The Evening critic., 1883-02-17
THE CONFERENCE SEASON.
Pastoral Changes Tint Are TO Take
place and subjects 40 Come UP.

As the time for holding the various church
conferences is approaching congregations
arc much interested, where change Of
pastor Is to be made, as to who "the new
preacher Is to be. Apart from those who
must leave on account of having served as
long as the conference rule allows, it is
often the case that changes are made after
preacher has remained at charge for two
years. The appointing power in the Metho-
dist conferences is in the hands of the bish-
ops who preside over the conferences, after
consultation with the presiding elders,
which is feature of the itinerant system,
but generally large and influential congre-
cations know who is going to be their
new pastor long before conference
meets. Mt. Vernon Place NJ. T.
Church, Baltimore, which is included in
this category, has never yet had pastor
who belonged to the Baltimore Conference
at the time he was selected rs pastor of that
church. Rev. DR.. G. E. FELTON,, of st. Louis,
has been selected as pastor of Mt. Vernon
Church to succeed the late Rev. Thomas
Guard, and at the coming session of the
Baltimore Conference of the NJ. L. Church
he will unite with that body. The Metro
politan Church. Washington, whose pastor,
Rev. Robert n. Baer, has to leave on account
of having been there three years. has Sc
lected Rev. DIR. Huntley, of Appleton Col
lege, Wisconsin, to succeed the Rev. Mr..
Baer. Mr.. Baer will probably come to
Broadway Church, of Baltimore, of which
he was formerly pastor.
Baltimore Conference NJ. Il. Church.
The Baltimore Conference of the NJ. L.
Church, which embraces the whole of
Maryland except the Eastern Shore coun-
ties, the District of Columbia West Vir-
glnia and Frederick County, Va, holds its
annual session this year in Winchester, Va,
beginning on March z. The conference
numbers 195 preachers, besides 5 japanese
preachers abroad and 12 preachers who are
on trial. Bishop Henry w. Warren, one Of
the new bishops elected at the General
Conference in Cincinnati in 1880, will pro-
side. The pastors that must be transferred
to other charges under the three-year
rule are: Baltimorc-First Church,
Rev. j. B. Stitt; Madison Avenue,
Rev. II. r. Naylor; Broadway, Rev. A.
M. Courtnay; Exeter street, Rev. A. s.
Hank Grace, Rev. l.. c. Muller. Wash
ipgton-Metropolitan, Rev. II. N. Baer (;
McKendree Rev. G. Ii. Richardson. Cir
cults and Statons-Bentley Springs, Rev.
L. Burhman; East Hartford, Rev. IL. Nc
| Nemar; Great Falls, Rev. L. Richardson !;
| Govanstown, Rev. Joel Brown; Hereford,
| Rev. Watson Case; Luthervile, Rev. Il. G.
House; Buckeystown, Rev. d. NJ, Brown
| ing; Hagerstown, Rev. j. II. Dashiell |;
| Wiliamsport, Rev. o. c. Marriott; Mont
gomery, Rev. II. X. Murphy Rockville,
Rev. Il. j. Gross Spencerville, Rev. j. s.
| NJ. Haslup; Unontown, Rev. j. Ii. Ryland
Hancock, Rev. w, Il. Gwinn Romney, W..
| Va, Rev. ii. p. West; Winchester w. Va,
Rev. II. S. France. Rev. w. f. Ward, of
Washington, is secretary of the conference.
1t isunderstood that Mr.. Ward does not wish
to continue. Among the matters of inter-
est that will come before the conference
will be the preparations for celebrating the
centenary of Mcthodism, which occurs in
| 1884. A report on the subject will be sub
mitted by the committee appointed at the
last conference, of which Rev. j. b. Stitt is
chairman. Memorial services in reference
| to the death of the late Thomas Guard and
Rev. d. S. Fort, late pastor of Forestville
| circuit Prince Georges County, will be
held during the session of the conference.
| The last session of the conference held in
Winchester was in 1875, and since then a
number of prominent ministers have died.
| There is to be no change in the pre-
siding elderships this year under the rule.
Baltimore Conference NJ. e. Church
South.
The Baltimore Conference of the NJ. Z.
| Church South, which embraces all of the
State of Virginia and portions of Maryland,
| meets at Charlestown, Jefferson County,W.
| Va, on March IA. This conference num-
bers 1s2 ministers and 80 lay delegates, four
| from each presiding elders district. Pre-
| siding elders in this conference hold office
for the term of four years, and under this
rule the Rev. John S. Martin, of Rocking
ham District, and Rev. ]. Dice, of Lewis
burg District, will be changed. Bishop G.
Keener, of New Orleans, will preside and
Bishop Alpheus G. Wilson, of Baltimore,
is also expected to be present. Under
the four-year rule of this conference
there need be no changes made in the
pastors in Baltimore. On the circuits or
stations the following will have to be trans.
ferred: Queen Anno's circuit, Rev. H. j.
Gaver Rockville circuit, Rev. Geo. Tyler
Montgomery circuit, Rev. W. W. Watts
Mellen's, Page County, Va, Rev. A. P. Bon.
die Rockingham, Rev. l.. III. Graybill
Newport circuit, Rev. ]. S. Boyd; Peters
town circuit, Rev. r. NJ. Wheeler; Level
ton circuit, Rev. w. V. Wheeler; Perry
vile, Rev. r. II. Strother. Among the in
teresting matters that will come before thi!
conference is the Anglo Chinese Univer
war Rev. Mr.. Allen was cut off from the
NJ. L. Church South, and went to China
where he established classical school
and became so popular with the Chimes,
Government that he was made mandarin
The university of which he is now at thu
head can only accommodate 400 pupils
and there are about 1000 pupils, many o
them children of people of the highes
standing in that country, who wish to en-
ter. OF those in the university 81 wish t.
devote their lives to evangelzation. 1t i
now proposed to raise money to enable MI
Allen to erect buildings large enough to ac
commodate all who may wish to enter
Maryland Conference M. II. Church
The Maryland Conference of the NJ. l
Church, embracing Maryland, Delaware
District of Columbia, and a strip along tn
Potomac shore of Virginia, begins on th
14th of March at Westminster, Caro-
County. The conference numbers 12
preachers and has lay representation {
100. Rev. 7. ID. Valiant is president
the conference and will preside at the open
ing of the session. He will then have bee
president three years, and desires to retir
from the office, Revs. j. Il. Murray, Wi
liam s. Hammond, III. G. Cushing and b.
Benson are spoken of in connection with til
successor Of Mr.. Valiant. This confe
ence has fve-year rule, and it vii
! not be necessary to make any changes i
! Baltimore churches on that account. Re,
A. d. Murray, of Broadway Church. VIII
has been there two years, desires to be sen
to the country on account of his health.
new pastor will be appointed to Mour
Lebanon Church TO fill the vacancy cause
, , by the resignation of the Rev. Mr.. Middl
! ton. There is in the bounds of this col
ference about $1,000 members and abo,
the same number of Sunday scholar
= | Each cnnference will he in session ahout T.