The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-05-29
A Bishop for Africa.

On the 21st the General Conference of
the Methodist Episcopal, in session in
Philadelphia, after considerable discussion,
determined to adopt the report of the
committee in favor of appointing Bishop
for Africa. The selection fell on Rev. W.
Taylor, native of Virginia, a brief sketch
of whose life we give below, as we find
it in the Philadelphia Press Of the ed:
Rev. William Taylor was born May 2,
1921, in Rockbridge, Virginia. He united
with the Methodist Episcopal Church in
1871, and two years later joined the old
Baltimore Conference. In 1849 he went
as missionary to California and organized
the first Methodist Church in San Fran
cisco. In 1S56>he engaged in evangelistic
work, and spent five years i'll the Eastern
States and Canada. In 1862 he left Amer
lea for Australia, spending several months in
England and Ireland and visiting Palestine. He
commenced his work in Australia in the sunni
mer of 1868 and labored there for two years and
eight months, performing remarkable work in
Australia, Tasmania and Ceylon. The official
reports of the work show very large increase
in the membership. second visit was made
few years later, during which time large num-
bopS were added to the Church From Australia
he went to Africa and preached i'll Cape Colony,
Kaffraria and Natal where large additions were
reported, both among the colonists and natives
thence he visited England. spending eleven
months In London, in sixteen different chapels'
In 1870 he visited India and labOred q year and
a half in Ceylon and Southern India with the
missionaries of different denominations. The
following year he commenced a separate work,
which was remarkable in its character in that
it was self-supporting from the very first, and
laid the foundation for the South India Confer
ence, which was given the privilege few days
ago to divide itself into two self-supportng con-
ferences. Returning to the United States. he
preached extensively in behalf of the work in
India, securing means to send out additional
missionaries in the character OF teachers to that
country. During this time he came into con-
tact with some Of the bishops of the Church, who
1t Is reported that one of them rather peremp-
tOrily informed him that, presiding Bishop
of his conference, he would order him back to
the South India Conference. To this Rev. Tay
Master and he says am TO go to South Amer
fca." He went, and for the past six years, has
been working in Chilli, Peru and other coun-
tries in South America and in Mexico, in all of
which work he has been independent. The
Bishops would not recognize his work nor his
Conference to secure recognition.
Almost the first thing presented to the Con-
ference was a paper asking that the bishops
should be instructed to ordain his missionaries
considered ain indOrsment of his work, and a
hint that Father" Taylor. as he is called, must
be allowed the recognition that his work and
abilities demand. During the whole of yes
of delegates could be seen in the various head
quarters discussing the situation. 1t is also
rumOred that an effort will be made to have the
restriction rule ghangeds that Rev, Taylor will
become q bishop. with full episcopal powers
sion, but quite q number of delegates were
heard to say that it would be done the next
quadrential meeting.