The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-05-22
How can the Best Time for Holding
the Sessions Of an Annual Confer
ence be had or ApprOximated

|
the Sessions Of an Annual Confer
ence be had or Approximated?
1t is not supposed that any specified
time would be regarded as the best fol
every one concerned. All that can bt
done is to fix on or approximate tha
ference as whole.
We doubt not that the desire and Of
fort of the esteemed General Superin
tendents to accommodate the Annua
Conferen ces, as far as they know and
are abe.
Is the present plan or law for fixing
the time for all Annual Conference tC
hold its sessions the best? In Othel
words, should not the law which gives
the Bishops the authority to appoint
the time be so changed rs to give tc
every Annual Conference the authori.
ty to fix it's own time of meeting, and
having fixed on specified time, ad.
here to that time every year after? Ii
such time should not be erdct(y the
best it will, in the course of few
wears, become the best because of its
| fixedness and the gradual and necessa.
nv adjustment Of the preachers, their
plans and the several interests of the
church to that time.
This would leave the Bishops to SC
arrange as to meet, if not all, then az
many of the Conferences as may be
practicable.
The advantages of having a Bishop
at the session Of an Annual Confer
ence are many and should not be un.
derrated, nor would we have our es-
teemed chief pastors to suspect that
the proposed change is Intended in
any wise as reflection on them per-
sonally, or OH their office or their ad-
ministration. 1t is presumed, as has
been already stated, that under the
present law our Bishops do the best
they can. Objection is not against the
Bishops but against the law as it now
stands.
If each Annual Conference had the
authority to fix the time of its sessions,
| it possibly would fall out that some
one, say even two or three might be
without Bishop, but the advantages
which the Conferences as O whole
would realize by the proposed change,
would mole than balance the absence
of Bishop from that or those, left to
be supplied as the Discipline provides.
Or if it should be preferred increase
the number of Bishops so as to have
one at the session of each Conference.
The support of the college Of Bishops
thus increased in number would be
easier than the way it is now done
with the nresent number
A statement of7some of the advan-
tages which the proposed change
would secure may suffice:
/. The Conference year would be
tUeEve months long instead of eleven
or thirteen months more or less.
2. Preachers and people would know
before entering on year how long the
year would be-when it would begin
and when it would end-not having to
wait until year is about half gone be-
fore they know how long or how short
the Conference year is to be.
|. Every succeeding year would in
crease the prestige Of age and influence
of the Conference which would be
known more and more as one of the
fred and regular ecclesiastical organl-
zations of the country.
4. The times for the meeting of
Quarterly, District, Church and Sun
day School Conferences, Missionary
Societies and other regular organiza-
tions connected with the church, could
be fixed, if not like that of the. Annu-
al Conference, yet with more system
and consequent advantage to officers
and members and greater profit to the
interests of the church. Besides the
changing of preachers-the sum and
substance of atinerancy-everything
else in or connected with the church
should be as nearly fixed or stationary
as the necessary changing of preachers
will permit.
5. Preachers on circuits knowing the
time ut their command could plan
their "rounds''-Baptism, Commun-
ion, Conference Claims, Church Con-
erences, &c.,-with system and GER
tainty, observing that "decency and
order" which should obtain in both the
spiritual and temporal interests OF the
church. ~
6. The beginning and ending of the
Conference year being known the
preachers could arrange their family
and secular affairs to better advantage,
particularly so with preachers who
in the beginning of year that they will
have to move at the end of that year.
8. The advantages to the stewards
and others who have the management,
more or less, of the financial affairs OF
the church will be manifest when
certain time is fixed for an Annual
Conference to meet every year.