500 



METHODISTS. 



The income for home and foreign missions had 

 reached 10,500. besides which about 1,600 had 

 been raised from miscellaneous and special 

 sources and 042 on foreign districts. Ihc home 

 expenditure amounted to 2,430 and the foreign 

 expenditure to 9,750, in addition to which 

 2,688 had been raised and expended on the tor- 

 stations. . , ,, 



e annual meetings in connection with the 

 home and foreign missions were held in London, 

 \nril 24. The income for the year had been 

 14,028 and the expenditure 13.006. Hie for- 

 eign stations in East Africa and China returned 

 28 missionaries. 2<K> local preachers and native 

 helpers 472 leaders. 8.051 church members, with 

 2.702 on trial. 101 chapels and preaching rooms, 

 and 3.H5 teachers and 4.703 pupils m Sunday 

 schools. Two thousand persons had been treated 



medically. , _. , , 



The annual assembly met at Sheffield, England, 

 .lulv ID. The Rev. J. C. Brewitt was chosen presi- 

 den't. The Statistical Committee reported that the 

 number of members (83,008) indicated an increase 

 of 7-V) in the home circuits and a decrease of 

 :>4 in the foreign-mission stations. The number 

 of pupils, reaching 190.000. with 24,000 teachers, 

 was slightly less than in the previous year. The 

 home churches returned 5,800 candidates for mem- 

 bership and the foreign stations 2,800. The Con- 

 ference decided to appoint a representative on 

 the Nonconformist Political Council. It having 

 been determined three years previously that when 

 the missionary income should have reached 10,- 

 000 the minimum ministerial salary should be 

 raised to 140, an order to that effect was car- 

 ried, although the committee suggested a post- 

 ponement of a year upon the offer of individ- 

 ual members to make up whatever deficiency 

 might result in the funds. A proposition to 

 change the method of electing the Connectional 

 Committee by introducing the system of district 

 nomination referred by the previous annual as- 

 sembly was reported upon adversely and lost. 

 A " twentieth century fund " was instituted, the 

 amount to be raised for which was fixed at 100,- 

 000 guineas, the books to be open for subscrip- 

 tions till June, 1004. The allotment of the sum 

 raised contemplates the appropriation of eight 

 twentieths to the Mission fund, eight twentieths 

 to extension work at home, and four twentieths 

 to the London Chapel Extension fund. Contribu- 

 tors were given the right to allocate any portion 

 of their gifts not larger than one half to any 

 local effort or connectional fund they may de- 

 sire. Twelve thousand guineas were pledged to 

 this fund during the sessions of the assembly. In 

 moving a resolution with reference to slavery in 

 the British East Africa protectorate, charging vio- 

 lation of the decrees issued in 1876 and 1890, the 

 Rev. W. G. Howe, returned from East Africa, 

 said that, although some missionaries had under 

 compulsion restored runaway slaves to their " so- 

 called owners," the United Methodist mission- 

 aries, in spite of governmental warnings and in 

 face of threatened pains and penalties, had de- 

 clined to do so. 



Bible Christians. The Bible Christian Con- 

 ference met at Holsworthy in August. The Rev. 

 T. Braund was chosen president. The action of 

 the Conference on the " new century movement " 

 expressed satisfaction that the connection had 

 received the proposition with so much enthusi- 

 asm and the belief that as one third and more 

 of the sum proposed to be raised had been already 

 promised that amount (25,000) would be great- 

 ly exceeded, and the fact confirmed the selection 

 of the objects of the effort. The provisional 



allotment of the money approved by the meeting 

 contemplates the allocation of ten twenty-fifths 

 of the amount to the Chapel Free Loan fund, five 

 twenty-fifths to the Preachers' Annuitant fund, 

 three twenty-fifths to the Local Preachers' Aid 

 Association hereafter to be established, and two 

 twenty-fifths for the education of candidates for 

 the ministry, while the remaining five twenty- 

 fifths were reserved for appropriation to any one 

 or more of the objects named as may be thought 

 most expedient when the fund is closed. Any 

 sums not exceeding 5,000 which may be raised 

 above the contemplated 25,000 it was provided 

 shall be devoted to the Foreign Missionary Society 

 for aggressive work, preferably in China. The 

 last Sunday in January, 1900, was appointed a 

 day for general thanksgiving and prayer in con- 

 nection with the movement. A history of the 

 denomination is to be prepared by the Rev. F. 

 W. Bourne and sold for the benefit of the New 

 Century fund. With reference to union with the 

 Primitive Methodist Church, the Conference de- 

 cided to furnish such information concerning the 

 Bible Christians as was asked for by that body, 

 expecting in return such information respecting 

 the Primitive Methodists, and to print the pro- 

 posed amendments to the constitution in the min- 

 utes of the Conference; and it authorized the 

 Connectional Committee, whenever terms of union 

 mutually satisfactory to both parties can be ar- 

 ranged, to determine when the information col- 

 lected on the subject shall be laid before the quar- 

 terly meetings, preparatory to their decision on 

 the whole question being obtained. A resolution 

 on temperance, including among its clauses a 

 declaration that persons holding license for the 

 sale of intoxicating drinks shall not be eligible 

 to office in the churches, was sent down to the 

 quarterly and district meetings for advice. 



The missionary report showed a slight increase 

 in the membership of the home-mission stations, 

 but a decrease of 148 members in Victoria. The 

 total income for the year had been 5,573, while 

 the accounts showed a deficiency of 773. 



The net receipts for the General Chapel fund 

 were represented as having been 2,000 in ad- 

 vance of those of the previous year. The chapel 

 income was higher by 7,604 than had ever be- 

 fore been reported to the Conference, and was 

 an increase of 9,680 over the income on the 

 same account of the previous year. The total 

 net improvement in the chapel property of the 

 connection during the past twenty years had been 

 186,254 in value. 



The report of the Missionary Society showed 

 that the total number of members in the mission 

 stations at home and abroad was 11,323, repre- 

 senting an increase of 200 during the year. Of 

 the missions abroad, mention was made of the 

 Bush Mission in Australia, and of that in China, 

 where 15 missionaries were employed. 



Independent Methodist Churches. The 

 ninety-fourth annual meeting of (English) Inde- 

 pendent Methodist Churches was held in Nelson, 

 June 18. Nearly 200 delegates and officers were 

 present. Mr. Richard Lee presided. The Min- 

 isters' Assistance fund showed a balance of nearly 

 1,000 and a year's gain of 50. The subject of 

 a national old-age pension scheme was discussed. 

 The claims of the connectional 5,000 scheme 

 were urged. 



Methodist Union in Australasia. Negotia- 

 tions between the Methodist churches in the Aus- 

 tralasian colonies have been going on for several 

 years past. The transactions are somewhat com- 

 plicated, for they concern four branches of the 

 Church, and have to be carried on severally for 



