Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1882-05-13
Generai Conference Of them Z. Church,
south.

The ninth quadrennial session Of the een-
eral Conference Ofthe Methodist Episcopal
Church. South, convened in the city ofNash-
willie. Tenn. on the 3nd instant. All the
bishops were present, namely, Rev. Robert
Paine. ID. D., senior Bishop, Rev. Geo. r.
Pierce. u. T., Fey. II. II. Kayanadgh, DID,
Rev. J. e. Keener. II. b, and Rev. ii. y.
Ncryeire. d. u. -Pishrp Paine called the
conference 20 order, and S.tc- the religious
exercises in which all thetishops participa-
ted. the roll of clerical and lay delegates
representing 39%annual conferences, was call
ed. The Conference is composed OF about 3OO
members. Rev. Thomas o.. Summers, d.. d.,
Ii. d.. who has served as secretary at each
successive general conference since the or
caniza;ioa Of the Methodist Episcopal
Church South in 1916, was nominated and
unanimously elected secretary, a compliment
which be ACKNOWLEDGED inappropriate terms.
Bishop McTyeire read the Bishops address,
8 paper prepared with great care. BISHOP
Paine after the reading of the address was
concluded arose and made sn exceedingly
touching personal address 90 the conference,
recounting his services for e5yesrs rs an l.
t"incrant Methodist preacher, 80 years OF
which have been spent in the eplScopacy,
and then stated that bis growing ifhrmltleS
rendered 10 necessary &c ask that he be allow
cd a su|nerannnated relation for the bret re-
maindcr of his life, which, be said, was @
tracing % a narrow space. He commenced
his ministry in Tennessee % years ago, and
after the circuit OF his long and useful HE
here I'm the State. where he began his min
istrv. he closes his effective labOrS. BlSt~ +
Paine IS more than 50 years OF age. lie Is
feeble and lettering IN his walk, bit II Is
beautiful 70 see his sTR going down without
a cloud. growing rounder. richer ard more
respleudcnt Is II touches the horizon. HIS
escutcheOn is untaruiShed. lie has made u
record tina; has noblot. The conference was
moved % tears By his parting address. The
business thus fac has beer ~ routine char
acter. The election Of additional Bishops
il il thought will take place this week. The
Bishops recommend the election otthree bat
il Is thought the Conference may decide to
elect four or five. The Bishops address
made an encouraging exhibit Of the growth
of the Church. The membership Is nearly
100000: the increase in collection for For
eign Missions the past four years hss been
Slll.435, and in every department OF the
Church work marked progress has been
made.
Dr.. summers, Secretary ofthe Conference
was taken suddenly i'll on Friday, 3rd day
Of the Conference, and died on saturday
morning. I'm 1866 he was elected editor OF
the Nashville Christian Advocate, which po-
si,ion heoccupied until ~, whoahewa was cleo
ted professor of systematic theology IN the
Vanderbilt University. He was a prolific
and able writer, and at the time of his death
was about 10 send to press q work on "oys-
tematic Theology" Or. Summers was sec
rotary of every general conference held since
1874. and was complimeuted with that dis
t%inction at the present conference, in which
he performed the duties of the position two
DAYS before he was compelled 70 relinquiSh
il bv his last illness. lie died at six O'Clock
Saturday morning at his home on the an
derbilt University campus. His successor
rs secretary of the conference Is Rev. John
:. Martin. II. D., of the Baltimore Confer
ence. and AZ present presiding elder Of the
Stanton Va district. DIR. Martin has
beensecretary of the Baltimore Conference
for thirty years and s delegate TO and aSsis-
tant secretary of the General Conference AT
every session since the war.
ON Monday resolution was adopted re-
questing the committee on %episc0pacy 70 re-
port by Thursday recommending how many
bishops shall be elected by this conference.