Methodism in Sri Lanka:

Wesley College Colombo is the premiere Methodist Boys School in Sri Lanka.

John Wesley (1703-1791)

Wesley College is named after John Wesley the founder of the Methodist Church. Wesley was born in Epworth, Lincolnshire,England where his father was Rector. One of nineteen children, he was educated at home by his mother, Susanna, then at Charterhouse before obtaining an exhibition to Christ Church in 1720. He came 'to love the very sight of Oxford'. In the college's Great Hall hangs a copy of Romney's portrait. Elected a Fellow of Lincoln College in 1726, he was ordained priest in 1725 in Christ Church Cathedral, with which he was so familiar as an undergraduate. The rooms in Lincoln traditionally thought to have been Wesley's are situated on the right of the main quadrangle. They were restored in 1928 by the generosity of American Methodists and can be visited by arrangement with the Bursar. Dr V.H.H. Green has recently concluded, however, that Wesley actually occupied rooms on the Turl Street side of chapel Quadrangle. Wesley joined a small undergraduate group led by his brother Charles, who had followed him to Christ Church. Variously known as the 'Bible Moths', 'the Holy Club', and 'Methodists', they were dedicated to regular (hence 'Methodist') devotions and good works, visiting prisoners almost daily in the Castle and the Bocardo, the debtors' prison. He preached in most of the city churches but is principally associated with St Mary the Virgin, where he preached the University Sermon seven times and from where he was eventually excluded after a sermon on Scriptural christianity in 1744. He left Oxford in 1735 to be chaplian to the English community in Savannah, Georgia. Three years later, at a meeting in Aldersgate Street, London, on 24 May 1738, 'about a quarter before nine', he felt his heart 'strangely warmed'. This evangelical conversion marked the beginning of his itinerant ministry, largely on horseback, throughout the British Isles. 'I look upon the world as my parish', he wrote, and all is meticulously recorded in his journal. Excluded from most parish churches, Wesley preached in the open air, drawing large and sometimes hostile crowds. He organised his followers into small groups of 'Societies', using the new-found gifts of local people in teaching, administration and preaching.

In 1778 Wesley opened his chapel in City Road, London, and this became the centre of his work. His ordination in Bristol, in 1784, of Richard Whatcoat and Thomas Vazey for work in North America was the decisive act in separating Methodism from the Anglican Church, although Wesley maintained that he lived and died a member of the Church of England. On 14 July 1783, on one of his many visitis to Oxford, he came to the new preaching house in New Inn Hall Street, described by him as 'a lightsome, cheerful place, and well filled with rich and poor, scholars as well as townsmen'. A plaque now marks Oxford's first Methodist Church at Nos 32 and 34. Nearby, the Wesley Methodist Memorial Church continues the tradition.

History of Methodism in Ceylon

Methodism is of British origin. It began as a revival movement within the Church of England in the early 18th century. It constituted part of the greater 'Evangelical Revival' - the religious awakening which took place in many parts of the Protestant world during that century. The Methodist movement was directed by the Rev John Wesley, a Church of England clergyman. To a great extent Methodism retains Wesley's theological emphases and the flexible system of Church order which he developed, and it is therefore necessary to know about his life and work. John Wesley was born on 17 June 1703 in the Lincolnshire village of Epworth where his father, Rev Samuel Wesley was Rector. The rigorous upbringing under the direction of his remarkably strong-willed mother, Susannah, influenced him profoundly. She gave weekly missionary instruction to her children. Wesley's genius lay in organizing his converts together in groups to confirm the faith of one another, and this is the chief reason why Methodism survives to this day. Wesley disapproved of the trivial and frivolous lives of the rich, but cared deeply for the poor. He lived frugally and gave away a large part of his income. In the winter of 1783, at the age of 81, he went begging from door to door in London on behalf of the starving.

Under Wesley, Methodism exercised a humanizing influence over a large section of the British people. He was a pioneer of education. As evangelism grew, an interest in foreign missions was aroused. Wesleyan Methodism was seized by the fervor for foreign missionary work which was characteristic of all Protestant denominations in the late 18th century. The Methodist leaders came to believe that the spectacular successes seen in England could be repeated throughout the world. The man chiefly responsible for the establishment of Methodist missions, and in particular the mission to Ceylon, was the Rev Dr Thomas Coke. He was a Welshman, born at Brecon in October 1747. He went up to Oxford University as a Gentleman Commoner of Jesus College, and in 1775 he took the Degree of Doctor of Civil Law. He had a large private income - unlike most Methodists - and many influential friends. Coke did not forget Asia though his dream of a mission to India and the East was not to be fulfilled for 30 years. In 1784 he was corresponding on this subject with Mr. Charles Grant, a merchant in Bengal, who later become a Director of the East India Company and a friend of William Wilberforce. In 1806 Coke had several conversations with Dr Claudius Buchanan, and heard his disturbing news about the state of Christianity in Ceylon. In 1809 when William Wilberforce referred Sir Alexander Johnstone to the Wesleyan Methodists, it became clear to Coke that "the first grand outpost of our Mission to India" must be Ceylon.

He began planning to send two missionaries and William Ault and William Harvard both answered his invitation by saying that they were ready to go. When the subject (of the commencement of a mission to Ceylon) was first named in the Conference, many rose to oppose. Mr. Benson, with great vehemence, declared that it would be the ruin of Methodism. The debate was adjourned till the following day. Dr Coke walked down the street, leaning on Mr. Clough's arm, in unutterable agony; the tears flowed down his cheeks, and almost broken-hearted, he retired to his room to pray. Mr. Clough called to enquire for him. The Doctor had not come down from his room. Mr. Clough knocked at the door, and, recognising his voice, Dr Coke asked him to walk in. There he saw the most affecting spectacle. The Doctor had not been in bed, and his disheveled silvery locks showed something of his night's distress. Mr. Clough asked what was the matter. Pointing to the floor, the Doctor said, 'There I have spent hours in pleading with God in behalf of India'. They together went to the Conference. When the subject was resumed, the Doctor delivered a most energetic thrilling address, which produced such an impression, that it was at once moved, seconded, and carried, that the mission should be forthwith commenced. Mr. Barber was either the mover or seconder. Shortly afterwards, Dr Coke called Mr. Clough out of the Conference, and they went down the street together. With joy beaming in his eye, and a full heart, Dr Coke said, 'Did I not tell you that God would answer prayer' Coke, however, began planning to go to Ceylon with a party of 12 missionaries . The Irish Methodist Conference of June 1813 enthusiastically supported him, and offered him three men out of many who volunteered - James Lynch, (basically all other members of Mr. Lynch's family were Roman Catholics) Goerge Erskine and John McKenny. The party went to London to begin the intensive preparations for departure.

The young missionaries were ordained in the Methodist way and took Portuguese lessons from Portuguese Roman Catholic priests. No teacher of Sinhala or Tamil could be found. Historically, Ceylon Methodism began when the first Methodist missionaries landed in Ceylon on 29 June 1814. But it was in 1813, when Dr Thomas Coke wrote those historic words of his, that Ceylon Methodism actually came into being - "I am now dead to Europe and alive to India. God Himself has said to me, 'Go to Ceylon'! I am as convinced of the will of God in this respect as that I breathe - so fully convinced that methinks I would rather be set naked on the coast of Ceylon without clothes and without friends, than not go there". Conference was moved by this passionate appeal and permission was granted. He offered $ 6,000 from his own savings to meet the financial cost of his mission and soon in the company of younger men - Benjamin Clough, Thomas Squance, William Harvard, William Ault, James Lynch, George Erskine and John Mckenny he was on his way. Dr Coke was in the sixty sixth year of his life when he won approval from the British Conference of 1813 to venture out to Ceylon and Java with the Gospel of God's Redeeming love. His friends did not overlook the fact that it would be a hazardous course for him to undertake so long a voyage and expose himself to the numerous hardships and dangers he would have to encounter. But his ardent zeal overcame their arguments, though it did not diminish their anxiety. In December they made their way to Portsmouth, where Coke preached his farewell sermon on the text, "Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands to God". On 30 December 1813 he sailed from Portsmouth with six younger missionaries.

On 3 May 1814 Dr Thomas Coke died and very reverently and with sad and heavy hearts his comrades buried him at sea. His colleagues continued their voyage to Ceylon, with Rev James Lynch, an Irishman, as leader. Our story would have ended there but for the fact that it was only the frail body of Dr Coke that went down to rest in the ocean bed, while his stout soul went marching on. Dr Thomas Coke's unforeseen death at sea on 3 May 1814 was a grievous personal loss to the six missionaries traveling with him to Ceylon. It took their leader away, and also deprived them of all financial resources.

The funds of the Mission were in Dr Coke's name, and although Harvard and Clough searched for three days through the papers in his cabin, they could find no document which authorised them to draw on any of his money. The outlook for the beginning of the Mission was dark indeed. "Now", said Clough, when they realised the gravity of their predicament, "it is all TRUST!" The Captain of the "Cabalva", John Birch, was the first of many true friends who helped the young missionaries both before and after they landed in Ceylon. When the ships at last reached Bombay on 21 May, after a voyage of twenty weeks, Captain Birch described their situation to Mr. Thomas Money, a British merchant. Harvard and the others were not hopeful, but they were overcome with gratitude when Mr. Money said he would be very happy to advance them money - without securities - to the credit of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society in London. He assured them that he was a firm friend to the cause of Christianity in Asia. Captain Birch also introduced them to Sir Evan Nepean, the Governor of Bombay, who welcomed them no less warmly. He entertained them at his residence, and wrote a special letter about them to the Governor of Ceylon, General Brownrigg. Meanwhile, Mr. Money was arranging for their voyage to Ceylon.

Harvard was advised to remain in Bombay because of his wife's approaching confinement, and did not eventually leave Bombay till the following January. On June 20, James Lynch, William Ault, George Erskine, Thomas Squance and Benjamin Clough set sail in the "Earl Spencer", a ship bound for China. It was a speedy voyage. In fact the gales were so strong that it might have been impossible to go ashore at Galle. Wednesday 29 June 1814 was "a remarkably clear day". The master attendant of Galle harbour, Mr. W C Gibson had received a letter from Mr. Money and was looking out for the arrival of the ship. When he sighted it lying-to three miles off-shore, he sent two boats out to meet it. The first was for Mr. & Mrs Harvard, who were to stay at his own country-house outside the town. The larger boats was for the other five and their baggage. As the Harvards had remained behind in Bombay, Lynch, Squance and Clough decided to go ahead at once in the small boat, leaving Ault and Erskine to follow with the luggage. When the three of them stepped ashore in the evening twilight, they were received by the Master Attendant of the Galle Harbour, Mr W C Gibson and escorted to the 'Kings House' where the Commandant of the Galle Garrison, Rt.Hon Molesworth, welcomed them with the words - "This is all in answer to prayer". This 'pious nobleman' was a firm supporter of the Mission from its beginning.

The Rev George Bisset, the Governor's private secretary was sent from Colombo to bid them welcome to the island and assure them that every facility would be rendered to assist them in their important undertaking. At eight o'clock they became very uneasy, for Ault and Erskine had failed to appear, but Lord Molesworth affirmed that there was no need for alarm. The strong winds and tides often carried boats away from Galle towards Weligama Bay, sixteen miles further east. This explanation turned out to be correct. Next morning he sent two palanquins to Weligama which arrived back at 5.0 p.m. with the missing pair. On Sunday, 3 July 1814, at the Commandant, Lord Molesworth's request the missionaries held their first Service in the Dutch Church, Galle, at which the garrison and nearly all the resident Europeans were present. James Lynch read the liturgy, and Thomas Squance an energetic preacher, whose voice was said to resemble "the sound of a cathedral bell" preached on 2 Corinthians 10:14 "We have come as far as unto you also, in reaching the gospel of Christ". This became a memorable one. Under the preaching of Rev Thomas Squance, a young Burgher physician, William Alexander Lalmon, offered himself for the Methodist Ministry. He became the first recruit and served faithfully for forty eight years. Lord Molesworth indeed, until his tragic death at sea a year later, proved to be one of their wisest guides and most constant supporters. He was one of many God-fearing men - both Ceylonese and European - who were deeply thankful to see the missionaries commencing their work in this Island.

Dr Coke's vision was now realised. After six hazardous and eventful months and a voyage which brought much illness and the deaths of Mrs Ault and Dr Coke, METHODISTS were at last preaching the Gospel in Ceylon, and the MISSION TO ASIA was begun. On Monday, 11 July, the first District Meeting was held at Galle, called by its members 'a conference'. They deliberated as to whether it was advisable to separate so widely from each other as would be required if the Governor's recommendation was acceded to. But after consideration due to so important a matter, they agreed that Mr. Lynch and Mr. Squance should go to Jaffna; Mr. Ault to Batticaloa; Mr. Erskine to Matara and that Mr. Clough should remain at Galle. They partook of the Lord's Supper together, that they might receive a renewal of divine strength, to fit them for duty and prepare them for trial. The first ministers of the mission who visited Colombo were Messrs Lynch and Squance. The first resident here was Mr. Harvard who was soon afterward followed by Mr. Clough. Ceylon was recognised as a District in the Missioin Field by the Conference of 1815 and James Lynch became the first Chairman. Six more missionaries arrived and shortly afterwards, Daniel John Gogerly the greatest man that Methodism ever gave to Ceylon arrived in 1818. He came as a layman to take up work as printer and press manager.

He was ordained in 1823 and became an outstanding scholar. He was Chairman of the South Ceylon District for twenty four years and died in Ceylon, never once having gone to England on furlough. The missionaries set to work with courage, zeal and faith, living with the people, learning their language and seeking to understand their needs and problems. Poverty, ignorance, disease, vice, prejudice and defiance had confronted them on all sides. Methodism began in the South. The work was spearheaded with the village evangelism and education. Schools and Mission Stations were opened out in the villages, most of which had so far not been touched by the Christian Gospel. In Negombo, the conversion in 1826 of two Roman Catholics, Don Daniel Pereira and his son Daniel Henry, opened the door for Methodism in this Roman Catholic stronghold. From the Western Province, Methodism struck inland into the hill country of the Central and Uva Provinces.

These two Provinces were very backward areas. Uva was a woefully benighted and semi-barbarious region. Samuel Landon broke new ground in Uva, taking to the people education, social reform and medical work, along with the gospel. Our story moves on from the predominantly Sinhala and Buddhist areas to the Hindu areas in the Northern and Eastern provinces. Strong Hindu forces and the iniquitous caste system were the chief opponents to the Christian gospel. In 1883 in the island of Mannar, the Methodist Missionary work was started by Rev E Middleton Weaver and the Rev I S Adams. It was a strongly Roman Catholic area and in 1908, some of the Roman Catholic people became Methodists. Today, there is in Mannar-Murunkan, a strong Methodist community. On matters of public importance, the Church has spoken with authoritative voice. And in national aspirations, it was co-operated without compromise. In the crises that shook the nation's life, the Church stood penitent and prayerful.

29th June 1997 - Pioneers of Methodist Education in Ceylon By Prince Casinader

Today marks the 183rd anniversary of the coming of Methodism to Sri Lanka. The scene commences at Portsmouth harbour in England where several passengers are waiting to undergo the rigours of an approximately 7,000 mile Sea Journey to various parts of the East. Most of them are Englishmen waiting to take up jobs as Governors, Magistrates and other Colonial posts in India, Burma and Ceylon with high salaries. But among these passengers in strange contrast is a group of men and women also waiting to embark to Ceylon. They however have no assurances of high salaries, housing and other perks. The leader of this group was Dr. Thomas Coke, Doctor of Civil Laws, a Bachelor of Arts of Oxford and a member of the Judiciary who moved in high circles in England. He at the Liverpool Methodist Conference had pleaded that he be allowed to go to then Ceylon to serve the people there. With tears pouring down his cheeks, thumping the conference table, he said "please allow us to go Ceylon for I am prepared to be even naked once I am set in Ceylon and I am prepared to be there without a single friend." Finally he said that he was quite prepared to spend his savings of 8,000 pounds on this mission. The Conference stunned into silence granted this old man, described as no longer raven haired and in his sixties, his wish. In this group was a 25 year old lady, wife of Revd. Ault. While our local fishermen were out all night fishing off the coast of Weligama, they saw some ‘White faces’ in a boat trying to come ashore on or about the 28th of June 1814.

On arrival they were taken to the then Magistrate’s bungalow at Weligama where the Magistrate was none other than the forebear of our late leader Pieter Keuneman, also a Keuneman. They had left "Bush Hotel" at Portsmouth on December23rd 1813, the team consisting of Dr. Thomas Coke Revs. William Ault, Clough, HowardLynch, Ersaine, Squance and the wife of Revd. Ault. Dr. Coke had high connections with the Lord Chancellor of England Lord Eldon, Lord Liverpool and Lord Addington who, were all his personal friends. But the journey was so tragic that before the ships could reach Ceylon Dr. Coke was found dead while kneeling in his cabin. The second blow was when some time later once again before the ship could reach Ceylon Mrs. Ault died on board and she too had to be buried at sea in her 25th year. The team had prepared themselves learning Portuguese and Dutch and had brought a printing press with them. On arrival in Ceylon, lots were cast as to which areas of the Island these missionaries were to be posted. Revd. William Ault was to go to Batticaloa and one of the oldest schools in Sri Lanka is Methodist Central College, Batticaloa which he initially founded the same year in 1814 with five pioneer students. In a letter to his mother Revd. Ault writes "With regard to accomodation I am not very pleasantly situated. I scarcely ever see bread. I have been housekeeper nearly two months and the meat had only been two peacocks which had been shot. One was sent to me as a gift and for the other I had to pay. There has scarcely been any rain for two years, The cattle have died and almost a famine is apprehended on this side unless we get rain. I dwell presently in a hut with mud walls thatched with leaves, and I pay a rent of Rs. 10 per month, I have seldom a good night’s rest as the mosquitoes sting and sting very badly. He adds how he gets up very early and learns the language of the place. But within eight months of his arrival, on the 1st of April 1815 , lonely and bereaved with only a Tamil servant standing by him, Ault breathed his last but not before he asked his servant to read a portion from the Bible.

When he died on 1st April 1815 his coffin was carried to the grave by the soldiers of the British garrison and Ault was buried in a tomb in this church and bore a stone inscription. The inscription commemorated the landing of the first Methodist missionaries at Weligama, but it remains uncared for today. One member of this group Revd. Harward established the Wesley Press in Colombo and printed a Sinhala Dictionary and a Pali Grammer. Asia’s Oldest Methodist Church was founded by one in this team, the Revd. Clough and is situated at Pettah. The Mission founded several schools - Wesley College Colombo, Methodist College Colombo, Batticaloa Methodist Central College, Jaffna Methodist Central College, Southlands Galle, Richmond College Galle, Kingswood College Kandy and Newstead Negombo. At a time when we are beginning to awake to the need of Vocational and Technical Education, this mission were pioneers in inaugurating Industrial Schools as at Wellawatte, and even in far away Bintenne in the 1880s. In the early nineteenth century records show Industrial Schools were functioning in Kallar in the East where students underwent a course of training in Brass foundry, Carpentry and Blacksmith’s work and it is stated that more orders were received than the school could cope with.

Wesley College and the Methodist Church- by Verney G B Perera

When the first Methodist Missionaries Arrived in Ceylon in 1814 they found that the Government authorities were only too pleased to allow them to preach and to establish Schools. Governor Brownrigg suggested that they should open Schools to teach English. From the very beginning of the Wesleyan Mission in Ceylon a great deal of money and effort was put into the running of our schools. In 1858 there was increasing pressure for the establishment of High schools at Colombo and Galle. - In 1868 the need for a School like Wesley - an Institution under a thoroughly efficient Principal - was pressed. This agitation bore fruit in. 1873 when the Rev. S. R. Wilkins was sent in order to start Wesley College in the following year, and Wesley was opened in Dam Street, opposite the Kachcheri, in Pettah, on March 2nd 1874. Right from the inception, the Methodist Church has taken a very keen interest and spent. millions of rupees in maintaining Wesley as one of the leading Schools in Colombo. Having had six missionary Principals in the first twenty years, Wesley in 1895 welcomed the Rev. Henry Highfield, who remained as Principal, till 1925. In 1902 an excellent site of five and a half acres near Campbell Park was purchased by Rev. Highfield who cycled round Ceylon making appeals to Old Boys and others. He alone collected Rs. 38,500 while the Missionary Committee in England sent nearly two lakhs of rupees - five times the amount collected by Rev. Highfield. People see Wesley today and few realize how it came to be built. Yet it is due to the heroic labours of one person, and thousands who have received their training here, are what they are today for that reason, owe it to Rev. Highfield. Rev. Highfleld directed, the activities of Wesley for 30 years and the quality of his work is attested by a succession of boys as distinguished as those of any school in the country. Nearly all these boys came from humble homes, the majority could never have had a higher education but for Wesley. They distinguished themselves in all walks of life.

When the take-over of denominational schools was about to take place, the Methodist Church exercised, the option to keep one Boys' School - Wesley - and one Girls' School - Methodist, out of the Government scheme but allowed, without any protest, the taking over of its other 175 Schools. The Methodist Church has played a very important part in the affairs of Wesley right throughout the past century~ It has provided magnificent buildings and maintained them in a state of good repair. It has provided some of the best educationalist missionaries. It has trained abroad some of our own Ceylonese Principals It has advanced large sums of money to pay the staff It has provided a magnificient board with representatives from. Parent Teachers Association and Staff, to run the school The great aim of Wesley was to give the boys a. substantial education to make them useful members of society, and has rendered yeoman service to the children of all communities, races and creeds, and most. of those who have shone in the different spheres of life are non-Christians. -And these non-Christians remained true to their religion both because of and in spite of being educated in a Christian Institution, like Wesley..

Gaining Autonomy

The British Conference which met in Preston in June 1963 passed the resolution granting autonomy to the Ceylon Church. The Chairman of the Ceylon District was present on the occasion, and received the warm greetings of British Methodism under whose wing the Ceylon Church had come of age.The Service of Inauguration of the Ceylon Methodist Conference was held on 18 June 1964. The service opened with the singing of the hymn "We come unto our Father's God". During the singing of this hymn, the members of the Ceylon Conference and the delegates from the British Conference entered the church in procession and took their seats in the chancel. Even in this opening act of praise our minds were brought back in thought to the early missionaries and their successors, both Ceylonese and from overseas. "We bring thee Lord the praise they brought, we seek Thee as Thy saints have sought in every generation".One of the most significant moments in the history of Ceylon Methodism was at this Service when the Rev Dr Frederic Greeves, as the President of the British Methodist Conference, declared that the Methodist Church, Ceylon "is now inaugurated for the purpose of witnessing to the Good News of Jesus Christ and for the spreading of Scriptural Holiness throughout the land and to the ends of the earth".

From that moment the Ceylon Church was autonomous!It has been said that freedom is not being able to do what you like, but it is being able to become what you ought to be. Now that Ceylon Methodism is free, she should seek above all else to become what God means her to be.The most historic moment in the service was when the President of the British Conference - who up to this point was also the President of the Methodist Church in Ceylon - called upon the persons who had been appointed by the British Conference and the Ceylon Synod, as signatories of the Deed of Foundation of the Ceylon Conference, to come forward and sign.

Very appropriately, the signing of the Deed of Foundation was followed by the singing of the Te Deum. After the reading of the Scripture lesson, the President of the British Conference inducted the Rev Frederick Stanley de Silva as the first President of the Conference of the Methodist Church, Ceylon. A very pleasing act followed when the new Ceylon President was robed by three former Chairmen - the Rev S George Mendis, the Rev G Basil Jackson, and the Rev Dr James S Mather. Also one of the most moving acts of worship was the singing of Charles Wesley's great hymn, "Behold the servant of the Lord!" Once more we were made aware of the rich heritage that is ours in the hymns of Charles Wesley.After a brief service of Holy Communion and the singing of the hymn, "Now let us see Thy beauty Lord", the President, Rev Frederick S De Silva preached the sermon.

The President's sermon was titled "In Christ, In Lanka" and for its text Philippians 1:1 - "To all the saints In Christ Jesus, who are at Philippi".In the course of his sermon he said, "Man's spirit cannot any longer be tied down even to this planet. It could burst the barrier of national cultures and create a world culture of its own. It could discard every religion that has no relevance to the march of history and the developments of science. In all this upsurge of man's spirit, with its concomitant dangers, I can also see the hand of God bringing about His new creation. 'If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation'.

To be in Christ is to be caught up in God's purposes to bring about His new creation"."The finest flower of the Christian life is not only the life of the priest, the sevaka and the sister, but also the life of the parent bringing up his family, the farmer producing food, the clerk and statesman keeping the wheels of society going while they are in Christ"."The Church is in this land to bring the divine perspective to bear upon everything that happens here. Not because we want to save the Church, but because we want to save 'The Pearl of the Indian Ocean'. We are called to be saints In Christ In Lanka. Let us go forth into the life of our country with our eyes on the Divine compass".The Conference met in business session on June 20, and after devotions, the Vice President of the British Conference Mr. David Foot Nash inducted Mr. H Watson Peiris as the first Vice President of the Ceylon Conference. Mr. Peiris in his address stressed the Priesthood of all Believers and called upon Methodists to understand its implications. The Deed of Church Order was signed and the Conference entered into a covenant of continuing partnership with the Methodist Missionary Society.

The Methodist Conference is held annually in August at which the Home Church in UK is represented by a delegate.

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