The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-04-04
NEW YORK EAsT CONFERENCE

AAo4Al Do1eHo0 0eoom0i Doy'o k'rocee0.
tngs-Livcly Discussion Over New
X Prcaehcr-<sGeod Mem" Afraid ef Losing
Good Places IL He, II Admitted-The
, Crime OF Being Forty Years Old and
Having . Wifc and Eight Childrcn-
The HIinard Home-Half . Century In
the Itinerancy. 9's% 'ap23 ,A' r 9tS
The devotional exercises yesterday were led by
Rev. DR.. Roche ana the prayers had special refer
ence to the Atlantic disaster andto the sorrow Of
the survivors and friends OF the lost. The roll was
called. and the minutes read and approved. On
motion OF Mr.. Wis the calling OF the roll In future
sessions was dispensed with. 81 p4aaiee ~
Z DR.. WOODRUFF offered o resolution requesting the
Bishops to fix the annual sessions Of the Confer
ence not later than the wednesday succeeding the
first Monday in April Adopted. st ~
The disciplinary questions were then put, and the
brethren who were admitted on trial last year
were called for examination Of character aud con-
tinuance ON trial. Rev. VIM. Brown withdrew OF hts
own accord. ana Rev. James II. Dudley was dis
continued BY the Conference. The continuance Of
Rev. David McMullen. who has been on trial one
year, occupying the pulpit Of Nathan Bangs Ne
mortal church In Brooklyn, where his ministry has
been very successful He has also filed other pull
pits as local preacher very acceptably. Neverthe-
less when the examination OF his character came
up his Presiding Elder. Rev. Charles Fletcher.
opposed his continuance ON the grounds OF his
age Qorty-two years. and his large family eight
children, which. In the ELDERS opinion, would re-
quire good city charges to supporthim and his,
and thereby other fssasy gUe 3aaaftN
Is. & GOOD MEN WOULD DE CROWDED OUT.
TWO other Presiding Elders also declared that
they had no place on their districts for this
brother. But they gave no better reasons than
Mr.. Fletcher. .gE aE s3i as.s1sa i5slic
Rev. w. p. CoRBTT ana DR.. ROCHE made very
pointed addresses In favor Of the candidate. They
secuted the idea that the age or the family Of Mr..
McMulien was Objectionable. n the Lord had
called him to the ministry He would take care OF
his family too. Mr., Kelsey believed, with the late
family were II the man himself was right ne would
carry the family with him. Rev. Mr.. Mallory OPP
when he was received such man as Mr. McMul
len, with his iamily and years, could not come
within one thousand miles Of the Conference. In
deed, II he had only one wife he could not be re-
ceived--Q aughter) and the young mon who were
received could not even make advances IN the
direction Of marriage until they had been ordained
Rev. Mr.. HENSON very good.humoredly suggested
and p t ~ Mr. M VINO are so
good berths would step aside and let him take their
MI Mr.. BUCKLEY remarked that Mr.. McMullen had
been his neighbor for year and he considered him
o good preacher, and his children. who have been
or community Three OF his children are support
Ing themselves, and tue weak church Of seventy.
five members to whom he has ministered unani-
mOusiy requested him to bring his family with him
to their church. And he had no doubt that there
were score OF charges around. who: II the people
could hear Brother McMullen preach one month,
would ask for his appointment to them. And mad
- AN EXCELLENT PREACHER
ne could not have sustained himself In the wilder
ness In which he has been placed during the past
year: In regard to the supposed expensiveness Of
Brother i McMuiien could with his family, live more
comfortably on less money than ne buckley
o1 a ID a so accountable had
Brother McMuen been In another country Charge
where he had labored year as local preacher
that the outsiders not church members at all
gave him surprise donation OF $1,000 In apprecia-
ton OF his pastoral labors toward them. He
believed that the Lord would take care OF the man
D. Dr. MERwIN, Presiding Elder Of the New York
district, moved that the Conference pass Brother
McMullen's name for the present. The Presiding
Elders had already said they had no place for him
and could not ind any, and he (Merwinl did not
give him. We can't take him In, said the speaker,
without dsplacing other good men.
DIR. SCUDDER had no objection to this brother be-
cause OF his children. He himself had had ten OF
them, and he believed in the Scripture declaration
that blessed 4 the n that ash ms run
Brother Mcklullen. M
PRESIDING ELDERS CAN'T FIND WORK FOR GOOD
Presiding Elder PILLsBURY did not know where
he could md place on his district for Brother
pass the brothers. character, and he therefore
moved to that effect. The brothers character was
passed unanimously He moved t then H.. that MT
table for the present. DR.. Woodruff also supported
this disposition Of the case, but before vote could
The Rev. Dr. CURRY got the door and threw or
his 0yercoat, and In q little while utterly de-
siding elders and others. He said Brother Mckul.
len had seen two or three years. service in the
itinerancy, and had therefore some standing In
nc Crufo anna IA nff no Iao
that the Conference must not admit man to its
ranks unless the presiding elders can ind place
said the Doctor, stable Of cid hacks and nothing
else. He denied the right OF the presiding elders
to pass thus summariiy upon the character Of any
Conference to the Annual Conference. That Is
THE PRER0GArIvE OF THE CONFERENCE
Mr.. BUCKLEY then moved, as a substitute for all
that was before the house, that David McMullen be
On a snGes sa no objection to
brother on account OF his family. did not think
| that the Conference would do Mr.. McMullen
justice In sending him to charge which could not
support him with his large family. They had forced
him out OF the Bible House, where he was earning
ore to make suitable provision for him This The
presiding elders had declared, could not be done at
present and he INT. Wooiruf0 thought they should
not continue the brother any longer on trial, but
give him . chance now to return to his former
Rev. S. W. THOMAS related circumstances which
| Brother McMullen to the ministry, but had also
opened the way for him.
! METHODIST MINISTER'S ONLY PLACE HUNTERS
Rev. ]. 8. WILLIS asked, What Is the duty OF the
Conference IN this cases Must they take care Of the
Church or Of the ministry (voices-"Both.'D he
toral which stated that the present race OF Metho-
dist preachers bad drifted away from the purity and
simplicity OF the Fathers, and that they were now
merely place hunters. He would like to know what
| other opinion stranger could form from their
| discussion this morningS He had taken charges
that gave him only $163 year, and during his
ministry bis salary did not average more than $500
| year.
Rev. A. 8. HUNT, who was pastor Of First place
I church, Brooklyn, ten years ago, when Mr.. McMul-
len was received into the Church, and BY whose
| quarterly Conference he was afterwards licensed
as an exhorter and local preacher testified to the
piety aud ability Of Brother McMullen.