Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-10
LAST DAY OF TINE CONFERENCE.
Tia Great Meeting OF the Methodist Church
Nearly Finished.

/ LIE
! Tia Great Meeting OF the Methodist Church
| Nearly Finished.
INTERESTING MATTERS DISCUSSED At TODAY
sEssroS-aossiP A TO APPOINTMENTS OF PAS
roRs--cHANeKs THAT WILL BE MADE IN THE
| PuLprTs IN THIS CITY.
The last day Of the one hundred and
seventh session Of the Methodist Epis-
copal conference at Hamline began al
$50 o'clock this morning with devotional
service, conducted by Rev. D. g. Miller. At
O'Clock the regular business Of the day began.
when Bishop Joyce came to the platform and
called for the minutes of yesterdays sessions.
These were read and approved and Rev. Geo.
Elliott of Foundry Church moved that the
bishop be requested to appoint Rev. H. H.
Clark a chaplain in the navy, and the
motion was carried unanimously. The treas
urer, Rev. Page Milburn. read his
report, which was a most encouraging
statement Of the contributions to the various
funds of the church Inevery case but one the
collections showed a marked increase over last
year, the increase in all being s5.9 The col
lections for the year were as follows: omissions,
S42, 71S, increase, o., 45S; church extension,
$3. 102. increase. e2; Sunday School Union, S521
increase, ISL; Tract Society 1916, increase,
s2s; Freedmen's Aid and Education Society.
1881, increase, s106: education. 1902, de-
crease, s29; Bible Society, s1,O4s increase.
s62; Woman's Foreign Missionary Society,
1884. increase 1868; Woman's Home Mission
airy Society, s3.347, increase. 81. 535; episcopal
fund, S2,3l7, increase, S18; conference claim
ants, S6.696. increase, S1Ss; children's day
fund, LIP, increase, 1888: sustentation fund.
S4.639, increase, 1852; publication Of minutes,
S206, increase, S33; total, S7S, los. The collec-
tions in the various districts In the conference
were as follows: Baltimore district S24,595;
East Baltimore district, S15.776; West Balti-
more district, $500; Frederick district S6 las;
Washington district, ole, 1857; total, 5TS, l05.
CONDITION OF THE CONFERENCE.
Rev. W. 8. Mcdowell, the statistical secretary,
read his report. which showed the condition of
the conference for the year to be as follows:
Observation-Disclosures 1853 increase,
,183; full members, 80. $40: decrease sos; local
preachers, lao; increase, Is; deaths, GIT. Bap-
tisms-children 7S6; increase. 1856; adults, 294;
decrease, 4S.
Church property-Number of churches, 392;
increase. 2; probable value of churches,
IS, ia, 4S0; increase S77,880; number
Of parsonages, 112; increase, 4; probable
value OF parsonages, 1888 010; increase, s2S 04O;
paid for building and improving churches and
parsonages. S67, ia; decrease, S14,21S. Paid
| on old Indebtedness on church property, $685.
liz; increase. S15, 466; present indebtedness,
S236, 542; decrease, 500. Current expenses
sexton. light, fuel, &C., s76,9s5; increase,
| $6, 524.
Sunday schools-Number of schools. ss2:
number of officials and teachers, 6,458; in
crease. 13; number of scholars of all ages,
50,607: increase. 1922.
Ministerial support-For pastors, presiding
elders and bishops, s192 ,O52; increase S9,263;
for conference claimants, $685.; increase,
slSS.
Benevolent collections-Total, s7s, 1885, in
crease. 50, $50.
MR. THoMPsoN's CASE nECoNsIDERED.
telegram was read by the bishop from w.
j. Thompson, a student at Drew Seminary,
who was denied admission to elders orders last
week, asking a reconsideration of his case.
| This case has occupied good deal Of the at
tention Of this conference. the question at
| issue being as to whether the results Of the
examination of Mr.. Thompson by the pro-
fessors at Drew should be sufficient in this
conference. 1t has been held that he should
| have stood an examination for orders before
| the special committee. The motion for the
| reconsideration of the vote of last week by
which he was turned down was carried. and the
merits Of the case we're the subject Of good deal
| OF discussion. When the vote was taken it was
| evident that there had been a change in senti-
ment and Mr.. Thompson was elected to elder 8
| orders in the Baltimore conference. He is q
presiding elders in the neighborhood of Drew
Seminary and it was thought that Baltimore
| was fortunate In getting him, even il il was
necessary to go beyond all the precedents in
| the matter to accomplish it.
RATHER WORK THAN RIDE.
Bishop Hurst stated that Mr.. Geo. W. Knox
had offered to take the members Of the con
ference this afternoon out to the site of the
American University, as the Methodist uni
l 1-~sA. - ns-l. =
| that it had been his intention to hold session
this afternoon in order to hear reports and
clear up any business that might remain, and
il the invitation to visit the site were accepted
it would be necessary to hold an extra session
| tomorrow. With this fact in view Rev. j. A.
Price Of this city moved that the thanks of the
| conference be rendered to Mr. Knox with the
statement that owing to the press Of remaining
business it would be necessary to decline. This
was carried by large majority.
| Rev. DR.. W. s. Edwards. presiding elder OF
the Baltimore district rose to a question OF
personal privilege in order to deny a statement
made in the Baltimore American in its report
of the vote on the woman question. He was
made to say that he voted against women be-
cause the annals of the church had shown that
women had never been Of any account. He
admitted that he had voted against the admis-
sion Of women as delegates to the general. but
he denied having said anything more than the
one word, no.
| lue report VI tu0 DOAru Ol QeacOnesSes was
| read.
| PROPER OBSERVANCE OF THE SABBATH
| resolution was introduced by Rev. J. P.
Wright il behalf Of the proper observance u
the Sabbath. The resolution reads that mas
much as it is believed that the Christian Sab.
bath is in this republic bulwark against the
| entertainments of socialism and lawlessness
which bulwark broken down would mean the
| necessary establishment of the European stand
ing army to protect the state, therefore ''re-
solved that we as American citizens and
Christian ministers of the Methodist
Episcopal church in conference assem-
bled do strongly protest against the
opening of the worlds Columbian ex-
position to the public on the Sabbath day.
and We do respectfully and most earnestly petit
ton the honorable members of the Columbian
commission to refuse such admission as being q
violation Of the Sabbath laws of every state in
the Union having such laws, as against the
Sabbath-keeping habits of the nation and as
contrary to the universal sentiment of the
Christian church; also resolved, that q COPY of
these resolutions. adopted by standing vote,
| be forwarded to the commission through the
agency OF the American Sabbath Union"
ONE MORE VOTE AGAINST WOMEN
These resolutions were offered yesterday and
laid on the table. Today they were taken up
on the motion of DIR. Richardson and after some
remarks by DIR. Wright were unanimously
adopted. Rev. Joseph p. Wilson, Parkyille.
Nd, was allowed to cast his vote on the his
| toric woman question. He dropped one more
no into the food Of negation that has flowed