Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-19
CHANCE FOR new BLOOD AND METHODS
Outspoken Disgust With |l|iterate
Teachers of Religion.
PROGRESSIVE MLTHODISM

Church of which this conference is a part
is to be distinguished from the Methodist
Church South and the African Methodist
Episcopal Church. 1t is the Methodist
Church proper, or, as the brethren speak
OF it, THE Methodist Church North" The
Washington district embraces eighty-five
colored churches that remained with the
northern body of the church after the sep
arat;on. Bishop John F. Hurst is resident
bishop of the Washington conference. In
the Washington district are embraced st.
Mary's, Charles. Prince Georges and
Montgomery counties. Maryland; the Dis
trict of Columbia, and portions Of Freder-
ick and Howard counties. Maryland:
After the usual devotional exercises at
the opening of the session, Rev. d. w.
Hays, pastor Of Asbury Church, delivered
the address Of welcome
With u.s." said MI Hays, the :. term aa,,,
an accommodation of speech. All are
equal. Our country churches should rot
strive 10 become like our city churches.
They should fit their environment. The
tendency is 10 a standard Of propriety
which owes its prompting chiefly to
spirit Of worldliness."
To counteract this it was urged that ma
the old ways be adhered to. Preach,
pray and sing in the spirit. and when you
feel like shouting, shout" said MI. hays
The speaker extended a most cordial well
come to all members of the conference and
power Of the people.
Rev. w. r. Davis, for the conference,
responded most happily to the welcome
given the delegates.
Officers Elected.
Rev. T. o. Carroll was chosen chairman
of the conference, and Rev. s. A. Lewis
recording secretary.
Upon invitation by the presiding elder,
Rev. W. H. Brooks, number of visiting
Among them were Rev. B. D. Martin Of
Roanoke. Va: DR.. Peck. Rev. N. NJ. Car
roll of Baltimore, Rev. s. H. Brown of Har-
risonburg, Va; Rev. NJ. ]. Nailor of Balti-
more. Rey John H. Brice OF staunton, Va;
presiding elder of the Staunton district,
and Rev. DR.. Jenifer Of the Metropolitan
A. NJ. E. Church of Washington. DR..
shown in giving the Miner school building
to the use of colored children, and to the
recognition given the colored race at the
Atlanta exposition
Committees Appointed.
The following committees were an
nounced:
On candidates for license-T. H. Brooks.
B. T. Myers, Joshua Barnes
On local preachers in the four years..
O. Carroll, Noble Watkins. L. E. s. NASH.
]. C. Love, Moses Lake.
On reception on trial in the annual con-
ference-D. w. Hayes, ]. H. Griffin. W. p.
Davis. r. H. Alexander, A. Dennis.
On candidates for orders-A. Dennis. w.
r. ]. Williams Joshua Barnes.
On home mission work-A. w. Brooks
James T. Reed. S. R. Jennings, D. D. john
son. A. B. Dorsey.
On appointment of local preachers and
exhorters-B T. Myers, G. D. Johnson R.
H. Alexander.
On program for next year-D. w. Hayes,
J. H. Griffin. ]. F. Chestnut, s. A. Lewis,
Moses LAKE.
On miscellaneous business-M. N. Robin
son, j. ]. Cecil. A. H. Tilghman, ]. NJ. But
Ter. w. H. Steward. W. H. Clarke.
Presiding Elders Report.
The annual report of the presiding elder,
Rev. W. H. Brooks, covered the life and
condition of the churches in the District
during the past year. The health Of the
pastors and their families during the year
was reported excellent An unusual degree
of peace and satisfaction between pastors
and their f1ocks. One pastor had been dis
missed and his work allotted to two Others
The local preachers have organized a social
preachers association for mutual improve
ment and usefulness
The church property at Tenleytown has
given considerable trouble and gives q
warning against the folly of commencing
large churches with no contract and INSULT
cient money.
Benefactions this year were not equal to
those Of last. The churches are CARRYING
heavy burdens through hard times The ap-
portionment is possibly inequitable. Some
church properties worth only $500 or 500 are
set down as worth 5000 or $4,000 and as
sessed accordingly.
AS to church literature, the presiding
elder urges wider dissemination and the re-
moval of the Office Of the Southwestern
the church organ, to Washington or Baiti-
more.
Mission work lags. Zeal for this form Of
endeavor seems to be lacking. Yet progress
is noted, and in some quarters it is highly
gratifying and commendable.
Against Camp Meetings.
The strongest point in the report was a
denunciation Of camp meetings as nova
days conducted. The use Of church gather
ings to give employment of Sunday excur-
sion trains and an excuse for all sorts of
Sunday-resort merchandise, including CT
gars ard soda water. and in some cases
whisky, was decried a subversion of
true religious effort to the basest oppor-
tunity for evil.
The first topic of the morning was, How
May Our Present System of Conducting
Glass Meetings be 1mproved?"
This subject, in the absence of Rev. A.
Dennis, who was to have presented a paper
upon it, was set forth by Rev. j. F. Chest
nut in a most able and eloquent address. He
described the present stereotyped method
gested variations that should quicken and
deepen interest in such meetings. Much, he
said, depended on the leader, who must be
a man of clean-cut mental habits, deep
piety and thorough interest in the work.
General Discussion.
The conference at this point voted to
invite all visiting pastors to participate in
the discussion of topics before the confer
ence.
Rev. T. o. Carroll followed on the SUBJ
ject of class meetings. The class leader, he
said ought to be brave man, and stop
rar dom talk in the meetings. Many rise
and exhort others without telling their own
experience. The leader should insist
members avoiding this and tell how they
are getting along.
Rev. J. T. Jenifer said the church was
just now in transition stage of growth.
The young people were nowadays educated
under advantages far beyond the knowl-
edge of the fathers of the church, who act
as class leaders They would not them
selves act as class leaders nor do they like
to attend class meetings. This speaker
urged the appointment Of class leaders
every year, and providing a system that
would permit of change and progress.
Many class leaders stay in until long after
their usefulness has ceased.
Fossilfacd Class Leaders.