The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-04-09
OEACOAS--ELOERS
Impressive Ordination serv-
ices, at Which Bishop
Ninde Officiated.
CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES
A Committee Appointed to Con
slider the Advisability Of Al
lowing Women to Vote.
Student Peter F. Mead's Case
Causes a Heated Discussion
Memorial Services.

Although the Methodist Episcopal CONFER
ence was not in session yesterday in Newark
yet many of the members had by no means
an idle Sunday. The older brethren sup
piled Newark pulpits and Bishop Ninde
himself put in a day of real hard work. In
the morning he officiated in st. Luke's
Church at the ordination of deacons, and
preached sermon. In the same place il
the afternoon he ordained elders anc
wound up the days work by addressing il
the evening, the twenty-fifth anniversary OF
the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society
held in St. Paurs Church.
The ordination of deacons and elders
which only takes place once yeer, in a
ceremony of peculiar veneration to the
Methodist students particularly, and to the
Jaw members generally Conducted by men
like the present presiding Bishop, it is ex
tremely solemn and impressive.
There is no wonder then that when the
announcement was made on Saturday after
noon that such ceremony would take
place, st. Luke's Church was packed.
Preceding the ordination service is the
morning, the bishop made d brief address
very much on the same lines as the excellent
one delivered to the deacons on Saturday
morning, a summary OF which exclusively
appeared in that days JERSEY CITY NEWS.
When the last words of the sermon had
been uttered Bishop Ninde left the pulpit
and took up position in front of the com
munion table inside the rail. Then glancing
at row of young men sitting in the front
seats he began with the ritual of ordination
used by the Methodist Church. the opening
passage of which reminds one of the ques-
tion put by minister at wedding cere-
mony :-"f any one knows just cause or i'm
pediment, etc. "-only in the ordination case
debt or bad character is a just cause why some
person should not hold his peace.
AS the bishops distinct words were heard
the young men stood up and advanced to-
wards the rail They were:-Ellis E. Rob
erson, Gardner Rowland, Asa c. Corey and
Steward F. Custard.
A collect was repeated and the epistle was
read from Timothy iii: S-l3.
Here came a series of questions to each
deacon as to his beliefs and studies. When
all answered satisfactorily Bishop Ninde
laid down the church book on ritual, and
laying his hands ON the first students head,
said in firm voice.
ssTake thou authority to execute the office
of deacon in the Church of God in the name
of the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost,
Amen.n
These words were repeated in each case.
Ali this time the deacons-elect were kneel-
ing. but at the word ssAmen, y they rose, and
the bishop, placing their right hands on the
Bible, said to them
'sTake thou authority to read the Holy
Scriptures in the Church of God and preach
the same"
The Bible being handed to an elder by the
bishop that person read aloud three verses
from the Gospel according to St Luke,
twelfth chapter, beginning at the thirty fifth
verse, 'sLet your loins be girded about and
your lights burning" The benediction was
then offered, and the newly ordained dea-
cons were grasped by the hand by the bishop
and presiding elders, and the service CON
cluded in the usual way by hymns and
prayer.
AFTERNOON SERVICE.
The service in the afternoon, at which
elders were ordained, resembled in few
points that which took place in the morning
with the deacons
Before, however, the ordination ceremony,
the Rev. w. B. Wigg preached short SER
mon on the missionary work of the church.
Attended by Presiding Elders Rev. J. B.
schoten of Newark, Rev. G. s. Ryman of
Elizabeth and Rev. s. P. Hammond of
Paterson, Bishop Ninde stood in 4 ont of the
communion table, facing these young elders
about to be ordained John O.. Sparnon,
George G.. Vogel, Charles Waldron, Henry
c. Thompson, w. j. Hampton, John Nc
Murray, Charles x Hutchinson and Will
lam H. Morgan.
First was read the Epistle from Ephesians
tx, 7-l3; then the reading Of the Gospel
from st. John, K, 1-16 The s'Veni Creator
Spiritus" was repeated, and the bishop and
elders laid their hands on each candidates
head, the bishop saying Take, thou, au-
thority to execute the office of elder in the
Church of God, and preach the Gospel and
administer the holy sacraments OF the
church"
Prayer from the bishop followed, and the
proceedings closed.
ToDAY's PROCEEDINGS.
Don Ouixote de la Mancha was not more a
Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance than
one reverend brother of the Newark Metho-
dist Conference this morning as he took his
seat at the fifth session Of this worthy body.
He. the sorrowful one had been hustling all
the proceeding week-nay, all the proceed
ing year-to institute Grand Army post
consisting entirely of members OF the confer
ence He had found out every member who
fought during the war, and had written to
him to support motion to be made this
morning for official sanction to such an or
eanization. While the majority of the
thirty veterans in the conference was In
favor of the plan, the minority, reinforced
by non-military brethren, threw cold water
on the project to the infinite sorrow OF the
protector; -, - 10
minority ut would create within our con-
ference coterie, a clique, an exclusive set,
and such is totally at variance with our
democratic form of government"
Finding that opposition was too strong,
the promoter of the Grand Army Post OF
the Newark Methodist Conference abandon
ed the idea of motion; but said he, Il "
bring it up next year. and by that time ]
will have sufficient number to support me. =
RUMoRS OF APPOINTMENTS.
Before today's session was begun the mem
bers were busily guessing as to the successors
of the Revs S. Van Benschoten and S. F.
Hammond as presiding elders Of Newark
and Paterson districts respectively. Of
course no one knows but Bishop Ninde who
will be the new presiding elders, and the old
rule, ssNever prophesy unless yon know,
helds with great force here, but among the
knowing ones, or those of experience in the
conference, it is understood that the Rev
S. Van Benschoten, late presiding elder oi
the Newark district, will be appointed City
Missionary of Newark, and the present holder
of that office will be translated to the Pater
son district as presiding elder. The Rev. s
p Hammond, late of the Paterson district
viii be appointed as presiding elder Of New
ark, vice the Rev, DIR. Van Benschoten.
While the customary chatter and gossip in
the ante-rooms was in full swing, Bishop