480 



METHODISTS. 



IX. United Methodist Free Churches. 



The annual Assembly met in Rochdale. July 

 10. Alderman J. Duckworth, J. P., C. C., of 

 Rochdale, was chosen president. The statis- 

 tical reports showed that the Church included 

 880 ministers, 3,350 local preachers, 78,913 mem- 

 bers, and 25,647 teachers and 205,148 pupils in 

 Sunday schools. The year's increase in mem- 

 bers had been 527. The income of the Relief 

 fund had been 423, or 44 less than in 1893. 

 Ten chapels and 16 schoolrooms had been 

 erected at a cost of 42,000, toward which 23.- 

 000 had been raised. Chapel debts had been 

 reduced by 18,000. The capital of the Loan 

 fund was 13,500, and by its agency debts had 

 been reduced by 72.000. The year's income 

 for foreign missions had been 21,172 78 

 short of the expenditure. Reports of progress 

 were made of the several mission fields, with a 

 number of gifts and grants for special purposes 

 in East Africa and China. A resolution of pro- 

 test had been passed by the Foreign Missionary 

 Committee on the action of the British East 

 African Company, whose officers had searched 

 the mission stations, seeking the arrest of an 

 escaped slave, without consultation with the 

 missionary or with the native agent. The Rev. 

 R. M. Omerod had been requested to explore the 

 Tan a Driver, and report as to the population on its 

 banks, with a view to further aggressive effort. 

 The mission in Sierra Leone was doing pioneer 

 work in the interior, where a new station had 

 been established at Tikonko. This mission had 

 6 circuits and 15 churches, which had raised 

 1,383 for support. A committee was appointed 

 by the Assembly to formulate a scheme for the 

 training of the young people of the churches 

 and report to the next assembly. The Presi- 

 dent of the Assembly reported that he had re- 

 ceived pledges for 13,000 toward a sura of 20,- 

 000 he was endeavoring to secure for a new 

 ministerial college. Six delegates were ap- 

 pointed to attend a conference called under the 

 auspices of the Free Church Congress (see article 

 Free Church Congress) to consider remedies for 

 the evils of the " overlapping" of village churches. 

 The thirty-seventh annual meeting in behalf 

 of the Home and Foreign Mission work was held 

 in London, April 23. The income for the year 

 had been 21,431, and the expenditure 21,986. 

 Nine thousand pounds had been received for 

 the Wesley Memorial fund. The Home Mission 

 work showed an increase of 66 full members and 

 73 on trial. Sixty circuits were aided: the num- 

 ber of circuits receiving help was steadily di- 

 minishing. From the foreign and colonial sta- 

 tions were returned 70 missionaries, 202 local 

 preachers, 542 leaders, 10,471 church members, 

 2,174 probationers, 286 chapels and preaching 

 rooms, and 1.095 teachers and 11,570 pupils in 

 Sunday schools. 



X. Bible Christians. The following is a 

 summary of the statistics of this denomination 

 in Great Britain, as reported to the conference 

 in August : Number of itinerant preachers, 159 ; 

 of local preachers, 1.500; of chapels. 591; of 

 mission halls and preaching rooms, 34; of full 

 members, 26,386 ; of persons on trial for mem- 

 bership, 496 ; of juvenile members, 1,165 ; in- 

 crease for the year, 473 full members, 43 on trial, 

 and 120 juvenile members ; number of teachers 



in Sunday schools, 7,292 ; of pupils, 41,076. If 

 the numbers re-turned from the colonial confer- 

 ences be added to these, the whole strength of 

 the denomination is shown to be 284 itinerant 

 ministers, 1,923 local preachers, 33,122 members, 

 690 on trial, 8,934 teachers and 58,819 pupils in 

 Sunday schools; total increase of members, 771. 



The seventy-sixth Conference met at Bristol, 

 Aug. 1. The Rev. Samuel Allen was chosen 

 president. The conference sermon, for the first 

 time in the history of the denomination, was 

 preached by a layman, Mr. Thomas Ruddle, 

 head master of Shebbear College. Among the 

 candidates for admission to the ministry were 3 

 young women, the Constitution of the Church 

 providing for pulpit service by female ministers. 

 In the early days of their history the Bible Chris- 

 tians had many excellent woman preachers whose 

 influence was great and their work effective, 

 but of late years they have been few. A motion 

 was offered to repeal the "time limit " on the 

 circuits, or the rule under which a minister, un- 

 less in cases of special exception allowed by the 

 conference, may not continue in a circuit more 

 than four years. It was lost, three fourths of 

 the members of the conference voting against it. 

 A committee was appointed to prepare a form 

 for baptismal, marriage, and funeral services. 

 A resolution was passed expressing satisfaction 

 that the question of union with the Primitive 

 Methodists had been mooted ; and a committee 

 was appointed to represent the Bible Christians 

 in case any negotiations for union are suggested. 

 The conference gave its voice in favor of Meth- 

 odist union in Australia if it can be brought 

 about on honorable terms, but advised that the 

 colonial churches take no step toward it, except 

 in concert with one another and with the British 

 conference. 



The annual meeting in behalf of the Bible 

 Christian Missions was held in London. April 

 30. The treasurer reported that the year's ex- 

 penditure of the society had been 9,332, and 

 that for the first time in sixty-two years it closed 

 the year with a small balance in hand. The net 

 increase in the membership during the year had 

 been 783, and during the decade from 1883 to 

 1893 the increase of the body had been 43 per 

 cent. The prosperity of the colonial work and 

 of the mission in China had been gratifying. 

 The work in England was extending. 



XI. Wesleyan Reform Union. The forty- 

 sixth annual conference of the churches repre- 

 sented in this body met at Barnsley Aug. 6. 

 Mr. Thomas Johnson, of Fieldhouse, Stairfoot, 

 was chosen president for the ensuing year. De- 

 crease was reported in the membership of 21. in 

 the Home Mission fund of 46, and a deficit in 

 the Book-room accounts of 319. A special 

 committee, appointed in 1892 to consider con- 

 cerning reforms in the constitution and organi- 

 zation of the Union, reported recommending the 

 formation of a Connectional Chapel fund; the 

 establishment of a Connectional ministry; the 

 ministers to be engaged and stationed by the 

 General Committee ; the employment of ministers 

 out of circuits in home missions, etc. : and the 

 institution of a Superannuation fund. The con- 

 ference directed that the recommendations be 

 laid before the Union for consideration at the 

 next annual conference. 



