New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-23

pying strips running across the State nom
east to west. A good deal of the geography
lacks however, the simplicity of the Illinois
arrangement There is, for example, Troy
| Conference sprawled about in three ctates
with centre at Albany and Troy ana an
Erie Conference, with marvellous cOnvolu-
lions, in New-York, Pennsylvania and ONO.
The Methodist geographer is anxiously awaited.
An annual conference is OF synod or an
assembly or a convention. 1t is Wesleyan
piece of originality. In general terms, the
pastors of each conference meet annually TO
report their years work, and bishop pre-
sides. But there is a special method and pur-
pose. Each member of the body must undergo
what is called "the passage of character"
That is the spot to make complaints, to hear
them, and to try and discipline the unworthy.
Every year each preacher Of the denomination
is put under scrutiny, and an opportunity
is given to challenge his standing. Further,
at these sessions even preachers work for the
year following is fixed" by the presiding
bishop, assisted by the presiding elders, of
whom there are from three to six in each
conference. These two functions-one OF which
is discharged by the body, and the
other by its presiding offcer-make an
annual conference "the biggest show
on earth" in the way of a religious
assembly. The preachers go up to these
meetings with their characters and their
living at stake. 1t looks pretty hard for flesh
and blood but this severe aspect explains the
intense interest of the preachers in their an
nual meetings. Time and change have soft
enod the rigOr Of the appointment machinery,
and many preachers know where they Will go
but running through the connection we shall
find that fOlr-ifths Of them all know nothing
about their destiny. A stray hint may raise
hope that it is this or that station, but the
rule still is that the bishop stands up to read
out their cOnsgnmcnts to a body Of men who
will learn their next years fate from his lips.
We shall not stop to comment upon this ar-
rangemcnt; but it is worth while to copy
some words which Moncure D. Conway re-
Gently used on the subject Of Methodist doc
trine. MIR. Conway says
No mon could 20 through tho routine Of Methodist
work rnleas he believed its doctrines 1t ia not
thing which like most other sccts can be shelyed
Sunday leaving the rest Of the week for literature
ana society IL is work, day in and day ont with no
end Of class-mectings, iovefeasts prayer-meetngs.
prcachng4. No man who did not believe all this vas
needed mo Tr3tn 70 come -aid
such life for week. And fundamentally that is the
a5octrncs-in-onc of McthOdsin--man's peril Of hell.
For such reasons the preachers endure a
wcaIisomc rotation, which has, however one
much neglected cOnsolatlon--the Conference will
serve each man somewhere with some kind of
living.
We began those remarks with the "fall con-
ference in our minds eye. Twice year the
bishops meet and distribute among them the
conferences to he held in the succeeding six
months, so there are two groups, fall and
spring conferences Between the middle of
June and the tenth of December, sixty-one of
these conferences have met or are to meet, this
present year. The meetings went right on
during the Ecumenical Conference; nothing in
tcrrupts them. They are perfectly voluntary,
but they arc as certain as the sessions Of
the Legislature. We are referring, of
course only to the group Of annual con-
fcrcuces OF the largest body of AethOdiSts
A large number Of annual conferences
OF Other branches, white and colOred are also
being held during these months. 1t is sugges-
tive of the number of Americans who are in
tcrestcd in these "fall conferences that
they embrace about 10000 churches, 5000
preachers and million Of members. No
other group Of religious assemblies has during
these six months touched the interests and
affections of so many citizens of the United
States. The nine thousand ministers viii be
found to have passed in the call of charac
ter, with not more than five exceptions;
and seven thousand of tho churches will
have changed pastors during the six months.
At moderate estimate, these facts have per-
soually interested not less than 100000
people who are now fairly representative of
all classes Of our population. 1t is very plain
to us that the American journalist will have
to study up these preachers called Method
is.s.n Not to know all about them promises
to be in tho near future Il particularly in
convenient kind of ignorance.