Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-23

W. E. Church in the
south. Later he be-
Bishop Gaines. came presiding elder.
and afterward was financial secretary OF
the convention for four years. He is quite
wealthy. lives in his old masters house
and has real estate being valued, 1t Is SAID,
at $4,000.
In 1888 the general conference of the A.
M. E. Church, in session at Cincinnati,
elected him to the episcopacy, and since
that time he has been one of the most
valued members of the house of bishops.
His immediate authority during the pres
ent quadrennial extends over the bodles
styled the Baltimore. Virginia, North Caro-
lima and western North Carolina confer
ences.
Jurisdiction of the Conference.
The Jurisdiction of the Baltimore confer
enee comprises the churches of the A. NJ.
E. connection in the District Of Columbia,
Maryland and portion of Virginia, prin-
cipally the counties of Accomac and North
ampton.
The churches in this city and vicinity are:
Metropolitan. NJ street between 18th and
10th streets northwest, Rev. Dr. J. y. Jen1-
fer, pastor; Ebenezer, Georgetown, Rev. D.
P. Seaton, D. D.. pastor; st. Paul, 9TH
street near G street southwest; Rev. j. w.
Norris, pastor: Bishop Campbell Memorial.
Hillsdale, Rev. F. NJ Ovelton, pastor: Gar
pastor. and Mount Sinai corner of 18th and
South Carolina avenues northeast. Rev. F.
A. Seaton, pastor.
Some Probable Changes.
It Is believed that Rev. DIR. Jenifer. the
pastor at Metropolitan, will ask transfer
to another church. There is no dissatis-
faction with his administration Of affairs,
but the membership is very large. running
up to almost one thousand. and. although
he has several local preachers to assist him
in detail work, the duties of his position
have f. tod
as one of the most desirable from a finan-
cial standpoint in the conference.-the sal
airy being $500. besides which there is the
use of parsonage. Should DR.. Jenifer be
assigned to another church 1t is thought
that Bishop Gaines will send him to Trim
ity Church, Baltimore, and that he will be
succeeded here by Rev. DR.. I. S. Lee, now
pastor of Ebenezer Church, Baltimore. 1t
is believed that Rev. Mr.. Seaton. the pres
ent pastor of Mount Sinai Church, who is
a son of the Rev. DR.. Seaton of Ebenezer,
Georgetown will also be assigned to another
field of labor. The other pastors named
are likely to remain where they are for
another year at least. Rev. Mr.. Ovelton.
pastor at Hillsdale, has been in his present
charge but little over six months and as
he is in every way acceptable to the con-
gregation, and he has no fault to find with
them, he is considered especially secure.
Mr.. Ovelton succeeded Rev. Charles
Bourne, who was appointed presiding.elder
to fill the vacancy caused by the death of
Rev. DR.. Morris.
The Four Districts.
The conference is divided, for the pur-
poses of systematization, into four dis
tricts, each under the supervision Of a pre-
siding elder, though at present there are
but three in the field, the most of the
fourth being divided among the other
three. These districts and their compo-
nents with the elders, are: First district,
Rev. Charles Bourne, presiding. residence.
Baltimore, and having authority over the
churches in a part Of Baltimore city and
the entire eastern shore of Maryland;
second district, Rev. John II. Collett, D.
D., presiding, residence, Baltimore, and
having under his ministerial control the
churches in another portion Of Baltimore
city, those in western Maryland and the
counties on the western shore as far south
as Prince &c ,rge's: third district, Rev. w.
r. Arnold, presiding, residence, Washing
ton, with jurisdiction ever the remainder
of the Baltimore churches not embraced in
the two preceding districts, and In the
counties on the western shore of Maryland
beginning at Prince Georges and extend
ing to the southern boundary line Of the
state The fourth district is at present re-
garded as a missionary field, and COM
prises the churches on the eastern shore
of Virginia.
1t is thought that of these elders Revs.
Charles Bourne and w. r. Arnold will be
reappointed, and that DR.. Collett will be
succeeded by Rev. Joseph Robinson, now
lett will probably be given an important
charge as pastor. with possibly supervision
over the fourth district.
The conference has within its bounds
about 10000 church members, nearly twice
as many Sunday school scholars and teach
ers, and church property valued at nearly
81, 5000
Delegates to the General Conference.
One of the most important functions that
the conference will be called upon to per-
form will be the election of three dele
gates and three alternates to represent the
body at the general conference. to be held
at Wilmington. N. c.. during May of next
year. it being the custom of the conference
to select it's representatives at least year
in advance of the sessions of the general
conference. which takes place quadren-
nially 1t is thought that those upon whom
the honor will fall are Rev. DR.. Jenifer Of
Washington. Rev. DR.. John w. Beckett,
pastor of Bethel A. M. E. Church, and
Rev. DR.. I. S. Lee, both of Baltimore, while
the alternates are likely to be Revs. Joseph