The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-01
MINISTERS MAP OUT MISSIONS.
CONFERENCE BOARD FIXES ITS
MISSIONS FOR NEXT YEAR,

First Days work of the MethOdistS
Hard One-Bishop Key Present
With the Mission Observation-Disclosures
Entered Into Proceedings With
Spirit-R From Missions
Read-COmmittee on Assessments
AppOinted-A New Church at Fitz-
gerald COntempIated-The Confer
ence Meets This Morning at o
O'Clock in Wesley Church.
The board of missions Of the South Geor-
gia conference met yesterday morning al
Wesley Monumental church. When Rev.
C. G. N. MacDonell, presiding elder of the
Savannah district. called the board to or
der the work of the thirty-first annual
conference virtually commenced.
The branch of the conference that has
to deal with its missions is regarded as
the most important by many of the min
listers, as Il represents the work for which
they are striving, the spread of Methodism
and the salvation of souls. The delibera-
tons of the board that has the conduct Of
the missions in charge are always interest
ing and often animated discussions of
questions bearing upon its duties are en-
gagged in. This was the cnse with yes
terdays meeting.
The board was called to order by the
president at 10 o'clock, and the meeting
was opened with the singing of the hymn,
children of the Heavenly King" 1t was
sung by the ministers with great enthus-
iasm, and was followed by an eloquent
prayer, invoking the blessing of God upon
the body, and his guidance in it's work, by
Rev. y. NJ. Wynn.
The secretary, Rev. P. S. Twitty pre-
siding elder of the Waycross district, call
ed the roll, ana the following members
of the board responded to their names:
Rev. G. G. N MacDOnell, president; Rev.
a. NJ. Wynn, vice president; Rev. p. 5.
Twitty, secretary; Rev. f. A. Branch,
treasurer; Rev. ]. o. Branch, Rev L. f.
Griffith, Rev. J. o. A. Cook, Rev. ]. NJ.
Foster. Rev. E. H. McGehee, Rev. j. p.
Wardlaw, Rev. ]. B. Griner, Rev. w. c.
Jones, Rev. W. G. Lovett, Rev. D. F,
Riley, Rev. r. l.. Virgins, Rev. J. W.
Hinton, Rev. j. B. McGehee, Rev. H.
Stubs, Rev. o. d. Thrower, Rev. NJ. c.
Austin, Lay Members Mr.. r. F. Burden
Mr.. G. J. Peacock and Mr.. J. L. Day
Upon the conclusion of the roll call the
president turned to Bishop Joseph S. Key
who is to preside over the conference, and
asked him to come within the pulpit rail
of the Sunday school room, where the
meeting was held. He then introduced the
bishop to his brethren, who rose in ac-
acknowledgement.
we are glad indeed, Bishop Key" said
Mr.. MacDonell, Ito have you with us at
our conference meeting, and we will be
glad to hear any suggestions or counsel
you may offer us at this meeting of the
board of missions" The bishop expressed
his appreciation of what MIR. MacDonen
had said
Communications from the board of mis-
sions of the church at Nashville We're
read by the secretary and received as in
formation. The president announced to
the board that he hoped some change
would be made in the method of making
appropriations for the missions of the con-
ference. The work, he said, has always
been left to the last of the session before
it receives consideration, and it is then
done in what very often is an unadvised
and hasty manner. The president thought
ii would be much the better plan for the
board TO fix the appropriations as it pro-
ceeded with its work and decide what
charges are to receive the support of the
conference as missions 1t was also his
opinion that steps should be taken to see
that more is not promised than is paid;
that the missions should be cut down and
sustained in just such number as would
permit the board to meet all of it's obli-
cations and keep within it's means. He
said that only about seventy-fiVe cents on
the dollar of what should be paid is now
received by the missions, and he thought
the board should see to it that this is cor
rected and the reproach of it's not meet
ing all of its obligations removed. The
president invited the views of the mem
bers on the subject and they were imme-
diately forthcoming.
Rev. D. F. Riley said that he had gath
cred 1t from among the preachers that a
great deal of difficulty had been found in
getting the members of the church to con-
tribute to the cause of domestic missions
He gave as an instance a well-known gem
tleman of Columbus who had stated
without reserve that he did not intend 10
give anything more to the missions as
long as the methods of the appropriation
of the funds remains as il is. Mr. Riley
proposed that a committee be appointed
TO suggest the appropriations 10 the
BOARD during the session of the confer
ence.
The motion was laid on the table by
vote, the majority not seeming to fail in
with Mr.. Riley's plan or to care for a
change in the method of making the APP
propriations. This method has been in
vogue for long time. After the appoint
ments of the ministers to the various
charges throughout the conference terri
tory, the presiding elders suggest the
amounts of the appropriations to the
blshop and they are fixed by his cabinet.
The question of assessments came up for
consideration, this also being raised by the
president, who stated it as his belief that
the best interests of the conference might
be conserved by referring the matter to
committee, which would report the result
of it's deliberations to The board.
This suggestion provoked considerable
discussion. Dr. J. O. Branch. presiding
elder of the North Macon district, said he
thought 1t was ali right to have the COM
mittee, but it ought to consist of the pre-
siding elders as they are in the best po-
sition to judge of the ability of the districts
to pay ass. ~sr" slts
Another preacher said he thought il
would be bad plan to have the presiding
elders on the committee, as they never
would agree.
"A majority of them would at all events. -
remarked DR.. Branch, land that is all we
would want"
l. was suggested that Il would be much
the better plan to have member from
each of the districts without the presiding
elders, and a motion was made to that eff
feet. After some discussion it was carried
one of the board saying he was thorough-
Ia