Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-04-22
METHODIST CONFERENCE.
THE TWELFTH GENERAL SESSION
TO BE HELD IN MEMPHIS.
Something Of the Importance of the
Meetiug-rhe Case of REV. sam
Jones-Authority OF tho Epis-
sopacy - Positions to riiI.


sopacy - Positions to riii.
Special Correspondence Of the Gazette.
Memphis. Tenn. April 2O.--'rhe
twelfth general conference OF the Meth
odlst Episcopal church. South, will
meet at Memphis the arst Thursday in
May, and be IA session from day to
day through the better part OF the
month
The conference eonvenes In the First
Methodist church. and the opening
services will be conducted by Bishop
John c. Keener. d. D.. Of New Or
leans, and the other members OF the
Bishop college Will preside daily In
order OF seniority. Bishop Keener was
elevated to the Episcopacy at the gem
eral conference held In this city In 1870,
and returns after a lapse OF twenty
four years. the senior bishop Of the
church.
The conference represents the largest
and most aggressive and wealthiest re-
Ilgiuos body IN the South. and the com
ing session, because Of the many i'm
engage the attention Of the entire
church from the opening day to adj
3ournment
The general conference meets quad
rennlally In May, and Is composed Of
one clerical delegate for every thirty
six members OF each annual confer
ence. and AN equal number OF lay dele
gates. The church viii be represented
by ten bishops. between three hun
bred and four hundred delegates, clerl-
cal and lay, elected from thlrty-slx an
nual conferences. and seven mission
conferences. IN twenty-elght atate8--
stretching from the Atlantic TO the Pa
cino ocean-and from Mexico. Brazil
Japan and China and represents 1900
900 Communicates and ministers. and
$4,000 churches. with pRrsonages
schools, colleges. universities, hospl-
sails asylums aud other church property
ali over the South to the value OF near
ly }2O.O00,0OO.
The work Of tue Conference.
This conference Is the highest coun-
ell Of the church, and is an executive,
Legislative and elective body. 1t IL
invested with fun powers to make
rules and regulations for the church,
consider suggestions. inaugurate new
departures OF work, lay out new lines
of advance, review the actions OF the
annual conferences and arrange FOR
the successful execution of all the
work. This body reviews the work OF
the correctional officers " the church,
considers the acts of the general super
intendsnts, crefies new departments as
the church grows aud demands, elects
the bishops and officers, and nrrnnRes
Tor the support OF the same. This body
also has charge OF the missions OF the
rhurch--domCstc and foroign--oleets
the secretaries, selects the board Of
managers that sends out tile mission
aries, aud levies tax upon the several
conferences for the support Of the
work This body If the last resort or
anal appeal from The bishops and the
actions OF the annual conferences This
work OF the conference usually eNuites
much Interest throughout the connec-
ton but the coming session promises
to be OK interest grcatcr than for sew
rral seaHions because OF two or thrce
cases that are expected to be argued
before IL,
The Question OF EyRnEcIists.
The case to be appealed from
The North Georgia conference. In
which the celebrated. evangelist,
Rev. sam Jones, was deposed
from the ministry because OF
refusal to take regular pastoral
work win he M lnter,gt 10 ma nctfn,,