Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-04-06
SOUTHERN METHODIsTS.
Facts About Their General Conference
10 be Held I'm Richmond.

From the Richmond Dispatch.
This large body is composed OF an equal num-
Der of ministers and laymen. At the approach
ing session, 10 commence in this city on the
first Wednesday in May, there will be two
hundred and sixty-eight delegates from confe r
ences embraced in the United States and Dor.
der country of Mexico and one from Central
Mexico. The bishops of the church, now five
In number, are not members of the conference.
put under the law OF the church alternately
preside over its deliberations and take part in
cldentally in the bu siness.
A LEGISLATIVE BODY.
This is the only legislative body recognized
in the economy of the church, the other con-
ferences annual and districD simply serving
10 look into the work of the church in all it's
departments and sending out men TO do the
work In the circuits. stations and missions. All
done by these subordinate conferences is SUBJ
TO this highest court come up ali appeals from
the action of the lower conferences and the
rulings of the bishops.
ITS WORK.
This conference only is authorized TO alter or
amend the disciplinary law OF the church, To
supervise missionary enterprises, church-ex.
tension operations, aud The publishing inter
ests under the control of the Methodist Epis-
copal Church South. This body elects bishops
book-edtors, missionary secretaries, sunday
school secretaries, and editors OF church Jour
mails; also, the several boards having in charge
the machinery OF missions, publishing inter
Tour years, and has under its care and super
vision thirty-two annual conferences in which
the membership numbers about one million,
besides mission in China, Brazil, Mexico and
among the Indians, il may readily be seen that
1t has much work to do, without taking into
consideration notifications and amendments
which are always brought forward to perfect
the system In the minds OF SO large member
ship.
MISSION WORK.
The matter likely TO engage and employ the
largest norton a ba irna Of ha
this year will be to perfect the plans for mis-
sion work. Some of the mission fields are get.
ting SO large that they have been organized
into annual conferences, but they are dis
tant that the economy OF the church in having
all the ministers and work under episcopal
superintendent has been found difficult "a
carry out. This will be arranged for probably
this year either by electing mission bishop Oh
arranging to detail one OF the bishops to take
the missions under his special charge.
NEW BISHOPS.
Since the last conference four of the bishops
have died-viz., Paine, kavanaugh, Pierce and
Parker. The two first-named were over eighty
years old, the third over seventy, while the
last was in the prime of manhood. This leaves
the number in office five. Probably four more
VIII be elected. AS Yet little speculation has
been INDUCED in as to the men who will be
elected.
EMINENT MEN.
The Methodist Sandhedrim will bring to
gether many notable men, Among the minis.
try there will be hardy pioneer preachers who
served on the frontier fifty years ago. and seve-
raj who range the Black Hills carrying the Cos.
pei TO the Indians and the miners-Stateler, OF
Montana, on horseback for third of a century
In the territories; Hermenegildo Hernandez, OF
Saitlllo, Mexico. native preacher TO his own
people beyond the Rio Grande. Vordenbau-
men comes from the Germans in Texas; Brewer
from the Cherokees beyond Arkansas. The
Hon. w. A. Hempkill, the capitalist and con.
ductor OF the Atlanta Constitution: Col. Nugent,
the eminent lawyer, of Jackson; Col. Cole, OF
NASHVILLE. head the fs0lQ nj uni ID.
Gov. Stands, OF Mississippi; Judge Thornburgh,
OF Arkansas; Hon. w. {. Ireland, ID. w. Balm,
esq. state treasurer of North Carolina, and
arc benches" of judges and enough confederate
officers to start an army corps. There will be
q number OF delegates who were fed-officers
and SCARED veterans of the federal forces Two
or three ministers were generals in the southern
camp.