The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-01-02

ward to the time when thoy shall get
rid Of each other. 1t Is the preachers
desire in a religious way to get the best
appointment available to him. On the
other hand, every church wants tho
best preacher possible whether they
pay much or little. l suppose our
preachers like everybody else are
graded in their salaries. We have n few
$4,000 preachers; some $1,000 preach
crs; some 81 900 preachers, and then al
most any sort of preacher you want.
We cnn supply the demand.
One of the saddest phases of these
annual conferences Is the memorial
service that each conference holds in
memory OF the preachers who have
gone to their reward during the year.
The old heroes fall by the 'waysido
every year. The ranks are filed up by
young and vigorous men who apply for
membership in the conference each
year.
1t tnkes three things to make an
effective preacher. First, one who tan
preach; second, one who succeeds In
bhllhluB up MS anu ubblhb W ~
such as shall be saved; and last, but not
least, the preacher who raises the
money assessed to his charge. The
monies to be raised by a preacher are,
first, his foreign missionary money;
second, the domestic missionary money;
third, the fund for our colleges and
schools; fourth, the church extension
fund; fifth, the bishops funds and
sixth, what we call the conference col
lection. This fund goes to supporting
the worn-out preacher, or the widows
and orphans of deceased preachers.
These collections asarule amount to as
much on many charges as two-thirds Of
run anything in this world. The Lord
will provide, but most of His provisions
for man are such as enable man to pro-
vide for himself. The ravens came to
Elijah and the mama rained down on
the children of Israel in the wilderness,
but the Lord gives a man health and
strength and sunshine and rain, and il
he does not provide, then as last re-
sort Providence has provided a poor
house in almost every county in our
states.
AS a rule the Methodist preachers are
Jolly on their way to conference, They
are n jolly set at conference. They are
ence. As rule more consecrated set
of men never get together than you will
find composing these annual confer
ences. They are ready to rejoice with
them that do rejoice and weep with
them that do weep. They are the most
liberal set of men on the face of the
earth. Almost every preacher comes
away from conference, where they have
had repeated collections, absolutely
broke, and as poor in money as preach
ers usually are it is marvellous the
amount contributed in the collections
taken at the annual conferences for
some brother in distress, for some
brother who has lost his horse, or who
has been stranded in some way; for |
or for any good work. Out |
Of the 200 preachers on the train the |
other morning / doubt II there was 5000 |
cash in their pockets as they came away |
from the conference. If the Methodist |
preachers preach liberality to their con-
they certainly set the eX-
ample. They practice what they preach.
have mingled with Methodist preach
srs for 25 years as one of them. be-
ieve in them, l love them, I reverence
hem. Other churches may have as
good and faithful men, but no church
IN which the sun shines to-day has
0urer, better,nobler men than they who
compose our annual conferences.