The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-03-19
THE N. E. CONFERENCE.
The Methodist Episcopal Church
Soon toeMeet.
IN SESSION AT NEW BEDFORD.
The Five Year Time Limit Not Likely to
be Reached I'm Many Cases-Pastoral
Changes In the Church-An Elders
Smile.

Changes IN the Shurch-An Elders
Smile.
The annual session of the New England
Southern Conference Of the NJ Il. Church
meets the 9th OF April, at New Bedford,
Mass. The conference boundary includes
some 100 churches, 40 of which arein
Rhode Island. The members and proba-
TONERS in these churches have increased to
over % 600 persons. Thevalue of the church
property has reached the sum of over
s3,0000Oo. The pastors salaries paid the
previous year amounted to some $160,OO0 !;
the largest salary being $780, and the
smallest 1854. This makes very fair
showing as to the average salary paid in
the conference, viz, about $500.
A great many changes will occur in the
pastorates this year, il all reports be true,
and they doubtless are. Few will occur
however by expiration OF the time limit.
The full time limit IL now five years.
Only -Taaa-ia-the whole con-
ference will have completed five years
service on the one charge, and that is the
Rev j. Belts at Moodus. Conn. This in
dicates what small demand there was for
the extension of the time limit. No pas
tor has yet filed one pulpit in any city in
the conference for five years The Rev. III.
ID. Robinson, of the Hope Street Church,
has been invited by his Quarterly Confer
ence TO remain for the fifth year, and If he
decides 10 (Which rumor has il he scarcely
wild 10 will be the first city appointment
in the conference TO keep pastor so long.
The following are some of the changes
that are expected 10 occur in Rhode
Island: The Rev c. r. Harris of the
Chestnut Street Church, it is said, will
change. lie has served that church most
acceptably for two years and been highly
esteemed as n preacher and pastor but
will answer call TO another charge. The
Rev. h. +. Jones, at the Asbury Memorial,
who meyer stays more than two years, by
preference for short pastorate. has his
face set toward pastures new. The Rev.
q. W. King has been invited To serve the
Broadway Church for the fifth year, but.
as some talk itS expects TO remove. He
has given that church four years of good,
substantial work and they will gladly re
tain him, il they can. The Rev. +. w.
Goodier, at the Cranston Street Church,
is likely to go 10 new field. He has done
so much in his three years there that
his quarterly conference asked for
in consideration but probably will
change. The Rev. j. w. Webb OF st.
Paul's Church, it is also expected. will re-
move. He was unanimously invited to
stay for third year, but rumor has it
that he is open to louder call. III no
-
and methods he will remain. The Rev. w.
ii. Stetson, pastor of Wanskuck Church,
is in precarious health and scarcely ex-
poets TO remain in charge Of a station. He
has done excellent work for Methodisn in
and about Providence during the past
dozen years or more, having built several
churches and lifted church debts OF many
years standing. The Rev. w. Il. Davis Of
Bristol is concluding three years of good
work there and although popular in
nneE oh hD Rnk
Alexander Anderson at Hills Grove is
also on the exchange list, runor says.
The Rev. w. A. Luce of the First Church,
Newport, at the end OF only two years,
and as we are informed, two pleasant
years, for some reason unknown to
the writer has decided 10 decline the fiat
teripg invitation of the First Church to
serve them third year. The Rev. O.. w.
Hunt of the Thames Street Church, New
port, has decided the same way in regard
TO his pastorate with that church He is
of the opinion that the short pastorate is
the best in this age when the caprice of
people calls fer se-Fauch of change, and
especially in the Methodist church. The
Rev. T.. Il. Phreaner OF Warren, who has
been three years in Warren, serving well
as pastor and on the Board of education,
is also on the list of removals. He goes
with the goodwill of everybody and at
his own request for n change. The Rev.
i. l.. Brooks at Drownville has worked
and parsonage building that he will be
changed, doubtless, and, rs he deserves,
get easier work and more remunerative.
The Rev. II. T.. Cooke at Woonsocket is
completing a third year very acceptably,
as during the previous two years, and it
is understood as all right for him TO come
back il he desires to- but he will accept
some louder call, according to the eXpecta-
tion abroad.
There are other and numerous changes
TO take place but the rest are in parts Of
the conference, lying in Eastern Connecti-
cut and along the Plymouth Company and
Cane Cod regions of Massachusetts.
The Presiding Elders, have recently had
two meetings for consultation here in
Providence to fx the conference slate, but
their mouths are pretty well sealed-al-
most Theoretically. However a Presiding
Elders smile (when he smiles, and some
times he does) rather gives him away"
From a few of these smiles. and what con-
fidential brethren have conflded about
their interviews with committees aud
their ''expectations-if nothing turns
up" it has leaked out where few men
are going. But the large number are ''in
the hands Of the Presiding Elders" Dear
fellows! Nav they farv we'll
At this conference session three minis
ters will be sent as delegates to the general
conference that convenes in Omaha in
May
The men most talked of and most likely
to be elected are: The Rev. Walter Il.
Elder OF the New Bedford district, the
Rev. George III. Bates, the successful pas
tor of the Rockville Comm Church, and
the Rev. i. ID. BlaSeslce, the popular
principal OF East Greenwich Seminary.
T'he lay delegates will doubtless be j. l..
Webster OF this city aud George w. Gard
Of New London, Conn.