Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-05-01
General Conference Of the Methodist
Enise0nal Church south for 1852

The ninth quadrenniai session of the Gen
eral Conference Of the Methodist Episcopal
Church South win convene in Nashville,
Tenn. May 5, being the first Wednesday IN
May, 1882. At the General Conference held
in the city of New York, May, 1874, then
representing the whole Methodist Episcopal
Church In the United States, the church
was divided into two separate ecclesiastical
bodies, on ga plan Of separation agreed
upon by the General Conference. The oc-
casion Of the separation grew out Of the
deposition of Bishop James o. Andrew, ID.
D., from the episcopal Office on account Of
his connection with slavery. A line OF divi-
sion was agreed on, and the great Methodist
family parted North and South. The South
ern division held a convention In the city Of
Louisville, Ky, in 1S45, and proceeded to
organize an independent ecclesiastical body
under the name and title of 1.-THE Metho-
dist Episcopal Church South. "
The first General Conference OF the
Southern Church was held IN the city OF
Petersburg Va, May, 1916. The session
was held in the old Union Street Methodist
Church, near Jarratt's Hotel, now occupied
by congregation of colored Methodists.
At that first General Conference Bishops
Soule and Andrew-the two Bishops who
adhered to Southern Methodism-presided.
The conference was composed of ninety
seven clerical delegates from fifteen annual
conferences In the Southern States.
But few of the men are now living who
were members of the General Conference Of
1896 The great pulpit orator, Rev. Henry
BAscom, of Kentucky, and that wonderful
man, the Rev. Lovick Pierce, ID. D., Of
Georgia, together with such men as the
Rev. VIM. Capers, D. D., of South Carolina;
Rev. A. l.. 2. Green, d. D., Of Tennessee;
Rev. Hezekiah G. Pugh, D. D, OF North
Carolina, and many others of kindred ability,
now no more, were members OF that body.
At that conference the Rev. Robt. Paine, d.
D, then President of Lagrange College in
West Tennessee, and the Rev. VIM. Capers,
ID. D., OF the South Carolina Conference,
were elected additional Bishops In the
Southern Church. Bishop Paine is still
living. Bishop Capers is dead. There has
been a wonderful growth Of Southern
Methodism since that day, now thirty-six
years ago. Then there were but fifteen an
nual conferences In Southern MethodIsm;
now there are thirty-nine conferences.
Then less than 2 900 travelling preachers or
regular pastors; now 6,S04 Then but
$50 900 church members, 100000 of whom
were negroes; now about 100000 white
members.
The General Conferences since that ses-
sion have been successfully held as follows:
In 1850 the conference was held In StLouis,
Mo-, at which Rev. Henry Bascom, ID. D.,
was elected Bishop. He lived but few
General Conference was held In Columbus,
Ga, at which the Rev. Geo. f. Pierce, d.
D., of Georgia, Rev. John Early. D. D., of
Virginia, and the Rev. II. H. Kavanaugh,
OF Kentucky, were elected Bishops. Blsh-
ops Pierce and Kavanaugh are still
living. The conference Of 1858 was
held in Nashville, Tenn. No Bishop
elected. In 1862 the conference failed
to hold a regular session on account
of the war. The conference of 1866 was
held in the citv of New Orleans, at which
Rev VIM. M. Wightman, d. D.. Ii. D., Of
South Carolina, Rev. David s. Doggett, D.
D, of Virginia, Rev. Enoch Marvin, Of
Missouri, and the Rev. Holland N. McTYeire,
D. D., of louisiana were elected Bishops.
Bishops Marvin, Doggett and Wightman
are dead. Bishop McTyeire is still living.
May, 1870, the conference was held in Mem
phis, Tenn, at which Rev. j. G.. Keener, d.
D., of Louisiana, was elected Bishop. The
Rev. James A. Duncan, d. D., Of Virginia,
came near being elected, and would have
been elected but for the reason that part
of the delegates from Virginia were unwil-
ling to part with him as President of RAN
dolph Macon College, and on that account
only did not vote for him.
The conference of 1870 was the first at
which there was an equal number OF clerical
and lay delegates. The venerable Darcy
Paul, of Petersburg, Va, was a member Of
that conference, and, as one of Dr. Duncan's
warmest friends, would not vote for him as
Bishop, because, as trustee of Randolph
Macon College, he did not see how he could
be spared from the Presidency of the col
lege without irreparsble damage to the for
tunes just then, of the institution. Others
of DR.. Duncan's best friends, clerical and
lay, took the same ground, and barely de-
feated his election 70 the episcopacY. In
1874 the General Conference was held in
Louisville, KY. No Bishop elected. In 1873
the conference met in Atlanta, Ga. No
Bishop elected. Now the conference of 1882
will meet in few days In Nashville, Tenn,
at which, by common consent, not less than
four, probably five or six, Bishops will be
elected.
A curious feature in the election Of Bish-
OPS is that no nominations are made. The
conference spends a short season In prayer
and then proceeds to ballot. The drift of
the vote points to the man. Probably two
or three will be elected on the first ballot.
The ordination of the Bishops elect takes
place on Sunday following the election. It
is not improbable that Virginia, Georgia
Maryland, Missouri and Louisiana or Ken
lucky, possibly both, will be represented In
the new Bishops. This is conjecture from
current opinion.
In the General Conference all the great
correctional interests of the church pass in
review, such as the missionary work, the
Sunday School cause, publishing interests,
education, the administration of the Bish-
ops, conference boundaries and the forma-
tion of new conferences, etc The General
Conference is the only legislative body in
the Methodist Church, and is at the same
time the highest appellate court of the
church. The sessions usually last for about
three weeks, sometimes longer.