METHODISTS. 



401 



nuated Ministers' Widows' and Orphans' fund 

 had supported 315 annuitants, widows, and 

 orphans, and returned an income for the year of 

 8,511. The Local Preachers' Aid fund reported 

 an income of 1,139, showing an increase of 249, 

 with 133 pensioners on 'the permanent list. 



The annual meeting of the Primitive Methodist 

 Missionary Society was held in London, May 12, 

 the Rev. Thomas Whitehead presiding. The net 

 income for the General fund had been 13,168, 

 and the expenditure 13,649. The net income 

 of the African fund had been 6,160, and the ex- 

 penditure 7,772. The home missions returned 

 a net increase of 224 members. Since the union 

 of the Methodist Churches in Australia, the only 

 colonial stations remaining in direct association 

 with the English Conference were in New Zea- 

 land. The churches there exhibited a healthy 

 and vigorous life. Reports were made of foreign 

 mission stations in West Africa, where one of the 

 centers had been disturbed by the declaration of 

 the district as German territory; South Africa, 

 where the station at Aliwal North, which had 

 been seriously injured by the war, was regaining 

 its normal conditions, and, with 1,173 members, 

 constituted the largest church in the connection; 

 and Central Africa, where the work was just in 

 its beginning. The institution of the Church Ex- 

 tension fund had led to the creation of a number 

 of new causes in suburban places, and the fund 

 was cooperating in the erection of nearly 50 new 

 buildings. The Sustentation fund had come under 

 partial review during the year, and the inquiry 

 was not yet complete. 



The eighty-third annual Conference met in 

 Hull, in June. The Rev. Thomas Mitchell was 

 chosen president. The statistical returns showed 

 the largest connectional increase the Church 

 had known for many years. The committee 

 which had been engaged in codifying the con- 

 nectional regulations made an ad interim report, 

 and was reappointed, with the addition of two 

 new members. In the case of an appeal of a 

 minister for compensation because he had been 

 removed from one circuit to another without 

 notice, while some hardship was admitted, the 

 Conference insisted that it must maintain its ab- 

 solute right to place its ministers where it will. 

 A question arising concerning the recognition to 

 be given to degrees conferred by colleges of no 

 reputation, the matter was referred to the General 

 Committee for inquiry, and it was determined 

 that in the published Conference minutes there 

 should be entered after each degree inserted the 

 name of the institution from which it came. The 

 organization of the Missionary Committee was 

 modified ; and instead of there being two commit- 

 tees, one meeting fortnightly in London, and the 

 other quarterly at various centers, the quarterly 

 meeting was made the General Missionary Com- 

 mittee, and an Executive Committee was con- 

 stituted, of 19 persons, 8 of whom must be laymen, 

 to meet monthly in London, and to be directly 

 responsible to the quarterly committee. The unit 

 of representation in the Conference was changed, 

 to be in the future 1,000 members, instead of 3.000, 

 as in the past, with no district to have less than 

 3 delegates. A petition was adopted for presenta- 

 tion to the House of Commons, showing that the 

 members of the Conference were strongly of the 

 opinion that the education bill before Parliament 

 was fraught with great injustice to Free Church- 

 men and detrimental to the best interests of edu- 

 cation and of the nation. 



IX. Methodist New Connection. From the 

 reports made to the Conference it appeared that 

 there had been an increase of about 1,200 mem- 

 VOL. XLII. 26 A 



bers at home, but a decrease in China brought 

 down the net increase in the membership of the 

 Church to 1,081. Through the Boxer, troubles in 

 China 288 candidates had been lost to the Church. 

 A gain of 717 pupils in Sunday-schools was shown, 

 and an increase of 278 pupils who are members of 

 the Church. 



The income of the Loan fund for the year had 

 been 305, showing an increase of 38. Its 

 capital had risen from 10,441 to 10,721. Dur- 

 ing the year 10 new loans had been issued to the 

 amount of 1,450, and others to the amount of 

 2,570 had been sanctioned. Nearly 12,000 had 

 been lent without interest in the last seven years. 

 The Chapel Committee returned an income of 

 747. 



The one hundred and sixth Conference met at 

 Stockport, June 9. The Rev. Martin J. Birks was 

 chosen president. The Committee on Church 

 Union reported that the result of negotiations 

 with the Irish Wesleyan Church with reference to 

 union had been unsatisfactory. In response to 

 the resolution concerning Methodist Union passed 

 by the Methodist Ecumenical Council of 1901, the 

 Conference declared that believing that union 

 among the Methodist Churches in Great Britain 

 would be of great advantage to the kingdom of 

 Christ, it would be prepared to consider any 

 practicable proposals for promoting that object'; 

 and authorized its Annual Committee to receive 

 any communications that might be addressed to 

 it from Methodist conferences or from committees 

 especially directed to deal with the subject, to 

 consider them, and to report to the Conference. 

 The institution of a " Forward Movement " mis- 

 sion was approved of. The establishment of an 

 order of deaconesses, with a training home, if it is 

 found practicable, was sanctioned, and the Home 

 Mission Committee was authorized to frame a 

 workable scheme and suggest means for its sup- 

 port. An agreement with the Wesleyan Book- 

 Room respecting the publication of a new hymnal 

 adapted to the use of both Churches was ap- 

 proved. 



X. United Methodist Free Churches. 

 The whole number of members of this body was 

 reported at the Annual Assembly of 1902 to be 

 83,803, an increase of 2,555 from the previous 

 year; number of ministers and missionaries, 381; 

 of local preachers-, 3,302; of leaders, 3,522; of 

 teachers in Sunday-schools, 24,832 ; and of pupils, 

 192,572; showing an increase of 810 teachers and 

 2,602 pupils. The report of the book-room showed 

 a profit of 310 on 5,678 of sales. The income 

 of the Chapel fund had amounted to 521. The 

 capital of the Loan fund stood at 13,836, and 

 its outstanding loans amounted to 11,227. The 

 subscriptions to the Superannuated and Benefi- 

 cient fund had amounted to 526 from the 

 churches and 1,124 from ministers. The de- 

 mands on the fund were rapidly growing. The 

 Fire Insurance Association had made a profit of 

 532, bringing up the capital to 3,910. 



The Annual Assembly met at Leeds, July 8. 

 The Rev. William Redfern was chosen presid'ent. 

 Communications were read relating to the Meth- 

 odist Union effected in Australia, and resolutions 

 giving sanction to the measure, and which were 

 needed to make it valid, were passed. The Charity 

 Commissioners having in some instances claimed 

 a degree of control over connectional property, the 

 persons in charge were authorized to obtain the 

 opinion of counsel if necessary. The education 

 bill of the Government was condemned by a 

 unanimous vote. The report of the Twentieth 

 Century fund showed that the total amount 

 promised was 104.516 guineas, a sum to which 



