Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-06
PASTORS IN A FLUTTER.
METHODISTS SEEKING NEW
PLACES FOR NEXT YEAR.

The South Georgia Annual Conference
to Meet at Brunswick on Wednesday,
No Changes Expected to be Made in
the Savannah PuIpits-The Services in
the City Churches To-Day.
The MethOdists Of Savannah, and, in
| deed, throughout the entire southern and
southeastern part Of the State, are just
now actively discussing the question:
"Who will be our minister next yearW
The Methodist churc1, as is well known,
does not permit its ministers to remain at
one appointment more than three years.
| Often there are reasons why they should
be transferred to a new charge at the end
| Of one or two years. Hence when confer
ence meets, which 1t does annually, there
Is always great uncertainty and much
anxiety on the part of both people and the
ministers themselves over the "appolnt-
ments."
| The South Georgia Annual Conference,
which comprises In its Jurisdiction eight
districts, including all the churches in
the South and Southeastern and South
western portions Of the State, and has,
altogether, about 40 clerical members
and lay delegates, besides fifteen or more
supernumerary and superannuated
ministers, will meet at Brunswick
next Wednesday. The appointments
of the ministers to their fields of labor
for next year will be made, probably the
following Monday or Tuesday evening
BY Bishop A. W. Wilson, of Baltimore,
who will preside.
In making the appointments the Bishop
ls governed largely by the recommended
tions of the presiding elders, who together
constitute his cabinet. Strong influences
are always brought TO bear on the pre-
siding elders and the Bishop from the out
side, especially, however, In the more i'm
pOTtant appointments, so that the assign
ment of a minister to a given church is
| largely the result Of human agency.
| Each minister being of course de-
sirOus of more pleasant surroundings
! and better salary, has his heart set to
/ greater or less extent on being sent to
/ particular church, and eXerts himself to
/ secure what he wants. The people of
/ each church want some particular preach
/ er to minister to their spiritual needs, and
! the board of trustees or stewards does it's
! level best usually to induce the Bishop
and presiding elders to give them what
! they want.
| 1t is impossible at this time to forecast
| with any degree Of certainty any of the
! appointments, but from Information from
/ the best posted authorities concerning the
/ influences at work there seems to be no
! ibdSOuS lOI GApeCllug 4 CudHBe III any u
/ the Savannah pulpits The Savannah
| district. of which Rev. J. B. McGehee is
| presiding elder, has sixteen appointments
! which we're filed during the past year as
| follows:
| Savannah-Trinity and Marvin church
es. Rev. T. T. Christian.
| Wesley Monumental church-Rev. W.
! G. Lovett.
| New Houston street church-Rev. II.
! ?. Myers.
Bryan-supplied by J. T. Minis.
| Springfeld-J. B. Wardlaw.
! Sylvania-Rev. r. F. Evans.
Bethel-Rev. s. W. Stubbs.
Millen-Rev. w. j. Flanders.
! WaynesborO-Rev B. f. Breedlove.
Bethanv-Rev. FL. r. Fielder.
| Louisville-Rev. NJ. F. McCook.
| Gibson-Rev. j. B. Griner.
| DayisbOro-Rev. j. NJ. Lovett.
Sandersville and Tennille-Rev. j. R.
McCleskey.
Washington-Rev. ]. f. senteIl.
Pine Hill and Harris-Rev. B. Il. Sass
nett.
Trinity's pastor, Rev. T. T. Chris
tian, has just completed his second year
here, and it is usual In such cases to
send the pastor back for third. ReVs.
Lovett and Myers, of the Wesley MOnu-
mental and New Houston Street churches,
| were appointed at the last annual con-
| ference by Bishop Cranberry to succeed
Reys. Hayes and Matthews, and conse-
| quently have only filled their present
| charges for one year. There are under
stood to be no especial reasons for expect
| ing change in either pastorate. The
| outside charges-those in adjoining cOun-
ties-will Of course, many of them, have
new pastors.
The reading Of the appointments, which
| takes place at the close Of the conference,
is always an anxious occasion for the
ministers. Very few. il any, of them know
for certainty where they will be sent the
| next year, or whether they will be re-
moved from the charge where they la
bored the year before. The bishop and
his cabinet meet daily. and sometimes
twice day, during the conference, but
| their deliberations are private, and not
until the names are read at the close of
the session do the ministers know where
their lot will be cast There is always,
| however, the probability of a
change based on the principle of timer
ancy, which is one OF the fundamental
rules Of the Methodist church discipline.
To-day the ministers throughout the
entire conference will hold their last
services of the conference year. Some Of
them will be reapDOinted to their same
charges, and others will be sent to new
fields. The services IN the savannah
Methodist churches to-day viii be I'M
usually interesting. At Trinity church
the pastor will officiate at the morning
devotional services. The sermon will be
preached by Rev. David Morton, OF Louis
vile, Ky. Tonight the anniversary of
the Trinity Sunday School Missionary
Society will take place at $50 O'clock.
At Wesley Monumental church bap-
tismal and reception service will be held
at II O'Clock this morning, followed by the
communion. At $3.50 O'Clock this after
noon the Sunday school will hold its an
niversary celebration. Tonight at Z 80
O'Clock Rev. David Morton, DID,, Of LOU
isVille, will preach.
AT the New Houston street church there
will be preaching this morning and to-
night as usual by the pastor, with Sunday
| school at $3.50 this afternoon. The fourth
| quarterly conference OF the church will be
| held tomorrow evening.
|