The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-11-29
A GREAT GATHERING
ESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
METHODIST CONFERENCE
AT REInSVILLE.
BISHOP W. W. DUNCAN PRESIDING

The Little Town has Opened Its Hos
pitable Homes and Warm Hearts Ia
the Followers of Wesley---BishoI y
Dnncan's two Strong SermOns---
Thanksgiving services--Pr"gress oI
Past Year--Epworth League Work.
REIDSVILLE, n. c., Nov. 28.-(Spe-
cial. )-The conference convened at 3
o'clock a. m., November 27th, in the
handsome new Methodist church.
Reidsville Methodism shows signs OF
very vigorous life. The church here
was organized not more than twenty
years ago and now ii has large mem
bership of active Christian workers
Their faith is spoken of throughout
the bounds of the conference. They
have recently completed new church
of beautiful architectural design, which
speaks well for their piety and liber-
aIity. The conference is holding its
session in this church.
Bishop Duncan conducted the open
ing worship this morning.
The Bishop appears to be in very
fine health. He is one of the most
forceful and effective men in all the
ranks of Southern Methodism. He is
an officer of rare executive ability. He
looks after all the interests of the
church.
As a preacher he has greatly i'm
pressed the church in North Carolina
He is very popular among North Caro-
Iinians
Methodist preachers in their confer
ence sessions are good singers. Rev.
Frank IL. Wood led the singing and
there was volume OF song thatsound-
Ell like the voice of many waters.
The prayer by the Bishop was
very comprehensive and full of tender
ness. When he thanked the Lord that
He had made the Methodists "as the
stars of heaven for multitude" there
was hearty ''amen" that went up
from the kneeling preachers.
The Bishop read as a scripture lesson
Luke %: 1873.
His comments were exceedingly hap
py and pointed.
Among other things the Bishop said
Il thank God that | live in these times
instead of in the former times.
There is a great deal of meannesa
in the world to-day, and yet the world
is better than if ever was before
Zone of the twelve disciples betrayed
the Lord with kiss, and there was
contention among the others as to who
was the greatest of the eleven that
were left
brethren, Satan desires TO have
e 4. se, q; =
Peter. Oh, how comforting it is to
know that the Lord is praying for us
that our faith fail not
II dined at Saratoga last summer in
room where millions of dollars sat
down at the table.
They were served by young men
who are students at some of the lead
ing colleges of America, trying to work
their way to an education. Who were
the greater, those aspiring young men
or those red-faced millionaires, fatten-
ing like oxen in the stalls?
IF you had dumped the whole Of
those millionaires in a gully in New
York the world would never have
missed them.''
''The men that are the most valuable
TO God in humanity are the men that
are serving.
II wish you all would send some of
your old skeleton sermons to the bone
yard or to phosphate mill, if there is
any fertilizing property in them.
At the close Of the Bishops remarks
DR.. Crawford, the pastor of the church.
spoke a few fitting words of welcome
DIR. Crawford has done fine years
work in Reidsville, and he and his peo-
pie are extending to the conference a
very generous and delightful hospi-
fality.
DR.. Morton, of the Church Extension
Board, is here.
DR.. Barbee of the Publishing House.
DR.. George Smith, of Georgia, and DR..
Law, of South Carolina, were all in
troduced to the conference.
The passage of character was taken
up. All the presiding elders made re-
ports of the work i'm their districts.
and their characters were passed.
From these reports it has been year
of great prosperity to Methodism in
this conference. The preachers are
happy over the use the Lord has made
Of them in building up his cause. There
have been about seven thousand conver-
sions under their ministry this year.
This is remarkable success.
The gospel as preached by the Meth
odist pulpit is gospel that appeals to
the people. 1t is full of love for all
men. 1t gives every man the offer of
salvation. And it proclaims a broad
Christian fellowship among all be
levers in the Lord Jesus Christ. This
is what the people like and this is what
Christ commanded his disciples to
preach.
AT the church extension meeting
Bishop Duncan said:
II believe that man who builds a
church or parsonage is just as much
doing the work of God as the man is
who gets down in the straw and shouts
'hallelujah" over the conversion of a
sinner.
''1he work of the Church of Christ
is "A great unity. Building churches
and parsonages and school houses and
colleges and the salvation of souls are
all one work.
Il am sometimes afraid to give to