The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-25
WHO WILL SUCCEED THEM.
METHODISTs WONDERING WHO
THEIR NEXT PASTORS WILL BE.


The Conference Term of Passionate
Is One Year-POssibIe For Preach
ers to Remain Four Years in One
Charge-Rey. 4. VI. Williams the
Only Minister Sure to GO-His Four
Years Are Up at WesIey-Trinity
Wants Rev. DIR. Scruggs to Stay.
VIII Try 10 Have the Conference
Return Him.
Methodists are interested in surmising
as to what ministers win be assigned to
their churches at the coming conference.
The matter is almost entirely guess work
in most cases, but there are some In
which members of the church claim that
they can see the results of the delbera-
tons of the bishops cabinet, which has
the assignments of the preachers in
charge. 1t is an instance of being able
TO see through a milestone that has a
hole in it.
According to the discipline that governs
the Methodist church, the term of a
preacher under the intinerant system, at
church or in a charge is only one year.
The discipline provides, however, that
minister cannotremain in the same charge
for more than four consecutive years.
OF the four ministers of the Methodist
churches in Savannah the term of only
one, Rev. A. M. Williams of Wesley Mon
umental, has run its course of four years
Mr.. Williams will retire from the pasto-
rate of that church, and it is not known
who will be his successor.
Wesley rs one of the two or three
churches that rank second in point of inn
| portance and the consideration of salaries
| of all those that form the conference Trim
| ity is in the same class, and the two rank
next to the Mulberry street church in Ma
con, which pays the largest salary of any
in the South Georgia conference 1t was
| thought some time ago that the pulpit of
Wesley would be filled by DR.. Alonzo A.
Monk, who was we'll known as the pastor
| of the Mulberry street church. A minis
ter said the other day that he regarded it
as almost certain that DIR. Monk would
| have been sent to Wesley in the event he
| had remained member of the conference.
Now that DR.. Monk is no longer in the
| conference no surmises are INDUCED in as
| to who will be appointed to fill the place
| of MIR. Williams.
! 1t is not thought that there will be any
! change made in the other ministers. With
| this conference, the second year of the
| incumbency of tine pastorate of Trinity
| by Rev. j. H. Scruggs will expire. Last
! year, when the conference held its meet,
! ing at Valdosta, influence was brought to
| bear by the congregation of Trinity to
! have Mr.. Scruggs returned to the church.
! Since then the members have learned to
| admire and respect him even more. ana
| it is very likely that pressure will be
brought to have the conference again re-
! turn him, in case such measure would
| not conflict with it's idea as to the secur-
ance of the best results in the assignment
| of the ministers. The stewards of the
| church have decided to present the wishes
| Of the congregation in a quiet way to the
conference, in order that he be again as
signed to Trinity. 1t seems that that is
the course the conference will be likely
to adopt. There was some fear on the
part of the members of the church short
time ago that Mr.. Scruggs would be as
signed to Mulberry street church, which
was left without a pastor upon the resig-
nation of DR.. Monk. 1t was readily un.
| derstood that that is a charge to which
| some one of the leading members of the
| conference will be called, and Mr.. Scruggs
was looked upon as one of those most
| likely to be assigned to it. The members
felt relieved regarding their chances of
retaining Mr.. Scruggs when it was learned
that minister had been called from the
| Tennessee conference to fill the place of
| DR.. Monk until the meeting of the South
| Georgia conference. Many think there was
| virtually an understanding that the Ten
| nessee minister would be assigned to the
place by the conference.
Rev. James 7. Ryder has been pastor of
| Grace church since the last meeting of the
| conference. There seems to be strong
probability that he will be returned an
other year. Such action, on the part of
| the conference, would win the apprecia-
| ton of the members of the church, who
| have become warmly attached to Mr.
| Ryder within the short time he has been
among them.
With this meeting of the conference will
| end the second year of the pastorate of
Rev. E. F. Morgan at the Seventh Street
| Methodist, formerly Marvin church. Since
| Mr. Morgan has been at the head of the
| church he has done much for its advance
ment. 1t was largely through his eff
| forts that the change was
made from the old quarters
of the church on West Broad street
| to the attractive and comfortable build
ing that is now used as a house of wor-
ship. There is no reason to suppose that
| the conference will not consider the SPLEEN
| did work that has been done by Mr.. Nor
gan as a strong demand that he be re-
turned to the church. in order that his in
| fluence may still be of service in it's furth-
| err up-buiding.
| -%-~~
a