been promised, and 43,828 paid 

 in. Of this total the foreign mission stations had 

 contributed 1,470 guineas. Of the total amount 

 received 19,305 had been paid to local objects 

 and 2,000 to the London Chapel Extension fund. 

 A request from one of the circuits for permission, 

 in case they should fail to find an acceptable min- 

 ister in the ranks of Free Methodism, to choose 

 one from the Congregational, Baptist, or Pres- 

 byterian denominations, gave rise to discussion. 

 It was opposed as not being in accord with the 

 connectional principles, and because to grant it 

 would establish a dangerous precedent. It being- 

 shown that the original compact of union made it 

 incumbent that a Free Methodist minister should 

 be appointed, the Conference decided to adhere to 

 this rule. A favorable report was made of the 

 Young People's Societies. Thirty sisters were re- 

 turned as connected with the Deaconesses' Home. 

 The annual meeting for the missions was held 

 in London, April 23, Alderman Hart, of Binning 

 ham, presiding. The report represented that the 

 Mendi Mission in West Africa had been partly 

 reestablished. In China the lives of the mis- 

 sionaries had been preserved. A hospital and a 

 church had been erected at Ning-po, and the 

 membership had increased considerably at Ning- 

 po and Wen-Chau. At home only 5,000 of the 

 100,000 guineas aimed at by the Twentieth Cen- 

 tury fund had still to be raised. The minimum 

 salary of the ministers had been increased from 

 100 to 110. The church-membership at home 

 was now 72,085, with 1,968 juniors and 4,639 on 

 probation; and abroad it was 10,889 (3,194 being 

 in Africa, 3,217 in Jamaica, and 1,978 in Aus- 

 tralia), with 397 juniors and 4,054 on probation. 

 A small net decrease of members was met by 

 about an equal increase of probationers. The mis- 

 sionary income had been 16,265, besides 3,833 

 which had been raised and expended abroad, but a 

 deficit of 1,283 remained. 



XIV. Wesleyan Reform Union. The fifty- 

 third annual Conference in connection with the 

 Methodist Reform Union met in Bradford, Aug. 

 3. The Rev. William Clough was chosen presi- 

 dent. The statistical report showed an increase of 

 185 church-members, with 768 on trial, and a total 

 of 7,049 members. An increase of 423 appeared 

 also in the number of Sunday-school pupils. The 

 treasurer of the Jubilee fund reported that 1,500 

 had been raised toward that object, and it was 

 decided to keep the fund open till 2,000 were 

 reached. The committee on the new hymnal, after 

 having been engaged for three years in prepar- 

 ing a book, had their work so well advanced that 

 tenders had been asked for for the printing of it, 

 when it was found that a desire long held by the 

 union for a joint or united hymnal for Methodists 

 generally had come within the bounds of pos- 

 sibility, the Conference having been invited to 

 appoint a representative to act with the Wes- - 

 leyan Hymn-Book Committee in the compilation 

 of such a book. This was agreed to. 



XV. Bible Christian Church. The Bible 

 Christian Conference met at Plymouth, July 31. 

 The Rev. John Luke was chosen president. The 

 report of the New Century fund showed that 

 20,125 had been promised on its account, and 

 13,366 paid. A scheme for the better education 

 of ministerial candidates which was approved by 

 the Conference comprises the taking of a house 

 near some university or college, at the classes of 

 which students may attend, with the appointment 

 of a suitable minister to reside with the students 

 and direct their studies, acting especially as a 



