The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-28
THE METHODISTS.
N. E. Southern Conference
Meets Wednesday.



On Wednesday next the Methodist New
England Southern conference will assem-
BILE In the First M 4. Church, Fall River,
Mass. Rev.W. A. Luce, pastor. The Right
Rev. Randolph 8. Foster, ID. d., LID.
will preside.
This session is of much Importance as
1t so nearly precedes the great general
conference to which three delegates are
to be elected. OF course there are many
willing to 60 as candidates already.
In connection with this conference the
lay electoral conference meets, wnicn
will convene I'm st. Pauls nj. T.. Churcn
Friday, April 8, at 10;3o a. m. AT this
| gathering two laymen will be elected 10
| the general conference and any memo
| rials presented will be acted upon con-
| cerning which the Methodist laity are de-
| sirous of reaching the great law-making
body OF the M. Il. Church which the gen.
| eral conference Is.
The names of possible candidates from
| the ministerial ranks are many. Your
| correspondent has heard the names OF
| the three presiding elders, 3. U. Benton.
| T. Everett, ana q. III. Bates mentioned;
| also the names OF Professor +. ID. Blakes-
ly, ID. A. Whedon, Il. Terrell, A. J.
| Coultas, NJ. j. Talbot, c. II. Bass, X.
Povey, j. II. Nutting. M. Kaufman, q.
| w. Scott.
| The visitors to this session OF confer
| ence are Rev. Homer Eaton, ID. d., agent
book concern; Rev. 3. f. Upman, ID. d.,
Drew Theological Seminary; Rev. William
| V. Kelley, ID. d., editor Methodist ke-
view; Rev. Samuel L. Beiler, ID. d.. vice
chancellor The American University; Rev
b. p. Raymond, ID. d., LID, president
| Wesleyan University; Rev. 9. II. Park
| hurst, ID. d.. editor Zions Herald; Rev.
Professor q. X. Morris, ID. d., Boston
r..s., ~ Rich haI
ID. d., Boston University; Rev. A. s.
Weed. publisher Zion's Herald; Rev. J.
| w. Hamilton, ID. d., secretary Freed
mans Aid and Southern Education So
ciety; Rev. A. j. Kynnett, ID. d.. cores
| ponding secretary of Church Extension
tsry board OF education; Rev. Julius
| Soper, ID. d.. representative Missionary
| Society; Mr.. III. A. Thayer, agent book
concern; Miss Mabel Hartford, returned
| missionary.
The following are the presiding elders:
| district; Rev. Il. j. Everett, p. T.. New
Bedford district; Rev. George II. Bates.
| p. Il. Norwich district.
| One, Rev. s. q. Benton will retire by
expiration OF time, years, and enter the
| passionate again.
The conference will open Wednesday at
| 3 a. m. with devotional exercises and the
| communion of the Lords supper. The
business sessions each day VIII begin at
8 q. m. and close at IL M; open to the
| public.
Different bret hren of the conference
will conduct evangelical services at pm.
| m. every day except Sunday In the vestry
| of the First NJ. T.. Church.
| The many anniversaries OF various
| societies, like the missionar, ETC., will be
held as announced in the daily prints.
| The question OF the new presiding elder
has been widely csnvassed for several
| weeks. Among ths names OF men men,
toned are the following: W. 8. McIntire,
Il. Terrell, @. +. Bass, A. j. Coultas, j.
E. Brightman, X. Povey. The appoint
| ment, however, is not elective. The
bishop generally does that, and generally
the one man who is made presiding elder
| is not the one most talked up. Still ii is
said self-made committee recently went
! TO Newport to interview a--well, say Rock
Bass; and ii seems probable that Provi-
dence district may have diet OF Bass, to
| which no mau OF US would say alas!
| THE PASTORAL CHANGES
| will not be very numerous, at least not
| in and around Providence.
| The following men are on the honor
roll as having stayed the full term, five
| years; A. D. Adams, StafiordsvilIe
W. III. Heath, Hebronville. Mass. j. b.
Wash burn, Mansfield, Mass, only four
this year. The five year rule does not yet
| seem to work, only in q very few in
stances. All churches, the Methodist il
| anything less than others, are affected by
| the hurry of the age with its demand for
| changes.
The Rev. A. j. Coultas is invited back
| to st. Paul, Fall River, for q fifth year.
With scare an exception the pastors of
| Providence Methodist Episcopal Churches
| are to come back for another year. Ru-
L.. hat ~ nlxo
The past year seems TO have been one of
| advance and prosperity through the
| bounds OF the conference Several new
| churches have been built; two, Mathew
| son street and Edgewood, are going up
within the limits of our city. Among
| matter OF gossip we have heard that IN
the lay electoral conference an effort will
be maoe to send woman delegate to the
| general conference. woman often seen
on Westminster street is the possible ~
| candidate.
1t appears that already three women
delegates have been elected in lay electoral
| conferences throughout the denomina-
| tion. And even the friends of "women
| in the general conference" to a large
| extent, have said: IL is blunder to
have done so in the present condition of
| the controversy on that subject. The
"Hamilton Amendment" sprung upon
| the general conference OF 1872, in It's clos
| ing moments, has so much of the nature
| OF getting women into that body-to use
| the common phrase--"b the back door, I"
| that 1t appears better to wait for more
settled and unanimous kind OF legisla-
ton, that will give women the most sat-
isfactory claim to representation there.
1t Is a peculiar coincidence that at the
conferences of Methodism, over 100, be:
sides those I'm foreign fields, are prepar
ing for their great quadrennial gather
ing, and the political parties.are doing the
same thing.
Soon hundreds OF delegates, clerical
and lay, will be of to our general confer
ence, which meets in May, holding
about six weeks. And soon delegates will
be starting out to the national conven-
tions. One class of delegates to Ice islate
in the interests OF over 2,500,0O0 Metho-
dist Episcopalians (all Methoists swell
the mum ber TO 5,OC0, 00o) In the United
States, Tie other clsss of delegates TO NOM
mate the future President OF the United
States May they ell be men of true de-
yotion and true patriotism.
GEORGE w. ANDERSON.