Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-04-04
THE METHODISTS.
,.cr. .nourrHxrp GENERAL CONFER
rrcI 10 pI HELD IN RICHMOND.
I.sislstivs Character Of the sody-rhsis
: wide Mission Fisld-The Election
NJ pishops-The Delegates, &c.

Lesislstive Character o. tho oouy Inv"
Via mission Fisld-The Election
Of Bishops The Delegates, &C.
Tb;s large body is composed oil an
equal number Of ministers and laymen.
At the approaching session, to com
mencs in this city on the first Wednes,
day in May, there will be two hundred
and sixty.eight delegates from Confer
eness embraced in the United States
and border country Of Mexico and one
from Central Mexico. The bishops OF
the Church, now five in number, are
not members of the Conference, but
under the law Of the Church alternately
preside over its deliberations and take
part incidentally in the business.
ALEGIsLATIvE BODY.
This is the only legislative body re-
cosnized in the economy Of the Church,
the other conferences annual and dis
trict) simply serving to look into the
work of the Church in all its depart
ments and sending out men to do the
work in the circuits, stations, and mis-
sions. All done by these subordinate
conferences is subject to the review OF
the General Conference, and to this
highest court come up all 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-extension opera
tons, and the publishing interests un-
der the control of the Methodist Epis-
copal Church, South, This body elects
bishops, book.editors, missionary Sec
retaries, Sunday-school secretaries, and
editors of Church journals; also, the
several boards having in charge the ma
chinery of missions, publishing inter-
ests, &c.
As the Conference only meets once
in four years, and has under its care
and supervision thirty-two annual con-
ferenses, in which the membership num-
bers xbout one million, besides mission
in China, Brazil, Mexico, and among
the Indians, it may readily be seen
that it 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 a membership.
MISSION WORK.
The matter likely to engage and en-
ploy the largest portion Of the time Of
the Conference this year will be to per-
feet the plans for mission work. Some
Of the mission fields are getting so
large that they have been organized into
annual conferences, but they are so dis
tant that the economy of the Church in
having all the ministers and work UNI
der episcopal superintendent has been
found difficult to carry out. This will
be arranged for probably this year
either by electing mission bishop or
arranging to detail one Of the bishops
to take the missions under his special
charge.
PUBLISHING HOUSE.
A matter that for many quad
renniums past has taken up much
Of the time of the Conference
will at this occupy but short space
compared with other sessions. This is
the publishing house. This concern.
situated at Nashville, Tenn, was sadly
crippled during the war, and eight
years ago seemed to be on the verge of
bankruptcy, having debt Of over
sS50,000. Since that time it has I'M
der the management of the venerable
DR.. j. b. McFerrin retired all of its
indebtedness except 100000; all of
which under like management will soon
be paid, leaving the house with a
acknowledgement outfit for doing
all classes of printing and book-work.
NEW BISHOPS.
Since the last Conference four of the
bishops have died-viz., Paine, kava-
naugh, Pierce, and Parker. The two
frst.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. Prob
ably four more will be elected. AS
yet little speculation has been INDUCED
in as to the men who will be elected.
The sessions of the Conference will
be held in either Centenary or Broad
Street Methodist church. Except the
seats needed for the members OF the
body, the church will be open to the
public.
| THE DELEGATES.
The Christian people of the city will
be interested in the proceedings of so
important body. The business people
will also be interested in the assembling
here of representatives from every i'm
portant city and town in the lower hall
of the United States and from several
countries outside. Looking over the
list they will see parties-clerical and
lay-from Mobile, Montgomery, Selma,
Greensboro, Union Springs, Opellka,
Talladega, and Birmingham, Ala. :;
GAINESVILLE, Ozark, Boonsborough, Lit
tie Rock, Camden, and Bryant, Ark. 4;
Tyler, Beaumont, Galveston, Hunts
vile, Bastorp, San Antonio, Waco, Cor
sicana, Georgetown, Dallas, Paris
Gainesville, Greenville, and Houston,
Texas; Gainesville, Sanford. and Live
Oak, Florida; Knoxville, Nashville,
Jonesboro', Cleveland, Union City,
Brownsville, Memphis, Humboldt,
GAINESVILLE, Pulaski, Lebanon, and
Lynchburg, Tennessee New Orleans,
Shreveport and Baton Rouge, Louisi-
ana Jackson, Meridian, Canton, Boil
var, Starkville, Sardis, Senatobia, Co.
lumbus, and Aberdeen, Mississippi
| St. Louis, Bonneville, Columbia, Fay
cite, Jefferson City, Kansas City, indie
pendence, Carthage, Springfield, and
Lexington, Missouri; Raleigh, Colds
boro', Greensboro, Charlotte, Wilson,
Lexington, Wilmington, Concord, and
Tarboro', North Carolina; Atlanta,
Augusta, Macon, Savannah, Marietta,
Milledgeville, Dalton, Oxford, Rome
Sparta, Columbus, Lumpkin, and Ca
milla, Georgia; Charleston, Spar
| ..rhnro Ahheville Cberaw Chester