METHODISTS. 



479 



denominational schools; the nature of the religious 

 instruction piven in such schools, and the character 

 of any catechisms or books of devotion used in them: 

 the operation of the" conscience clause." and the na- 

 ture and effect of any religious tests imposed upon 

 Methodist scholars as a condition of becoming pupil 

 or assistant teachers. A transfer of the Connec- 

 tional Missions in Germany to the Methodist Epis- 

 copal Church in the United State- was authorized, 

 provided a satisfactory arrangement can be made. 

 g that no nonconformist can obtain a degree 

 in divinity at any English university, the general 

 committee of the' theological institutions were in- 

 structed to consider how that religious disability 

 might be modified : and to take into special consid- 

 eration the provision of a divinity faculty open to 

 nonconformists in any new or supplementary char- 

 ter granted to any university body. 



IX. Primitive Methodist Connection. The 

 following is a summary of the statistics of this body 

 as they were reported to the Conference in June : 

 Number of ministers. 1.113 ; of local preachers, 16.- 

 743 : of das? leaders. 10.534: of chapels. 4.653: of 

 other preaching places. 1.154: of members, 196.- 

 !'>.>: of hearers. 615.156; value of Connectional 

 property. 3.710.549 : present debt on property, 

 1,099,960. 



The receipts for the year for the Home and 

 Colonial fund had been 18.217. and the expendi- 

 tures 14.022. The total receipts for the African 

 fund had been 4.420. and the expenditure 3.351. 

 This income was the largest in the history of the 

 fund. The reports from the home missions denoted 

 rapid growth, and those from the foreign field were 

 very hopeful. 



The seventy-seventh Conference met at Burnsley, 

 June 10. The Rev. William Jones was chosen 

 moderator. The total income of the Connectional 

 fund was returned as 11.591. and. after paying all 

 claims, a balance was left of 1.017. The income 

 for the Jubilee fund had been 4.279. Of the 5".- 

 000 which it was sought to raise on the account of 

 this fund. 46.141 had been promised. The year's 

 sales of the " Book He view" had amounted I 

 the largest aggregate in the history of the institu- 

 tion. The whole number of issues of all kinds for 

 the year was 2.710.294. The total income for mis- 

 sions had been 37.670. an increase of more than 

 4.000 over the income of the preceding year. The 

 society had 8 principal stations in Africa, with 20 

 out stations. 9 European and 4 native ministers. 8 

 native evangelists. 45 native lay preachers. 6 day 

 schools with 600 pupils, a training institution with 

 27 students, and 1.186 church members, an increase 

 of 146. The home and colonial missions reported 

 steady progress in the face of great difficulties. A 

 resolution embodying the attitude of the Conference 

 (of opposition) regarding the education bill was 

 adopted, to be distributed throughout the denomi- 

 nation as a manifesto. A resolution concerning the 

 troubles in Armenia deplored the fact that horrible 

 slaughter and outrage had not been stayed either 

 bv the concert of Europe or the intervention of 

 England. 



X. Methodist N.MV Connection. This Church 

 returns for 1896 200 ministers. 1.225 lay preachers, 

 37.102 members and probationers, and 4-83 Sunday 

 schools, with 10,978 officers and teachers and V 4.- 

 423 pupils. 



The total ordinary Connectional increase for the 

 year was returned at 10.221. as against 9.963 in 

 I s '.i5: in addition to which the profits of the Book 

 Room, ministers' subscriptions to the Beneficent 

 fund, dividends and other items amounting in all 

 brought up the total income to 16.115 

 as against 14.310 in 1895. 



The one hundreth Conference met at Batley, 



June 15. The Rev. Elisha Ilolyoakc was chosen 

 president. Iii the revision of the rules, the Confer- 

 ence decided to add the words "Founded I' 

 after the name of the Church in all official docu- 

 ments. The relations of the Christian End' 

 Societies and their members to the Chun-h 

 considered, and special regulations were established 

 concerning the admission of members of them to 

 the Church and the representation of the societies 

 in the leaders' meeting*. Instead of requiring the 

 appointment of men representatives for wot 

 class meetings as heretofore, the women leaders 

 themselves were made eligible as members of lead- 

 ers' meetings, and women were made eligible for 

 appointment to the leaders' meetings as representa- 

 tives of the church, the Sunday school, etc. The 

 annual church meeting was given the prerogative 

 of approval of the appointment of officers and rep- 

 resentatives of leaders' meetings, and provision 

 was made for the direct representation of the church 

 meeting in the leaders' meeting. With a view to 

 making the provision for married ministers more 

 secure, stricter regulations were enacted concerning 

 the employment of single ministers. Propositions 

 for extending the permissible ministerial term be- 

 yond the fifth year were defeated. The report of 

 the Committee on Methodist Union embodied its 

 reply to a letter from the Joint Committee of the 

 Primitive Methodists and Bible Christians asking 

 for " an expression of their views as to the possi- 

 bility of a union between the minor bodies of Meth- 

 odism and the basis on which such union might be 

 practicable." The committee, after expressing full 

 sympathy with the movement for union, and saying 

 that no action could be taken without the direct 

 sanction of the Conference, suggested " that pro- 

 posals for union might with advantage be extended 

 to include not only the minor Methodist bodies, but 

 also the parent Church." believing that such a con- 

 summation, if found practicable, would strengthen 

 Methodism and indefinitely enlarge its usefulness, 

 a? had been done in Canada : but that whether the 

 present " is the most favorable time for achieving 

 this larger union is a question requiring careful 

 consideration. The committee is of opinion that it 

 is an object worthy to be kept before the Methodist 

 people, and that in order to its ultimate realization 

 all the Methodist churches should endeavor to pro- 

 mote closer intercourse and acquaintance with each 

 other and co-operate in Christian work in all prac- 

 ticable ways, and thus exhibit to the world how 

 good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell 

 together in unity.'' 



The missionary report spoke of progress in Ire- 

 land and China. The income had been about the 

 same, and the expenditure rather less than in 1895. 

 The total debt was still more than 6.000. 



XI. United Methodist Free Churches. The 

 statistical reports of this body for 1896 give it 417 

 ministers. 3.448 local preachers. 89,618 members, 

 and 1.350 Sunday schools, with 25.296 officers and 

 teachers and 203,712 pupils. 



The annual meeting in behalf of the home and 

 foreign missions was held in London, April 27. 

 The report represented that progress was being 

 made in all the mission stations. Special attention 

 was given to village churches. The East African 

 stations had been in great peril on account of the 

 prevalence of a warlike spirit among the tribes. A 

 contribution of 200 had been given for a new hos- 

 pital at Whichow. The numerical returns from 

 the foreign stations gave 73 missionaries. 351 local 

 preachers, 562 leaders. 11.276 members. 2.698 on 

 trial. 331 chapels and preaching rooms, 1 

 pupils, and 1.115 teachers. The expenditure had 

 been 22.13!*. and left a deficit of 340 on the 

 year's work. The Meiuli mission in Africa, though 



