Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-03-29
THE BALTIMORE CONFERENCE

The annual conference OF the Metho
dist Episcopal Church South got vel
into its routine work in Washington
yesterday
The conference was opened yester
day morning with devotional exercise;
by Rev. ]. Lester Shipley, of Warren
ton, after which the work of calling
the roll of ministers in answer to the
question, "Are all preachers blamelesE
in their life and official administra
ton ?" was taken up, the answers II
each case being to the satisfaction O.
the most critical.
The secretary of the board of mis-
sions, DR.. H. G. Morrison, gave an &C.
count of the progress of that branch O
the church work.
A communication was presented
from DR.. w. w. Smith, corresponding
secretary of the board of education
with headquarters at Lynchburg. The
church is shown by the statistics given
by DR.. Smith to have 179 schools and
colleges, in which have been invested
COPS, 042. Renewed activity in edu'
cational work was urged because free
education by the State was q serious
competitor to ~sectarian institutions
The assessment upon the Baltimore
conference for educational work was
announced as $3.50.
The conference then reaf6rmed the
resolution adopted last year that pub
lie collections should not be except or
the approval of three clergymen.
Question seven was taken up for 8
time, reports being ready under thai
head. The question is: "Who are
the deacons of one year?" The com
mittee reported favorably on Messrs
Alfred B Sites, VIM. II. Marsh, Rob
ert L. Fultz, Chas. M. Sarver, John G
Hawk, Archibald c. Hamill, James b
Wells, and these gentlemen were elect
ed elders without dissent. ).
Reports were then called for from al
the districts, and the church work wa:
shown to be in excellent condition.
The twentieth question was then ap
piled to the Washington district, begin
ming with the brief report of Presiding
Elder r. Smithson, who announced
that the spiritual welfare of the entire
district was good, and the general col
l~ections up TO the standard and very
gratifying.
Rev. II. E. Carson, of the Alexandra
church, was not present, but when hi
name was called it vas reported tina
because of the late revival, when 20t
conversions were recorded, the church
membership had been considerably
swelled. The collections had beef
large and the assessments had beer
met in full. DR.. Carson has been in hi
present circuit for four years, and viii
consequently be transferred by reason
of the time limit.
Rev. J. T. Williams, of Falls Church
announced a small net increase il
membership and a hearty financia
gain. Rev. S. V. Hildebrand, of Fair
fax, reported a gain of fifteen member
and q good financial condition. Rev
C. B. Sutton, of Dranesville, announced
q gain of forty members, but a Sigh
shortage in collections, though the lat
ter were greater than the past year
Rev. J. W. Grub, Of L%eesburg, report
ed FORTY new members in the congrega
ton and a shortage in collections. Th'
other reports of the Washington dis
trict showed a general increase il
membership and fair collections.
Conference granted the request o
Rev. w. G. Eggleston, of Middletown
Va. to retire from active work ate
having been fifty-eight years a clergy
man.
Rev. W. w. Smith, the secretary o
the educational board, addressed thu
conference and called attention to
book he has written, called; 1.-THE 30!
in Crew. He was a chaplain in th'
Confederate army and was shot dowI
not far from this city. He had endeav
orded, he said, to tell the story of thu
war as it was understood by q south
ern boy, believing that it would aid il
promoting good feeling between thos'
who wore the blue and those who wor'
the grey. :,
After the announcement of commit
: tees an adjournment was taken unit
night. when the conference listened tt
a sermon by Rev. M. B. Chapman, o
Baltimore.
To-day a report in the nature of al
overture from the NJ. E. Church Nortl
suggesting that the two great branche
of the Methodist Episcopal church joir
hands in temperance work, was receiv
ed and referred to the temperance com
po;tfoo
The chairman of the board of educa
ton read the report of the Valley
Female College, of Winchester, which
showed the institution to be in excel
lent condition.