Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-11-04
THE METHODISTS.
PREPARATIONS FOB THg ANIMAL oou.
YERHEcE at PORTSMOUTH
IN Iaisresting Occasion Promised Work
to Be DOns-sany cAanges-Hsw
Districts.
rcorrcspOndonoe o tho Rlchmoni pInna,oh !,
NORFOLK. Va. November = ,o9o

NORFOLK. Va, November 2. 1899
The one hundfed-and-sixth session 81 IN.
virginia Annual Conference viii cornmence
I'm Portsmouth on Wednesday next. RIshor
John c. CRANBERRY will open the eontere,, ~
with divine service and preside over Inc A.
ulersiions. lie VIII arrive here on Mondsr
evening". and be the guest OF his relsfIvcs
here, be beng native OF Norfolk. There
are $40 members OF the body, ministers and
lsymca, and oil have been provided with
bones, Norfolk sharing quite largely in their
entertainment. Notices have been sent out
70 all The ministers OF the location Of their
homes in Portsmouth and this city. MANY
= l.inciished visitors from abroad and ths
: correctional officers Of the conference ON.
caccd " Ia tho book concern and missionorv
establishment al Nashville will be present
and The occasion will doubtless be one Of
rare interest.
Tie proceedings Will be highly important
IN many respects. Among the matters ~
General interest 10 be disposed OF Will first
d. The reorganization Of the presIdino
elders districts and the creation Of several
nca districts. which will OF course be the
work o. The Bishops Council. A new dis-
tric' viii be formed, resting on Edonton, N.
G.. g. the centre, 20 be known A. the Edenion
district, The new y-estsblished RAILWAYS and
steamboat lines making II very convenient To
grange. TIE district will embrace fifteen
PASTORAL chaiges-as follows: Pasquotspk.
Elizabeth City. Hartford. Harrelsvile,
Bcrie. Currttucs, Murfreesboro', Garys.
burg, Northampton, MeheTrin, Gates, North
.Gti,s, Camden. Roanoke Island, and Kitty
Hawk.
The Norfolk district will be divided and
Portsmouth district created, composed OF the
following sixteen pastoral charges: Monu.
mortal. Central, Wight-Momorial, Church
snd. Norfolk Circuit Suffolk, Ncwsom's,
ro'kin's, southampton, Chuckqtnck, Smith.
i.'d, l'le Of Wight, Surry, Wakefield, York,
end Newport News.
The Norfolk district will remain as 10 l.,
cse.p ' that the pastoral charges OF Mathews
and west Mathews will be taken from the
Richmond district aud added 10 It. These
changes will involve changes in the Peters.
burg, FarmvIle. aud Lynchburg districts.
The Bible work and colpOrtage system
Eili come In for large share Of attention
and lie work be more fuzzy perfected than
If urc9ent. II is already under good head.
way. hut Will be entirely rc6rganized and
ampihed. 4 depository will be established
ana general agent appointed, and a con-
ference board will bave charge OF dissemina.
ting the religious literature Of the Church
aDd supplying the destitute with the Bible
aud establishing Sunday schools, besides CO.
operating with the Sunday-School Board, the
Board OF Mission, and Board OF Church
Extension. The general cOlpOrter will en-
ploy ,ub-colporters, prepare programmes for
ChildTen's Bay. visit the district confer
eDccs, aud by all means extend the work OF
the board and enlist the love and libeTslity OF
The people with the work. This board will
De known rs the Advisory Board, and will
consist Of one lavman and one minister.
There will be tWenty-One pastoral changes
m10c within the bounds OF the conference.
The annual review will be made Of the
financial and statistical progress OF the
Church, with a close scrutiny into the adj
ministTation OF the pastors and presiding
elders charges during the year. Various
questions Of law wall excite discussion i'm the
conference during this session. A plan OF
aslf-suppOrt for the conference will doubt.
less be adopted unanimously, and the pres
ent system OF entertainment done away
with, except where members OF the Church
insist on opening their doors and entertain
ine the pastors.
The conference will be held in Monu-
mental church. built n few years ago on the
site Of old nwiddie-Street church as me.
mortal 10 Robert Williams, the first Metho-
dat preacher that ever preached a sermon in
Virginia. Williams tried to preach first In
Norfolk on a lot on the site Of the present
Cumberand.Street Methodist Episcopal
church in 177A. but the people wouldn't lis
ten 70 him. aud stoned and drove him off.
They said that he was a blssphemer; that he
first prayed, then cursed, and then sung, and
was certainly deranged. Williams took re-
iuee In Portsmouth, and there established
the first Methodist church I'm Virginia.
There Will be no changes IN the chief
churches in Norfolk, and no necessary
changes In the pastors OF Portsmouth.