Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-08-26
The Iowa Conference.

The Iowa Conference of the NJ E. Church,
as at present constituted, occupies, territori-
ally, all of the State south of line, COM
mencing at Davenport which it excludes,
running along the lire of railway to Iowa City,
SO as to exclude that place, and to include the
villages on the road; thence, by the Iowa
river, to the corner of Iowa, Benton, Talna
and Poweshiek countless and thence due west
to the Missouri river. 1t embraces nine dis
tricts, and one hundred and eleven stations,
circuits and domestic missions. The Confer
ence is composed Of 1876 preachers-113 of
whom are pastors, 9 presiding elders, editor,
l Bible agent, College President, Profess
ors, College agent, and are superannuated.
Classified enthusiastically, 26 are probationers,
"a are deacons, and sc are elders Of the
preachers now in the body, were associated
with it at the time Of its organization in 1914,
g. have graduated in it since, 26 are now on
probation, and Ill have been received by
transfer or re-admission from other Confer
enccs. OF these, the Ohio Conference has
supplied s, Cincinnati and Western Virginia
have contributed 5 each, Indiana and S. E.
Indiana 4 each, North Indiana 3, Baltimore
and Missouri 2, and N. w. Indiana, Illinois,
Wyoming Michigan, North Ohio, Erie, East
Baltimore and Peoria each. Tho churches
in connection with the Conference reported,
last year, a membership, including probation
ers, of "a, $50, and 299 local preachers There
are 1911 churches, valued at 1892 1902, and Al
parsonages, valued at $25, 675. In association
with the churches are 1928 Sunday schools,
with 16,443 scholars. Considering that the
first efforts to plant Mcthodism in Iowa date
back only to 1885, that the Conference was
first organized in 1914, and that the State
itself is only 10 years old, we must conclude
that this is very striking exhibition Of
western go-ahsadatiueness, and proof of the
rapid growth of Southern Iowa.
The Conference which is to assemble in this
place, on the 7th of next month, will be one
of more than usual interest. Besides the
regular course Of Conference business, it will
have to discuss many questions of interest to
the church at large, and elect delegates to
represent it in the General Conference, which
will assemble in Buffalo, N. Y, May LIST, 1850.
The propositions to recommend to that body
the passage of rule absolutely prohibiting
saveholding in the church, the admission Of
lay delegates to the Annual and General Con-
ferenccs, the modification Of the presiding
eldership, and the extension of the time Of a
preacher service in circuit or station beyond
the present two years limit, will all, most
probably, be brought up for the consideration
Of the Conference Add to this the PROPOSE
ton to recommend the re-divsion of this
Conference, and the formation of a new one in
Southwestern Iowa, and we have q pro.
gramme of subjects, the discussion Of which
must call for a more than usual display of
argument, and render the sessions peculiarly
interesting.
Arrangements have been made for the
publication of full and reliable reports of the
Conference proceedings in this paper; so that
those who cannot attend the session will know
where to find them, and can read them at their
leisure. We trust our citizens will fully
sustain the enviable reputation of Muscatine
for hospitality, and that the Conference will
have reason to congratulate itself for its
acceptance of the invitation to assemble here.