The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-28
THE CLOSING SESSION.
Bishops Advice to Preachers Going
to New Charges.

Bishops Advice to Preachers Going
to New Charges.
| Last nights session of the conference was
| opened with devotional exercises, conduct
| ed by Rev. A n. Marlatt. Business was
commenced in truly Methodist style when
| the Rev. J. w. Duncan announced that a
| collection would be taken for the janitor of
| the church, who had worked almost night
and day. for the benefit of the con-
| ference. Rev. A. b. Leonard secretary of
the Missionary Society, was then accorded
| few minutes in which to talk about the
| debt. He explained how the debt of about
100000 had been incurred, and declared that
| to charge that it ought not to have been
| incurred would be to impute to the board
which contracted the debt either imbecility
or dishonesty. At the conclusion of his
remarks he asked that as many pastors
| present as felt that they could raise $50
or more during the coming year. to be APP
| piled to the liquidation of the debt, stand
and be counted. He said the money was
to be raised independently of other organi-
cations, and was not to be given over to the
| society unless the full amount of the debt
could be paid. Thirty-six preachers arose
and pledged themselves to raise $40 as a
minimum amount and eghty-nine agreed to
do their BEST
Bishop Fowler then introduced for con-
sideration a proposed amendment to the
constitution of the General Conference The
| amendment was offered by the East Maine
Conference, and proposed to reduce the rep
resentation at the General Conference by
making the apportonment at one delegate
to every sixty charges, instead of one to
every forty-hve. Mr.. Lasby spoke against
the ratification of the amendment, declar-
ing that it would reduce the representation
OF the large conferences, but would not af~
feet many smaller ones, including the East
Maine Conference He took occasion in
his remarks TO defend the position of the
ministers IN their controversy with the lay
men regarding this representation. lie said
there Was a blmetalnc standard in the
church politics. Tie silver standard was the
one by which money was given for the
support OF the church, and Inere was the
gOAu STANDARD, by winch the preacher gave
up his life to the work. He showed that
the average salary OF the preacher was
less than that OF the hod carrier. 1T is
not tor their money that we serve the
laymen, he declared. Ii it were not that
we love the LORD Jesus Christ we would
not serve them for the pay we receive
Mr.. Lasby SAID that he knew of twenty
three conferences which did not raise, in
the aggregate, as much money last year
Tor missions as the Indiana Conference
alone, and yet those tWenty-three confer
ences outvoted the Indiana Conference by
thtrty-tiVe votes in the General Conference.
he heartily applauded, and when a
standing vote was taken there were only
four votes for the ratification of the amend
n.ent.
The conference granted a supernumerary
relation to Ii. G. Ashcroft, who was pastor
at New Harmony during the last year. DIR.
J; f. Berry, OF Chicago, the editor of the
EpWorth Herald, SPOKE very intellgently
upon the work Of the Epworth League, and
urged upon the pastors to help the move
ment throughout the conference.
Following the remarks of Dr. Berry,
which were delivered to the congregation as
g congregation, and not as a conference,
lnn flasaNr 1fGVe
Bishop Fowler and the members of the
cabinet came in from final meeting where
the finishing touches had been placed upon
the work. Many changes were made in the
last hour after it was thought everything
had been done in the best manner possible.
The most of the ministers learned during
the early evening where the cabinet counted
on sending them, and there were several
who succeeded in getting changes made to
suit them.
THE BISHOPS ADVICE.
Before having the appointments read
Bishop Fowler addressed the members of
the conference and the congregation. He
said in part:
ITO me there is no more sublime a spec
tacle than to see this band of two or three
hundred men, standing here with baggage
in hand ready to be sent to whatever field
may fall to their lot. You are not here to
receive an appointment chiefly at the dicta-
ton of some other man, but from the work
ing of system-a system which has many
virtues though it may not have all the
the best machine. all things considered,
that has ever been invented by man to Sc
cure the salvation of sinners"
The bishop went on to say that the men
were not there to receive appointments be-
| cause of any great worldly value in them,
but because they were willing to devote
however, because they needed guardians,
and he was willing to put them against
the same number Of men in any profession,
and was satisfied that at the end of twelve
months they would make q showing as good
as the best of them He remembered
that all the appointments would not be
pleasant ones to the men who filled them.
Some would be sent to places they
did not want to go to. TO these
he felt that his sympathy should go out
to the laymen who not only have to put
up with preacher they do not want, but
have to pay for the kind of preaching they
get but, after ALL" he said, my SYM
pathies are with the preachers. II any OF
you go to bad places / am sorry, but can
assure you the cabinet has done nothing
10 make the places worse than they We're
when you Go 4robga5 ene the % pshop said
addressing the preachers, IF you are sent
to place you don't want to go, don't say
me privately-and I'll be sorry-but don't
let the people to whom you go md 1t out.
He cautioned the preachers not to NEEDLE
in the affairs of the charges which they are
leaving After the appointments should be
read he said, they would, many of them,
have nothing more to do with the charges
where they had been, and they had no more
rirht to NEEDLE in the affairs of those
charges than they had to sneak around to
his room and steal his coat. He admonisled
them to get to work early in their new
charges. to have revival meetings and TO
be their own revivalists.
In concluding. the bishop said: This is
the hest list of appointments the cabinet
was able to make ! think it is as good rs
could have been made by any ten of YOU
I don't owe any of you cent and what
have done has been without fear. / have
been under special obligations to no one
If the Lord does as well by me in the end
as I have tried to do by you, snail be sat
isfed
When the appointments, which are print
ed i'm another column of the Journal, had
been read the large congregation began
rushing for the doors and it was with difn-
culty that Bishop Fowler restored order
| long enough to pronounce the benedictlon
and formally bring TO close the sixty