The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-11-12

4 MIGNIFJCENT ECCLESffSffCIL
BODY NOV ~ SESSION.
Hisbop Duncan ns u Presiding Oheer-The
Reports of the Conference commit
tees-The Epworth League.


and broad brimmed hats. rode into
Lynchburg, and i'm little wooden nan
on the corner of Ninth and church
streets. held the first OF the fourteen
Methodist conferences that are inter-
woven with the history of the liili -City'
To-day. when Bishop Duncan called TO
order i'm Court-Street church the one
hundred and fourteenth session Oh 'nc
Virginia Conference, he faced one oil inc
most magnificent ecclesiastical bodies
over convened i'm the South. II was hard
TO realize that the two hundred ana
more well-dressed. prosperouS-iooNihs
ministers who filed the front halt IN
one of the most noted churches OF Ne'ho-
disn. were the apostolic successors OF tue
hardy heroes in homespun who SAT AT the
feet OF Bishop Asbury I'm the quaint
little hall on the corner nearly cen
tuy ago.
THE PRESIDING BISHOP.
Bishop Duncan was in fine trim for
his trst appearance In his official ca
paciy before the conference of which
he was long an honored member. and
the welcome which he received was as
cordial as even Virginia preachers know
how 10 give His hair is an even IRON
gray. and there are few deep lines IN
his forehead. but otherwise time has
dealt gently with him. and he is as Wig
orous rs in the days when he was a
familiar figure in Virginia Methodism.
THE OPENING EXERCISES.
The day was dark and chilly without.
but the chill wore off within as the Bishop
-
The conference hymn.
And are we yet alive.
And sec each others face
was sung as only conference knows
how 10 sing IL. and the Bishops prayer.
tender with touching references 10 the
past and to the veterans that have gone
before. was accentuated with fervent
amens from every part Of the house.
Then scripture lesson was read, and
after a stirring talk by the Bishop. full
Of interesting "reminiscences, the confer
ence was ready for business. There was
no red tape. no formal speech-making,
no parade Of any sort.
Dr. Paul Whitehead. who for thirty
six years has been secretary of the con-
ference. called the roll OF the last ses-
sion. or the 25i clerical members tye-
sfxths Of the members answered 10 their
names. and nearly all the half nun
dred lay delegates were announced as
present or on the way.
Dr. Whitehead was again elected sec
retarv. and on his nomination keVs. ..
:. Lambeth and Earnest stevens "elo
elected his assistants
The session was almost entirely occu-
pied with routine work, ana s.od ueal
Of unsnteresting but necessary business
fhn ,
were appointed and the usnal cOiiiih"i'-
cattons were read and referred
REPORTS OF PRPOGREss.
MI. ro,ort of the book agents of the
,,,hlisbing house of the Methodist tpls-
r,ai cburch South. shows the puoilsh-
,,l, interests of the Church to be IN eN-
saI,art condition Notwithstanding tne
b,rd times which have been especlal'y
haFd t'nles, ,,.o hook business. The
tot,l assets OF the house are S'-- 'so.o9'
li,biliiie, kls. S96Oq. There has been h'te
hence in the condition of the seNerdi
periodicals. published 10y the house.
In fhe Sundav-school department some
~ tho neriodicals have gained IN circula-
lion. while some have lost the difference
in result being in favor or the nepa''-
ment The report notes an increase
sale Of the books In the course OF hp
worth reading. Twenty-eight BOOKS ana
hoollats were issued by the house dur
inc Tho wear. for the most part on ac-
count OF the authors. out OF the pro-
cee1s OF the business Of the house for the
vear the Book Committee ordered $40.
TO be distributed 10 the Annual Confer
ences FOR the superannuated preachers
and for the widows and orphans OF de-
ceased preachers.
THE OUTLOOK OF MISSIONS.
The annual report OF the secretaries OF
tbe BOARD Of Missions was read. The
regular collections for Foreign Missions
throuehout the Southern Church have
fallen short again by the sum of about
Is OOD This necessitatod further re-
duction i'm appropriations 10 mission fields.
The secretaries think that the tap-root
of the churchs failure in missions Is
the sin of coyetousness. out OF this
has grown up an unscriptural conception
of individual rights and proprietorship
Pastors have become perploXed and em-
barrassed by multiplicity OF collections,
and their attention To the claim Of mis-
sions has been distracted by the urgency
OF Specials" before the regular collec-
tions are secured The effort made to
awaken a missionary conscience mas been
INADEQUATE. The China mission is in the
midst Of a wonderful revival the Japan
MISSION is steadily growing and the kor-
can work opens with the brightest pros
poets Never in the history OF the Church
have such magnificent opportunities been
offered The whole heather world IS
undergoing readjustment here since mis-
sionary work was first enterprised have
such vast possibilities been brought with
In the reach OF the missionary
THE EPWORTU LEAGUE MOVEMENT
A communication from DR.. $. A. Steele,
secretary of the Epworth League, was
read The League has had steady
growth during the year. There are
now about three thousand local leagues,
with an aggregate membership Of
hundred and fifty thousand. There
are now well organized State Conferences
i'm Virginia. Tennessee. Georgia. Ala
bama. South Carolina. Florida, Mississip-
pi. Louisiana. Texas Ark ansas. Missouri.
kentucky and California The third In
ternational Conference will be- held next
summer in the city of Toronto. Canada.
The "Epworth Era" has circulation Of
72fS copies weekly. The League has
passed the experimental stage. it has
come to stay. says Or. Steele. IL Is
demonstrating its utility. In nearly
every place IL is a centre of spiritual
activity in ,he church-enthusiastic con-
secrated. aggressive.
CHURCH EXTENSION IN VA.
The report OF DR.. David Morton, Sec
retary OF the Board of Church Exten-
sion. shows that during the fourteen
wears of the boards existence l67 church.
IS within the bounds of the Virginia
Conference have received aid from the
church extension funds amounting 10