Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1896-04-16
HELD BY THE CLERGY.
Methodists Coming From All
Parts Of the State to At
tend Conference.
Sessions Begin Wednesday
and Continue the Remain
der Of the Week.
Annual Report of Presiding
Elder Ryan Favorable.
Reception Tonight.

6IO0T nyau = avn 0O10'
Reception Tonight.
The early morning trains Tuesday
brought in large r.dmber of ministers
who come to atte nd the eleventh session
Of the state Conference of the Methodist
church which convenes tomorrow morn
ing. Some we're accompanied by their
wives and all expect very profitable
and pleasant meeting. The past year
has been a satisfactory period for the
church IN N. D., and large amount OF
indebtedness has been liquidated. Near
ly all parts of the state are represented
though most Of the clergy come from
the Red and James river valleys-the
eastern half of the state. The most
| westerply charges are in this district, at
Dickinson, Minot, Towner aud Rugby.
The conference embraces the entire
state which is divided into the three
districts of Fargo, Grand Forks and
Jamestown. There are between 50 and
80 churches in the conference with g
membership of 5000 or more. There
are 1l5 Sunday schools and 5000
scholars. The 7S church buildings and
40 parsonages are valued at $4,000 and
$3l 900 respectively on which there is an
aggregate Indebtedness OF $41, 900. To
MAINTAIN these churches, pay the
pastors, the presiding elders, the bishops
| and current expenses, requires $55,OOOs
year. Last year eli but about $4,000 of
this amount, as shown by the last annu-
al report, was raised. The annual col
lectlons for the various benevolent pur-
poses amounts to thousands of dollars
portion goes to the maintenance of
the Red River university. at Wahpeton.
the especial protege Of the Methodists
in North Dakota. It is thriving lnsti-
tuition under the direct charge of
Rev. Knox.
Today was given over to preparations
for the conference. The ministers and
lay delegates, of whom 200 are expected
to be 10 attendance, we're received and
assigned to different places in the city
where there entertainment during the
week has been kindly provided for. The
Methodist church and parsonage was
made place of rendezvous.
One Of the events Of the conference
will be the presence OF Bishop Vincent,
who is called the Father OF the Chau-
tauqua movement. He is expected in
on an early morning train tomorrow to
preside at the sacramental service at
$50 a. o., which will formally open the
sessions of the conference. Each morn.
ing thereafter at $50 o'clock he will
deliver a half hour lecture on the
Epistles of Timothy. These addresses
are looked forward to With much inter-
est, as the Bishop is an exceedingly in
teresting and entertaining speaker.
The reports of Presiding Elder Klingle
of the Grand Forks district, of Presiding
Elder Planette OF Fargo district, and of
Bresiding Elder Ryan of the jamestown
district were made. The report of Elder
Ryan ,e of especial interest to this dis
trict, and brief resume is given The
past year, he says. has been one of inces-
SAINT toll and arduous labor for both
pastors and presiding elder. The nature
OF the territory embraced in the district
it covers about two thirds of the state,
has less than one-third of the total pop
ulstlon and less than one fourth of the
total membership of the church in the
an unual number of
long drives. 1t Is hardly possible that
90 sparsely settled district would indi-
cate SO large degree OF success as q
more thickly settled district, yet the
years record will show substantial gains
along all lines. Revival meetings re-
markable for their power and sweep
have been held at Grand Rapids and
Winona. There has been unusual &C.
tivity along the line of paying old debts
and he cites the cases OF Bismarck that
paid off $500, Grand Rapids $3.50. Dickey
S75 of old debts; Cooperstown $50 inter-
est, Spiritwood ST. on the same account.
Gladstone has paid about the same
amount beside arranging for the cancel
lation of the debt of the coming year
Mandan has reduced its debt 5000.
The prospect for the coming year IS
for yet more arduous work and CORES
pondingly greater success. Parts of the
district ars rapidly filling up with set
tiers and to get them under Christian
influence will requlr still greater zeal
and activity on the part of pastors and
people.
Presiding Elder Planette OF Fargo
district reported this especially debt
paying year.