Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1853-12-24
From tile Tuscaloosa Monitor.
The Alabama Conference Of The N. L. Church.

whole of Middle and Southern Alabama ar3 nor
tons Of Florida and Mississippi, met in tLis city
on Wednesday the 7th inst, and is vet IN session
Last week We announced that Bishop Paine was
presiding. This announcement was made upon
the information that he would preside. and Was
constantly expected tie did not arrive, however
being detained by domestic aflicton
We have been favored with the following items
of interest from the record The Rev. G. GAR
RErr was elected President pro TEN, Rev. I. ".
DoRMAN Secretary, and Rev. JAMES A. HEARD
Assistant, The number Of ministers in attend
ance Is, We think, more numerous than on former
occasions. The usual standing committees were
appointed to consider the interests of Education
Sabbath Schools, Bible Cause, Temperance, &c,
and 10 report for the action Of the Conference
There had been an unusual degree of mortality
among the preachers during the past year; IN view
OF which a Committee of Mentors was appointed
to make Il suitable report esch to be published
with the Minutes OF the Conference, under the
supervision of the General Book Agent-that a
proper record be made of the worthy men of God
who braved the dangers Of the pestence and
pcriIed ther lives in the service of the church.
and the cause OF humanity during the past year
/ The Conference admitted on trial in theltrarel-
m9 connection, the following persons: T. W. L.
/ Mathews, Dan'l. NJ. Hudson Jas Beverly VIM
| Z. Harrison, George A. Shatfer, Jacob NJ Jen-
!
! James II. Campbell Edward Patton. Alanson B.
Norris, Levi Moore, Ezekiel f.. Majors, w. c.
/ Turner, VIM. Il. Garter, Shelton j. Kelly, John
Latham.
Re-admitted, George r. Talley, j. c. McDan-
lei, Thomas L. Dentsler and Charles Mcleod
y large class Of young Enthusiastically five
III number-who travelled one wear were continued
on trial. OF the same class, FIVE were discon-
tlnued, some on account OF i'll health, others be
cause OF considerations that rendered their dis
/ continuance Necessary.
The Conference admitted into full connection
after two years trial and thorough examination in
to their qualifications for the work of an itinerant
ministry, The following persons Asa skinner
John 3. Warren, James W. Towles, Geo. I. Ell
lis, Elisha Phillips, VIM B. Upton, Henry Urqu-
hart;-these were also elected to deacons' orders,
but no Bishop being present, their ordination was
deferred. -Four others were elected 10 elders or
deFs, and Tor the same reason not ordained at
the usual time set apart for such services. 80
Rev James 5. Bolton, a young man of great
worth, a graduate of La Grange College, who la
bored the past year under The direction OF the
Conference, offered himself as a missionary to
China, and elected to orders in reference to
that mission; in view Of which, and the general
missionary claims, the Conference Society collect
ed on Saturday night upwards Of $1,000, making
the amount collected by this Conference during
the past year about 500, 600. The fund collected
for the relief OF Superannuated preachers, and the
widows and orphans of those who have died In The
work, IS better than usual, and it is thought will
come nearer meeting the demand than at any pre-
viouS Conference.
The statistics of the church, and the increase
during the year, are not fully made out but it is
believed The increase will be considerable The
church in many places, during tie past year, has
been visited with extensive reyivals Of religion.
The session of the Conference is progressing
I hatmoniousy, and the President pro tem is con
Quoting its business with considerable dispatch and
ability. A
If we mistake not, the Alabama Conference was
organised in this city in 1889, holding its sessions
in the Town Hall OF the who formed it,
very few remain CHE pulpit on the Sabbath Of the
present meeting having contained nearly alb bu
their numbers have increased in a ratio far exceed
ing that of the population of our State. While
there are among them a few veterans still in
green old age, and few who have consecrated
their earliest manhood to the service of their Mas
ter, the great body of them appear to be in The
vigor OF life; and observer cannot but be struct
with the appearance of efficiency and energy they
present. They have been received with open hos
pitality into the dwellings OF our citizens, ant
treated, by christians OF different names as, The
servants of their common Master The pulpit,
Of the Presbyterian and Baptist churches were
thrown open on Sabbath, II tn inst, to the ap
pointments of the Conference; and. as the wealth
or fine, large numbers If our people kept thI
holy day.
/ The business sessions of the Conference have
been held in the Baptist Church
; Agreeably to appointment, the Conference Ser
mon was delivered last Friday, at noon, by Rev
Dr.. SUMMERS, of Charleston, on "Ihe TaStora
l Office and DutieS." His text was Acts 90, %
and the discourse was characterised throug CHOU
by terseness of thought; securing the unialtern!
attention Of very numerous assembly for nearl,
two hours.
: On. Saturday evening was held their annual mis-
sionary meeting. Besides the usual statistics ant
attractions of such an occasion, peculiar interes
was impaired by the presence of Rev. DR.. Jenk
ms, missionary lately returned from China, &C
companed by converted Chinaman; and by al
earnest appeal from Rev. Mr. Belton referred t.
above We have never seen in Tuscaloosa
: house Of worship 50 densely crowded as the spa
! cious cdifice Of the Methodist Church upo
that occasion. Certainly, for once, in the histor
: Of the building, its utmost capacity was tested
! and what was better the liberaty Of the peopl
toward the obiect was freely manifested
, The year has been of rather more than or
binary prosperity to the general interests of tn
denominations but, amid causes of devout thank
II tulness and encouragement, the brethren have t
: mourn over the loss of no less than nine of thei
+, number, since they last met A service in com
J memoration of these devoted men occupied Sunda
afternoon; and the esteemed and eloquent LEVER
e had been requested to preach the sermon. Ate
: thirty-four years Of hard service in the ltneran
ministry he came forward with alacrlty, AM
: vigor Of all his powers, which showed he was no
S weary of his laborS. With the language OF tn
Of IT, for fayt q