The New York herald., 1877-03-19
The Travelling Preachers and
Their Burdens"
WESLEY AT A DISCOUNT.
Theory and Practice OF the
Change-About System.


with his noble motto, ''The world is my parish" an
inspiration follow the footsteps his Master
preach the Gospel wherever he found willing hearers
This the distinguishing feature Of early Method
ism in England and America But old times have
changed old manners gone, and now the sons or the
prophets like their namesakes OF Elsha's day, when
they ind pleasant situation they desire to stay there.
II otherwise, why do the preachers of New York
aud vicinity spcnd much time publicly and
privately discussing the pastoral tcrms II Is
the only thing in Methodism that will not
"down' at the bidding OF these men, They have
givcn month or publicly to i,s consideration
each year for the last four lye years. They want
the disciplinary restriction removed, that the
toratc shall be without limit The present limit 10
three years, except In the case OF chaplans
In the army or navy, In benevolent institutions
secretaries of societies agents OF colleges and
universities Under those exceptions Dr. Holdich Of
this city, has beon secretary Of the American Bible
Society for twenty-scven years, Rev. f. Q. Bate
has chaplain OF the Seamens Friend Society of
this city for twenty years. nd other ministers OF the
denomination take advantage OF similar exceptions TO
rrolong their pastorate But they ''travelling
preachers" nevertheless, the disciplinary sense.
They travel to the meeting place OF conference from
year to and have the satisfaction OF hearing tho
Bishop perform the pcrunctory duty OF making their
appointments or course the pastoral Limitation does
affect them, and they relatively disnterested
brethren produce the itnerancy
THE TiRESOME TRAVELS.
But that II may tho readily be seen how hardly
harshy the tnerancy presses upon those who are
not chaplans secretaries and agents a few samples
VIII be gwen Dr. A. s. Hunt Is member OF the New
York East Con nIerencc, and since 1889 he has not
'ravclled" beyond the city OF Brooklyn except for
pleasure general conference delegate His last
pastoral travel was from First place TO Pacific street,
and all his itnerang for eighteen years has been OF
like Rev. John Parker (second) belongs TO the
same Conference and he has travelled 1868 from
New York TO Brooklyn and back again. his last travel
being from Seventh street, New York, to Warren
street, Brooklyn, and next month he will travel to
south Second street. Eastern District SO reports say
Rev. r. Z. Putncy entered the New York East
Conference in ls44. since which time he has
spent only eight years out Of New York or
Brooklyn. He has itinerated for twenty-ave
years between those two ces and hts last travel was
street, south Brooklyn Ills next movo, If tho slae is
not broken, will be 10 Carroll Park Church. DR.. H. l..
/. l. (whcre he has nnc homestead ana where his
family reside) and John Street Church, New York.
Ana r Nu s or e
still residing In his own house In Huntington Rev.
W. G. Steel has itincrated between New York and
Brooklyn Tor eight years, Dr. c. K. True between
Brooklyn and Wntesone for seven years, and pre-
vious 10 1870 he professor nWesleynn Uni
versty, Middletown, Conn, good as settled pas
torate Rev. J. /. Glider travelled from South Harlem,
New York. TO York street, Brooklyn, and }. Dickinson
| from Brooklyn to North New York. W. p. CorDit
has circulated for the greater part 81 years
between New York, Jersey City and Newark n. j. J.
| NJ Buckley has ''travelcd" between Brooklyn and
Stamford Conn., for twelve years, giving six years 10
present pastoral In stamford. 1t is then his pur
ose according rumor to spend year travelling in
| Europe until tho vacancy occurs In the SuMmerield
Church. Brooklyn, again. when he will step in and
| servo them three years morc thus spending fifteen
time with them This is certainly "trayeing' with
vengeance And thcrc Is no law except that OF con-
yonience that requires Methodist itnerans 10 Leave
Since 1851 Dr. j. A. Roach has not had pastorate out
side those cities, New York and Brooklyn; and
there Is reason why he should not minister hero for
| twenty years more II he pleased, and his age and
strength permitted. These are but samples Of 'trav
| cling preachers" in ono Conference.
UNBEARABLE BURDENS.
It IL virtually tho same In the New YORK and every
one Of tho cghty,nine conferences; Presiding Elder
foughkeepsie ana New York districts alternately for
nearly eight years And somc OF his preachers travel
less than he For instance. Rcv. W. p. Abbott trav
ellcd all the way from Washington square TO Forty
first street, and Row. William Lloyd travelled from
Poughkecpsie to Washington square HIS next move
| however, will be from Metnodism TO tho Reformed
onsnOo ap p Chapman nsraed from St.
| Church, Brooklyn, 10 st. Paul's Church, New York,
and tho noxt month he will travel back again. Rcv
j. w. Selieck travelled from Twcntyfourth street TO
| Lexington avenue. Rev. W. Osrandcr from Forty.
fourth to Perry street, and Rev. C. s. Brown from tho
latter the Five Points Mission OF which no is now,
intendent Rev. II. B. BIrkins also travelled
from rhirtieth street to Washington Heights
Row Thomas Lodge from Dobb's Ferry West twenty.
fourth street, Now York; Wesley X. DAVIS from
Brooklyn to Harlem, and Dr. " n Sims his success
Brooklyn. Emory j. Haynes last travel as Method
st itlnerant was from Hanson place to Seventh av-
cnuc Brooklyn, two years ago. but even that stretch
of travelling was much for him and he has walked
altogether of tho Methodist Episcopal Church into
the Baptist Two years ago his predecessor also, Dr.
Joseph Wild became dissatisfied with Methodist itin-
erancy and left Mcthodism and the Seventh Avenue
Church become the settled pastor OF tho Union Con-
gregatlonal Church, in Elm place. But this hardly
suits now, the latest rumors arc that his resigna-
ton will take orcct there within few weeks
| Tne Rev. John P. Farmer, hate Mothodist minister
at Penn YAM N Y, though not In this vicinity, has
also left tho denomination and become Baptist and
pastor the Baptist church IN that place. And SO the
disquict Is manfcstng itself here and hcrc against
the itinerancy And yet as wo have shown, Is al
fiction OF the imagination In the cities where
the greatest outcry is raised against It.
But why multiply instances One man. as has been
shown, can spend twenty years d, between New YORK
eighteen. and sti another seventeen years, and many
from three TO fifteen years. And this Is Method.
list itinerancy under which its ministers chafc and
stampedcl This, Too, supposed to bc what John
Wesley designed for his travelling preachers" and
what bo forever guarded with jealous care ana
surrounded with constitutional barriers that TO jump
over lump into demon natlon. This ~ the
tom Of Methodist preachers in New YORK ana Vicinity
cannot bear. They must not be compelled 10 travel
onethrd mile IRON Pacific street TO FIRST Place or
versa from Fourth street to Forty first street,
| New York--a couple of miles ride In tho horse cars !
And this is the matter that the New York Travelling
| Preachers Meeting have already spent hrcc Mondays
discussing. They tried to bring pressure to bear
upon the last General Conference which In Balli-
more TO remove the restriction lar related to
the episcopacy, SO that the bishops should become
practically doccsans II would then be an easy stop
10 settled pastoratcs among the tncrant preachers,
The General Conference favored the scheme
so far send the question down to tho
| Annual Conferences for their action, II being q
constitutional question requiring the votes OF three.
fourths OF all the Annual Conferences, and then two-
thirds OF tho ensuing General Conference before tho
change be effected. But the Conferences that
| have already voted have been almost unanimously
opposed to any change or modification in tho episcopal
itincrancy, and probably would be equally emphatic
| against settled pastorate.
| "A BUT LITTLE WOOL"
But why should the Methodist preachers of New
York and vicinity raise cIamor against limited
pastoralef They have the right now to stay IN one
charge for three years. yet Presiding Elder
who rs IN position to know whereof no ailirms,
told them last week that only six per cent OF the
preachers remain their charges three years. while
| nvn vcur rnrn