The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-11-23
people ;sand iswH truly gratifying to him
TO be able to give 20 good q report as he

4
resting report Of the work in which lie had
been engaged In the city OF Richmond
during the year. The average attendance
of the scholars had increased during the
year more than eighty per cent. Commit
/ tees OF ladies had taken the matter in hand,
and were doing good service in clothing the
poor children, To enable them 10 attend
| Sunday school, and over seventy were now
In one Sunday school who had been clothed
by one ladies' society.
Presiding Elder LIS. Reed, from the
Charlottesville district, spoke Of the good
work which had been done 10 the district.
Six or seven hundred conversions had taken
very flourishing condition. The>ninisters
from that district corroborated the state
ments of their presiding elder, and bore
testimony to his worth and efficiency, and
he in turn spoke Of their good wooks, COM
mend;ng them to his brethren wherever
they may be sent. ...---,
Rev. Peter A. Peterson, presiding elder
of the Lynchburg district, said that the
religious condition Of his district was
healthy and sound. The ministers in the
circuit bore testimony to his zeal and eff
cheney in his work. =.
Rev. William II. Christian, presiding
elder of the Danville district, was called
on, and gave statement Of the religious
condition of his district. His report was
quite an interesting one, and was fully
sustained by the ministers of the district.
He gave good accounts of tho work of his
ministers during the year. a
Rev. N. Head, presiding eldor Of the
Farmville district, said that the territory
and membership Of his district was one Of
the largest in the conference. lie has
closed his fourth year in tho district, and
they have been years marked with great
good to the church. There had been over
seven hundred conversions in the district,
and nearly all of them lad become commu-
nicants in the church. The ministers had
been very fruitful Of good works, and he
doubted not rich reward would follow.
Rev. Henry B. Cowles, presiding elder
of the Petersburg district, said this has
been laborious year with the preachers,
and their efforts have told very effectively.
The religious condition Of the district has
been much improved.
Rev. Edward b. Wilson, presiding elder
of the Norfolk district, reported that this
district had been visited during the year
with gracious outpouring of the Divine
Spirit, and many souls had been brought
to Christ; and gave good report of the
pastors on the several charges.
While the list Of ministers of this dis
trict were being called, that Of Mr.. Kof-
man was not omitted. The presiding elder
said: I" He is no longer with us, Bishop
The Bishop very gravely remarked: "This
case had better 60 to the Committee on
Memoirs" but was informed that the gen.
tleman was not dead, bnt had left the
church.
Rev. D. P. Wills, presiding elder of the
Atlantic district, said that his district was
a small but very long one, and many
miles of intervening space had to be ira
yelled to reach the remote appointments.
He had found much disorganizatiOn in the
churches when he took charge. The north
ern Methodists had been giving them some
trouble. Two churches had been added to
the district during the year. Four hundred
new members had been added. Many OF
the northern Methodists would come over
to us but for the fact that if they do so they
forfeit their church property, and will have
no house in which to worship. Upon the
calling up of the ministers he had word
to say in regard to each one, giving them
full credit for zeal and efficiency in the
work in which they are engaged.
Rev. William b. Rowzie, presiding elder
of the Alexandria district, gave tiatter-
ing account of the condition of the
churches in his district, and spoke of the
great good which had been done during the
year by the exertions of the ministers.
This concluded the work Of examination
of elders.
In the examination which we have de-
tailed above, it may possibly interest some
to know how it is conducted. First, the
name of the presiding elder is called, and
after making his report he retires from the
room, and if any of the ministers in his dis
trict have anything to say in cOmmenda-
ton or otherwise of him, they do 80. He is
then called in, and the names of the min.
listers under his charge called over, and il
the presiding elder has anything to say OF
them, they retire the remarks are made
to the Conference, and they are called in
Rev. J. E. Edwards mentioned the fact
that the names of Mr.. Haines and Mr.
Hoffman had been called; and he desired
to know if the usage Of the church allowed
a minister to become a member of this
Conference, receive his appointment, and
then, without consultation with any one,
drift off and be no longer one of us. They
have really violated contract and their
good faith, and deserve the censure of this
body, and he offered resolution to that
effect.
Some discussion was had on the subjectby
Messrs. Edwards, Rosser, and Lee, the lat.
ter remarking that he did not want to dig
Nifty them by placing their names on oul
record book. Whatever of dignity and
Importance they have heretofore received
had been through the Methodist church
and now that they have left, the only entry
which he wanted to see was, Withdrd,rn.'
The motion was withdrawn. l>E
The hour for adjournment having ar.
rived, the benediction was pronounced by
the Bishop. d.
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