METHODISTS. 



449 



for Christian workers. The house had been con- 

 tinued as a ministerial residence since the death of 

 Mr. Wesley, in 1791. It being no longer needed for 

 this purpose, a scheme was proposed by the Rev. T. 

 E. Westerdale, superintendent, for freeing the Wes- 

 ley's chapel trust from debt, and providing for the 

 permanent settlement and endowment of this house 

 for the purpose mentioned. This having been ac- 

 complished, and an endowment fund of 5,000 se- 

 cured, the ceremonies of opening the Wesley house 

 were celebrated in connection with the anniversary 

 of John Wesley's death. One of the purposes for 

 which the house will be used will be as a Methodist 

 historical museum, toward which a considerable 

 collection of books, manuscripts, and articles asso- 

 ciated with Wesley and with Methodist history has 

 been gathered. 



X. Primitive Methodist Church. The statis- 

 tical reports of this Church, presented to the Con- 

 ference in June, give it 1,088 ministers, 16,617 local 

 preachers, 10,418 class leaders, and 197,182 mem- 

 bers, showing an increase during the year of 1,455 ; 

 4.308 Sunday schools, with 61,000 teachers and 

 465,089 pupils (49.785 were church members); and 

 4.628 chapels, valued at upward of 8,000,000, and 

 capable of accommodating 595,038 hearers. Five 

 hundred and sixty-six Christian Endeavor Societies 

 returned 15.657 active members and 5,774 associate 

 members. Increase was shown in every department 

 of denominational activity. 



The total receipts for missions had been 16,671. 

 and the expenditures 14,252. The receipts for the 

 African fund had been 6,811. and the expenditure 

 4,146. This fund was represented to be winning 

 increasing support. In addition to the money which 

 had passed through the hands of the treasurers, 

 there had been raised and appropriated locally for 

 home missions 15,691, and for African missions 

 2,485. The 41 home missions returned 10,819 

 hearers, 51 ministers, 5 lay missionaries, 6 Bible 

 women, 377 local preachers, 118 Sunday schools, 

 1,126 teachers, 9,129 scholars, and 4,719 members. 

 The mission in Africa comprised 8 principal sta- 

 tions, with 25 outstations, 8 European and 4 native 

 missionaries, 4 trained native evangelists, 50 native 

 local preachers, 8 native day schools, 40 native class 

 leaders, and 1.286 members, showing a gain of 40 

 members during the year. 



The Conference met at Leeds, June 8. The Rev. 

 John Smith was chosen president. The report upon 

 the attempt to raise a jubilee fund of 50,000, 

 initiated seven years previously, represented that 

 only 38,000 had so far been raised, while the en- 

 thusiasm had somewhat diminished under the pres- 

 sure of local claims. The Conference decided to 

 leave the fund open another year and reappointed 

 its committee. The income of the Aged and Neces- 

 sitous Local Preachers' fond had increased by 

 341, and was now 788. Sixty students were at- 

 tending the Manchester College for the training of 

 ministers. The Chapel Aid Association had a de- 

 posit account of 219,339, and a loan account of 

 206,652. It had during its operations helped trus- 

 tees diminish their liabilities by 49,630. The 

 Connectional Insurance Company had issued 7,769 

 policies, 5,038 of which were still current. It had 

 a reserve of 26,384. The General Chapel fund 

 had during the year co-operated with trustees in 

 reducing their debt by 17.000. The Chapel Loan 

 fund stood at 8,500. and had lent to trustees during 

 the year 1.584. The sales of the Book Room had 

 readied 34,566, the highest amount in its history. 

 The Joint Committee on Union with the Bible Chris- 

 tians reported that in this Church 18 out of 24 dis- 

 tricts were in favor of continuing the negotiations; 

 only 2 districts had approved the change in the 

 1 composition of the Conference from two laymen to 

 VOL. xxxviu. 29 A 



one minister to equal representation of ministers 

 and laymen ; while the Bible Christians objected to 

 the large official element which it was proposed to 

 incorporate in the united Conference. The Confer- 

 ence decided to continue the negotiations. The 

 joint committee on concerted Methodist action had 

 labored to promote that object and Methodist fel- 

 lowship. It found that the freest scope for united 

 action lay in social and philanthropic questions. 

 A Methodist Yearbook was recommended, and the 

 churches were urged to hold united services once n 

 year. The consent of the Conference was given to 

 the accomplishment of the scheme for Methodist 

 union in Australia. A committee on the institution 

 of a system of pensions was reappointed. A measure 

 for the creation of a sustentation fund was passed, 

 with a proviso that it should come up for revision 

 within the next five years. 



XI. Methodist New Connection. The one hun- 

 dred and second Conference met at Nottingham. 

 June 13. The Rev. David Heath, of Sheffield, was 

 chosen president. The Committee on the State of 

 the Connection reported that there had been a net 

 increase during the year of 886 members and 637 

 probationers. The Sunday schools included 10,979 

 teachers and 83,838 pupils in England and Ireland. 



A system of visitation of grant-aided circuits 

 and home-mission stations was instituted, under 

 which a minister and a layman are to be appointed 

 by the Conference on the recommendation of the 

 Home Mission Committee, whose duty it shall be 

 to visit the circuits or stations once or twice a year, 

 inquire into their condition, and give advice. The 

 opinion of the Conference was expressed (in a case 

 involving the question) that there is nothing in the 

 constitution of the Connection to prevent the ap- 

 pointment of a minister in a home-mission station 

 for a sixth year. A uniform financial system for 

 all Connectional funds was instituted, with pro- 

 visions for common banking, or a kind of clearing- 

 house exchanges between them. 



XII. United Methodist Free Chnrches. The 

 statistical reports of this denomination, made to 

 the Conference in July, give it 397 ministers, 3,409 

 local preachers, 82,807 members, with 9,116 on trial, 

 and 25,051 teachers, with 201,467 pupils in Sunday 

 schools. The total income from circuits for home 

 and foreign missions was 9,840, exceeding the in- 

 come of the previous year by nearly 2,000. The 

 missionaries numbered 56 ; the native and local 

 preachers, 563; church members, 11,152, with 2,785 

 on trial ; chapels, 137 ; preaching rooms, 132 ; day 

 and Sunday scholars, 9,983 : teachers, 933. 



The Conference met at Lincoln, July 19. The 

 Rev. E. D. Cornish, of Manchester, was chosen 

 president. The Chapel Relief fund returned an 

 income of 1,882 and a balance in hand of 808; 

 the Chapel Loan fund, a capital of 14,000, of 

 which 11,300 was out on loan; the Connectional 

 Fire Insurance Association, an income exceeding 

 the losses by 368, and a capital of 2,0(53; the 

 Superannuation and Benevolent fund, an income 

 of 11,800, and a balance in hand of 2.300. The 

 sales of the Book Room had reached 5,500, ami 

 the profits 351, while the borrowed capital had 

 been reduced by 700. 



XIII. Bible Christians. The Bible Christian 

 Conference met at Cardiff, July 26. The Rev. 

 W. B. Lark, of Davenport, was chosen president. 

 The report of the Joint Committee on Union with 

 the Primitive Methodist Church, presenting the 

 records of the meetings of the committee and the 

 resolutions passed by the Primitive Methodist Con- 

 ference in June, was adopted, and the negotiations 

 were directed to be continued, with instructions to 

 the committee to make any modification that may 

 be found necessary in the constitution of district 



