Evening star., 1897-03-15
THEIR ANNUAL MEETING
The Maryland Conference of the Methodist
Protestant Church.
Speculation TO the Various Cuudi-
dates for The Office of
Presfdent.

conference of the Methodist Protestant
| Church will he held in broadway church
| isaItimcre. commencing "Wednesday. April
| .. and continue for one week.
| Within the boundaries of the conference
| are all the churches of the denomination
| in the District of Columbia Maryland Nir-
! ginia and Delaware. and somc individual
| churches in Elizabeth and Newark " j.
| Pit:sburg Pa. and clsewhcr.
There WILL il is expected. he i4l active
| ministers present al the conference AMI an
| equal number of lay delegates. the latter
| representing a membership of nearly
25e0
The most important subjcc, to come be-
fore the body will he the election of a pres
| ldent FOR the ensuing year. The matter is
| cf absorbing interest to every minister as
| IN the hands of the president. who's. au-
| thoflty is equal in church affairs to that
of bishop in the Methodist Episcopal
| Church. lies the choosing of place of res
| idence ior him for the following twelve
| months.
The election of Rev DR. J. y. Kinzer. the,
J present president OF The conference. to the
| presidency of the Western Maryland Theo-
| Theological Seminary at Westminster an
Office which i; is considered certain he will
accept, not only removes him from the field
OF probable candidates for The chief place
in the gift OF the Maryland con Inference hut
elevates him. unless he declines to take 1t.
to an office which he Will be likely to re-
tain As long az h. lives The presidency OF
the Theological Seminary is regarded a. in
! every way desirable, as Westminster v ht r..
the institution is located Is a charming
| city. besides which there is good salary
and presidential residence for the occupant
Of the position
Tie predecessor OF Dr. Kinzcr. Rev pr.
j. ID. Ward, occupied the office of president
| from the time hc founded Western Mary
| land College. which is a branch OF The
seminary. in 1866 To The period of his
| de IN, d few weeks ago.
For the presidency Of the conference:
| those spoken of Rev. Dr F. +. Tag
| editor OF the Methodist Protestant. tn. ofii-
| cial organ OF the denomination. Balt,more;
| Rev. lpr. Mills, pastor OF 81. James circuit.
| Maryland; Rev. y. -. Melvin. H.. agent
| OF the board of ministerial education, Bal
| tnofe: Rer- r I. i-it;ic, pastor of Starr
Church. Bait more.
OF those named Or. Mills is regarded l.v
| many as the logical successor 10 Dr Kim
Zer ana entitled TO the place hy reason
OF his long service and successful efforts
| in upbuilding the denomination, and had
| IL not been thai conference in 1S.,, depart
| ed from its custom in giving its president
| three terms of one year each in the ease OF
| TIE retiring president. to whom they have
already given i've terms, ii is believed
| that Or. Mills would now be the presi-
dent. Since the conference of two years
ago, however. when the rule which pre-
! vailed up to that time WAS broken and
DR. kinzer Was again chosen, new candi-
dates have arisen and circumstances have
changed SO much that It is believed the
| slccessorship to the present president viii
faLs TO some one else Still. Or. Mills has
a strong following, which may make itself
felt at the proper time. The ex-
tent Of a successful canddaiure.
prominent member of the conference
In Speaking last evening to Star reporter
about the several candidates mentioned for
the presidency said: There is no doubt
that Rev DIR. Tagg. whose name has been
widely mentioned for the office is very
popular AS editor of the Methodist Prot
estant his name has become almost a
household word in every family connected
with the conference, and wherever ne has
preached he has gained new friends. He
is now serving his second term OF four
years as editor of the official organ. f;.v-
ing been reelected at the quadr -nuial
session of the general conference. which
met in Kansas City, Kan. last yea
Rev. +. 7. Little who has been pastor
of Starr Church Baltimore for eight con-
secutive terms and whose return has bccn
asked for by that congrega lion. is a strong
man, but he is generally regarded as a
'holdover,' or. in other words. viii be more
likely TO be chosen to the presidency tllre.
OF six years hence He is very popular and
has been very successful as a pastor. hut
ii is not likely tnat the conference will de-
part from the practice which has hereto-
fore prevailed of giving the office 10 an
older man. However, should he he elect
ed the church Will have a good pulpit rep
resentativ2 in every place he may be in
vited TO preach
NV a. IL htlN H. lOl various reasons.
seems TO be more favorably considered
at present than any of the others named
Tor the place. Combined with all the es-
sentials of good pastor. he is the sub
ject of especial interest in the Maryland
conference, owing to the fact that he was
selected by the foreign mission board as
corresponding secretary Of the church. To
NIL the uneXpired term OF Rev. L E Col
burn, deceased under the Impression that
the general conference would at its meet
irg IN 1886 continue the appointment. This.
however, they did not do. on account, It
Is said, of the attitude assumed by the
representatives from Maryland in :he con-
ference on the question of the 'ordina-
tion of Women. Mr.. Melvin during the
past year has been acting as the agent
of the Church Extension Society," board
OF ministerial education and of the super
arnuate fund and has made favorable
impression on all the churches he has
visited In his itinerary"
The impression prevails in well informed
circles that most of the pastors of the
NJ. p. Church at present located in Wash
ington will be assigned TO new fields of
labor by the incoming president. 1t ap-
pears to be quite certain that Rev. George
q. Bachus of the First Church will have
another appointment, as he has already
served five years in that charge, and he
has, it is understood. notified the congre-
cation that he does not wish TO come back
to them for another year.
Rev. S. j. Smith of the Central Churca
has not il Is said, yet decided whether or
not he would prefer to remain in Wash
ington after the meeting or conference. Ii
is understood to be the desire of his con-
gregation to retain his pastoral services
for another year, he having been with them
for only four years, bur Mr.. Smith has
not up to this time sisnfied his willing
ness to serve in his present field another
term.
Rev. A. T. Nelson of Mount Tabor is in
his first yesr pastor of the charge. and
he has been very successful, but he has. ii
is stated, decided to sever his relations
with the church when conference meets.
His anne has beer frequently and favor
ably n Mentioned in connection with the pas
torate of one of the Baltimore churches,
and. it is thought, he will remove to that
city.
Rev. w. S. Hammond. pastor of Con-
gress Street Church Georgetown, will, II
is believed, continue in charge of that
field, he is much beloved and has been
highly successful
The return of Rev. b. b. James to the
pastorate of North Carolina Avenue Church
is fully expected by the members. most of
whom would be sorely displeased II he was
taken from them and sent to another field
Mr.. James has not only been successful
a pastor, but has. with the aid of persons
of influence connected with the church.
commenced the erection of fine Dlacp