546 



METHODISTS. 



ings of sermons which they had previously used 

 was disapproved of, and they were advised to 

 preach at such meetings sermons prepared with- 

 in three months of their delivery. The Confer- 

 ence also expressed disapproval of the practice 

 of reading sermons in the pulpit. 



VIII. United Methodist Free Churches. 

 The statistical reports of these societies, present- 

 ed to the Annual Assembly in July, gave the 

 following numbers : Of itinerant ministers, 377 ; 

 of local preachers, 3,341 ; of leaders, 3,889 ; of 

 members, 77,845, showing an increase of 502 

 from the previous year ; of teachers in Sunday- 

 schools, 26,689; of pupils in Sunday-schools, 

 203,054. 



The total amount of 29,075 had been con- 

 tributed to the " Silver - Wedding " fund, of 

 which 696 had been paid during the year, and 

 400 were voted to denominational objects. The 

 capital of the Superannuation and Beneficent 

 fund stood at 38,888. The sum of 2,230 had 

 been paid in annuities to 31 ministers and 28 

 ministers' wives. Thirteen students had been 

 under training at the Theological Institute. 

 The year's profits of the Book Room had been 

 1,150. The Chapel Fund Committee reported 

 that 50,600 had been expended during the year 

 in new erections and in the reduction of debts ; 

 that the aggregate debt on connectional property 

 had been reduced by nearly 4,400 ; and that the 

 capital of the Loan fund amounted to 12,239, 

 of which 2,280 had been lent in the last twelve 

 months. 



The treasurer of the missions reported that 

 the missionary income for the year had been 

 21,609, and the expenditure 22,081. The mis- 

 sions were in East and West Africa, China, Aus- 

 tralia, New Zealand, and Jamaica. An important 

 and successful work was also going on among 

 the Indians in Central America. The number 

 of members in the foreign missions had increased 

 by 227, of pupils in Sunday-schools by 637, and 

 of preaching places by 27- The Annual Assem- 

 bly determined to raise a special fund of 12,000, 

 to be devoted to home and foreign mission ex- 

 tension, with special reference to East Africa. 



The Annual Assembly met in Leeds, July 8. 

 The Rev. M. T. Myers was chosen president. 

 The Committee on 'Union with the Methodist 

 New Connection presented the report of the 

 joint committee (of both churches), with a com- 

 munication from the officers ot the New Con- 

 nection Conference, conveying the resolution 

 passed by the Conference,* in which attention 

 was called to the position of the ministers in re- 

 lation to the presidency of quarterly and church 

 meetings, with the request that it be carefully 

 considered. In the resolutions adopted on this 

 subject, the Assembly suggested, with regard to 

 the particular point submitted to its judgment 



That the report does not interfere with the position 

 of ministers in the New Connection circuits, and that 

 it is the general usage of our circuits to elect the su- 

 perintendent preacher as circuit chairman. These 

 facts, in the opinion of this Assembly, merit the re- 

 newed consideration of the New Connection Confer- 

 ence, " and call for its most friendly appreciation." 

 The Assembly, moreover, hopes that the spirit which 

 animates the resolution of the Conference, and the 

 pleasant intercourse which has been enjoyed by the 

 members of the joint committee, may stimulate broth- 

 erly feeling between the members of the two denomi- 



nations, and tend to open the way for further negotia- 

 tions, as well as strengthen a mutual desire for the en- 

 largement of the Kingdom of God and the extension 

 of the principles of liberal Methodism. 



The committee was authorized, should occasion 

 arise, to take such provisional action as it might 

 deem advisable in relation to Methodist union, 

 and report to the next Annual Assembly. A 

 delicate question was presented to the Assembly 

 in entertaining an application from the East 

 African Land Company for the contribution of 

 a portion of a sum which the company had paid 

 for the liberation of 1,400 slaves, some of whom 

 had escaped to Free Methodist mission stations. 

 Objections were made to the request on the 

 grounds of unwillingness to recognize the right 

 of property in slaves ; that the purchase was 

 mainly to the commercial interests of the com- 

 pany ; and because the sum asked 400 was 

 thought to be too large. The Assembly decided, 

 while repudiating any responsibility for financial 

 engagements made without its consent, arid de- 

 clining to use connectional funds for purposes 

 foreign to their object, to authorize the payment 

 of 200, the same to be raised by subscription. 

 Twenty-two delegates were appointed to the 

 Methodist (Ecumenical Conference. " Satisfac- 

 tory progress" was reported of the evangelistic 

 work of the denomination, for which an income 

 of 838 was reported. The yearly district meet- 

 ings of the two Australasian districts were consti- 

 tuted annual assemblies, to bear the connectional 

 name and be affiliated with the British Annual 

 Assembly. They were also given the right of 

 appointing one or two representatives to the 

 British Annual Assembly, which will in return 

 be entitled to send delegates to their meetings. 



IX. Wesleyan Reform Union. The forty- 

 second annual delegate meeting of this body was 

 held at Wombwell in July, when the following 

 Statistical items were reported : Number of chap- 

 els and preaching places, 204 ; of preachers, 465 ; 

 of preachers on trial, 91 ; of members, 7.836 ; of 

 members on trial, 260 ; of schools, 179, with 3,132 

 teachers and 21,709 pupils. 



X. Bible Christian Connection. The sta- 

 tistical returns of this denomination presented 

 to the Conference in August showed the number 

 of members to be 25,217, giving a net increase 

 during the year of 183. The number of admis- 

 sions had been 2,842. One hundred and forty- 

 five missionaries were supported, or 7 more than 

 in the previous year, of whom 46 were employed 

 on the home stations, 83 in Australia, 8 in New 

 Zealand, and 8 in China. The receipts to the 

 mission funds for the year had been 4,408, 

 showing an advance of 183 over the previous 

 year. The receipts of the Book Room had been 

 5,233, and its expenditures 4,677. A college 

 for boys is sustained at Shebbear, and an insti- 

 tution for girls at Edgehill, Bideford. The mis- 

 sionaries in China are working, in connection 

 with the China Inland Mission, in Yunnan, on 

 the ancient caravan route to Burmah. 



The seventy-second Conference met at Pen- 

 zance, July 31. The Rev. W. Higman was chosen 

 president. Eight delegates were appointed to 

 the Methodist (Ecumenical Conference, while the 

 appointment of two others which this Church 

 will be allowed, was left with the .South Aus- 

 tralian Conference. 



