The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-11-27
Confsrencc

49,
the M. f. Church, South, as previously
announced convened In this city In aue
nual session on Wednesday last at $3.50
A. M. In the ample Court Room of the
County Court House. The attendance
was very full, composed of the minis
ters OF the Church, lay delegates and
the Bishop. Bishop Keener, the senior
Bishop of the Southern Church, held
tho gavel and presided over the dellb-
CREATIONS OF the body. It is useless to
say and we could not emphasize sufic-
iently that the body was composed OF
delegates of great power and contained
many men of unusual strength and
ability. We regret that our space Is
inadequate to give to our readers more
than q skeleton or bare abstract OF the
proceedings, which were varied and OF
exceeding interest to the lay reader OIL
ordinary spectator. Again, we can
only mention by the way how very
greatly u people of alldenominations
and shades enjoyed the social features
attending the presence of the repre-
sentatives OF this great branch of the
church of the Master in our little city.
The occasion will constitute an epoch
in Laurens and we willlive to hope that
in years to come aud that not too long,
we may have this great honor and
pleasure again.
Bishop Keener lives in New Orleans,
and is now advanced in years; but is
we'll preserved, vigorous in intellect,
presides with grace and dignity and is
full Of power and brightness and is o
personality that cannot be forgotten.
Bishop Wallace Duncan, n of the
junior Bishops of our own State, of
whom We may we'll be proud for his
many graces and accomplishments,
was present during the session and oc-
cupied o seat with the Presiding
Bishop. He was here as the chairman
of the Board of Trustees of Wofford
College, the leading literary institution
in the State under tho supervision of
the Conference. Rev. Charles b. Smith
was elected Financial Agent of this
Institution an important position form
A. Coke Smith, now of Norfolk, Va.
Conference was addressed by the Pres
ident of Randolph Macon College, DR..
w. w. Smith, of Virginia, upon the
educational work and interests of the
church, South, and while full of statis-
tical information, his address was so
%eloquently and gracefully delivered as
to delight and captivate the great
audience.
Rev. j. Walter Daniel, a native Of
Laurens, delivered in the Methodist
church, the address before the Histor-
ical Society, which met with great APP
plause, and did the speaker much
honor. The fact that we could claim
him as to the manor born, added to the
zest which tho home portion of the
large audience took in the occasion.
DR.. j. ID. Barbee, Of Nashville, Ten
nessee, was a prominent figure OF the
occasion, and delivered addresses. not
ably in the Presbyterian church upon
the subject of church extension.
One of the beautiful incidents oc-
Cured on Wednesday, when Bishop
Duncan exhibited q handsome gavel
years ago. 1t represents Exchange
of two worlds" consists of an exquisite
centre polished ivory piece, pierced by
the handle OF wood, the ivory piece in
the form Of o bible, at either end q sid
yer globe of about one inch in dame
ter; each separate part inlaid with
gold with distinctive and appropriate
inscriptions, "Rule in the fear of God;'
'The world is my parish" understood
to be from Wesley; Heaven is my aim
to reach" also probably from Wesley.
The handle, composed of wood, vas
obtained in London from q table used
pleasant badinage when Bishop
Keener held up u plain unornamented
gavel, which he explained had been
welded by his distinguished predeces-
sors, Pierce, McTeer and others great
in tho church in times past. With
much pleasantly he said Bishop Dun
cans was too fine and didn't have much
"Methodism' in it.
One of the delightful features of the
occasion, to our own people was, as it
were, the bringing back to us in re-
,,r;D,, u, /, nj some NF r or,o,c ,,l f,os.
all parts of our county, who in years
gone by and later, have given their
lives to the service of the Master, their
zeal and their best devotion, leaving
behind their native hills and streams
and fields aud the pleasant faces of pa
rents, sisters and friends; Again, it
was, a delight to greet those, who,
though not born among lis, had dwelt
and labored here, had endeared them
selves by sharing u joys and SORROWS,
and thus had made themselves and
theirs of Jul homes and hearts.
The churches in the city and several
ministers on Sabbath last. Bishop
Keener preached at III A. M. in the
beautiful Presbyterian Church to a
packed audience from 1st verse, st.
John, 21st chapter: The power of God
in Nature. 1t was O mastery discussion
of the text and greatly enjoyed. After
the sermon q class of twenty-one mon
ordained to the Office of Deacon, the
9hop administering the ceremony
with laying on of hands. An orphan
age to be known as Epworth Orphan
age of the S. @. Conference is to be es-
tablished with Rev. A. j. Stokes, Pres
ident, Rev. G.. Ell. Waddel, Secretary,
and r. S. Hill as Treasurer. Bids are.
invited from any deserving location In
lands, buildings or money. All minis
ters are requested to take collections
for this charity in their charges.
All There! Stay There! Get there to-
morrow night and see M of those old
time happY.eO-lucky Minstrel Com