The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-03-27
I'll CHURCH GROWTH
CONFERENCE REPORTS SHOWING
DEVELOPMENT THE PAST YEAR
Of Woman's Foreign Mis-
sfOnary Society Yesterday-Bish-
Op Joyce a Visitor.
Special to the Indianapolis journal.

tendance was largely increased ana more
interest manifested. The business session
was preceded by a devotional service con-
Quoted by the Rev. b. A. Kemp. of Mish-
awake. and in which several others par
ticipated. A committee consisting of Revs.
T. NJ. Guild. of Elwood; G. B. Work. of
Garrett and p. j. Albright, of Farmland.
were appointed to look after the accounts
OF the conference secretary. A resolution
was offered bearing on one of the leading
questions that IS now before the Methodist
Church-that of whether or not the limit
shall be removed from the time that a
pastor can serve any one charge. The mat
ter was discussed at length and resulted
in a vote of 100 to y against. The dele
gates to the General Conference are in
structed to vote accordingly. The present
limit is five years.
A series of resolutions were presented
asking that a faculty of ten ministers be
appointed to nave charge of the examina-
tons of candidates for admission. instead
of standing committees as at present.
There was considerable discussion and the
matter was finally referred to a special COM
mittee. When visitors were called for DR..
w. A. Spencer, of the Church Extension
Society, was introduced and made a brief
talk, in which he congratulated the confer
ence on giving the largest per cent. OF the
apportionment to the work which he repre-
scented of any conference in Indiana, ONO.
Illinois or Iowa, with but two exceptions.
The society is having hard pulling these
hard times. but is keeping out of DEBT. The
society publishes a small bi-monthly masa-
musical supplement with each number, con-
tanning the best of revival songs: 1T IS sent
to the preachers her free free. W.. Presiding Elder nrer
scented his report. which showed the fol-
lowing: Ten thousand members and proba-
TONERS, 134 deaths. IL stations and 10 cir
cults; the pastors salaries aggregated ST.
$50, exclusive of parsonag-s; s2.S01 was
raised for missions; 176 for sustentation;
s74s for tn, Woman' y Foreign MISS Mlssion nary
sionary Society; forty-fve chapters of the
Epworth League, with 2,+A members. and
twenty,six 5un ssa convsrs,on nsp a : I wsin a e.
c%essions: two new churches deolcated; var
ious other church improvements under way
and in contemplation and debts to the
The conference resolved itself into the
Preachers Aid Society and c: U. Wade.
f Uf nlasdtS great S prosperity. and the oiioWinsg;
officers were elected: President, Milton
Mahin. New Castle; vice-presidsnt, T. N.
ton; treasurer, James Meeks, Muncie; man
ayers. N. H. Phillips, Muncie; E. F. Hassy,
F FSodss and G. + " y. K II ks%Psr' M mgnfie' The +;
si.i4S paid to Claimants, cash on hand,
Rev. c. G. Hudson, presiding elder of the
Goshen district, presented his report. II
Salaries; the sum of $1,000 was expended in
the erection and repairing Of churches, and
5000 of old debts liquidated; three new
churches completed; 800 probationers re-
ceived. and 800 by letter, making a total
ported a membership of 1850. with a strong
Junior League; the pastors made 1900 Wis
its and several successful REVEALS. the
report closed with a memorial from every
quarterly conference in the district to the
general conference. asking that the confer
enee boundaries be not changed ,d., =, Tho
Kokomo district, submitted his report, which
showed the following: Twelve stations and
supported and several hundred new mem
bers admitted to membership: two new
churches built. and many repaired; pastoral
lain of the State Prison North In the win
ter. and gave up his charge at Windfail;
new church at kokomo. which is said to
dedication by next September; a school Of
revival methods held at Kokomo last fall.
Among the visitors introduced were DR..
]. E. Hartzell, of Cincinnati. corresponding
secretary of the Freedman's Aid Society;
DR.. A.. B. Leonard. of New York, cor
responding secretary of the Missionary So
senting Christie Hospital, and Mrs. Dr.. r.
S. Rust, of Cincinnati, representing the
Women W0man's ad H1ms M tSs canyers Society," y pr;
interest of his society, stating that there
has been a shrinkage in the receipts of late
years, but stu the work prospers. only S0S.s
collections. The colore6 people are helping
themselves to a remarkable extent in their
year for tuition in the schools of the de-
nomination.. and the colored conferences
are responding literally. Many. reasons de-
church at large. The splendid work of the
schools is well illustrated in the case Of the
u. s. Grant University. There are 1000
students in the schools Of the denomir alton
in the central South, and the. United States
flag floats over every one OF them. These
schools were never doing as good work as
now never as strong, and never commanded
the respect and good will of the Southern
people as now. The dangerous movements
of Roman Catholicism is calling the de-
nomination to more aggressive and per-
At the church extension anniversary.
which occurred last night, the Rev. W.. A.
Spencer. of Philadelphia. said. in the course
of his address,:
There are few conferences in the United
Ssate have saas gwen SeHs to n0 our society $50, ans
you have received back in donations 5000
and in loans $1,000. You give a larger per
ference in Ohio. and there is only one in
Illinois that Is ahead Of you, and you give
more than any other conference in your
The speaker gave some statistics showing
the remarkable growth of the church. In
the last ten years twice as much has e e
spent for church building IS ever before.
and in that time more church buildings
have been put up by Methodists than by
any other four denominations. The Church
Extension Society alone has butt 10000
churches, spent 100000 and loaned 10,Oo0,-
600. 1t now has money loaned out to 1900
people. 1t is entirely out of debt and will do
more in the next ten years than 1T has in
the past. But there are now 1900 congrega-
tons without a building and 5000 Sabbath
schools that cannot meet in a church build
ing. This all proves, he afhrms, that the
Is growing so rapidly that 1t cannot
care fer it's flock DIR. Spencer has or
pay $40 per year. He now has
200 members, but he wants to increase the
number to 10000, and several names were
given in as members. Rev. F. G. Browne.
OF Huntington conference secretary of the
donation of 81 ,s2s. which is a decrease from
last year, owing to the fact that sixteen
charges have not reported.
A. prominent feature of the conference
is the series Of pentecostal
one of which is held each day.
d. D., pastor Of the College
avenue Church, Greencastle-
Bishop Joyce was an unexpected visitor
to-day, stopping of on his way through the
city. His appearance was greeted with en-
thusiastic applause.
This afternoon occurred the anniversary
of the Woman's Foreign Missionary So
ciety, with an address by DIR. David w.
OF this city, a returned medical
missionary from China, and the anniversary
with an address by Mrs. DR.. r. s.. Rust, of
Cincinnati. This evening occurred the mis-
sionary anniversary, with an address by
the Rev. A. b. Leonard. ID. D.. OF New