The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-25
ONLY EIGHT DISTRICTS
THE INDIANA NJ. e. CONFERENCE RE
DUCEs THE NUMBER.
All the Marion County Churches VIII
BE Under One Presiding Elder
New Ministers.

At the meeting of the cabinet of the
Methodist Episcopal Church of the In
diana Conference yesterday afternoon an
important decision was reached with refer
ence to the classification of the conference
into districts. Heretofore, since the con-
solidation of the Southeast and the Indiana
conferences two years ago, there have been
nine districts in the consolidated Indiana
Conference, each district under the imme-
date supervision of a presiding elder.
The proposition now is to reduce the num-
her of districts to eight. The plan met the
general approval of members of the cabi-
net 1t is not a hard matter at present to
adopt such a change, although at an
other time it might be opposed. There are
several members of the cabinet, which is
composed Of the bishop and the presiding
elders. who cannot remain longer in the
districts they now have. One presiding
elder. Rev. c. E. Bacon, of the Evansville
district, is to take the pastorate of the
Roberts Park Church in this city. Hence
the proposed change will not necessarily
legislate anybody out of office, though it
may reduce the chances of some of the
candidates by cutting off one district to
which they might be sent as presiding
elder
The most important change which the
redistricting will effect will be the uniting
of all the churches in Indianapolis into
one district. At present there is an east
and west Indianapolis district, each of
which includes some of the churches of
this city and some in neighboring places.
The east indianapolis contains Barth
Place. Central Avenue, East Park, Edwin
Ray, Fletcher Place, Furnas Place,
Grace. Hall Place, Hyde Park, Lincoln
Avenue, Oak Hill, Roberts Park and Wood
side churches in this city, and the churches
at the following other places: Acton,
Brightwood, Castleton, Fairland Franklin,
FreetoWn, Greenwood, lryington, Law
renee Mapleton, New Bellsville, New Pal
estine. Nineveh, RameltOn, Shelbyville,
South Bethany, Southport and Whiteland.
The west Indianapolis district contains
all the Methodist churches in old West In
dianapolis, and the following in the city
proper: Blackford Street, Broadway Cal
ifornia Street, Madison Avenue, Meridian
Street and Wesley Chapel, and the
churches at the following places outside
the city: Belleville, Bowling Green BROOK
lyn Cataract, Center Point Clay city,
Cloverdale, Cory, Gosport, Monrovia,
Mooresville, Morgantown, PutnamVille,
Quincy and Waverly. Locust street and
South churches in Greencastle also DelonS
to this conference and the West Indianapo-
Under the new arrangement there will
be formed an lQUldDdDOllS OlStliNt 0iiiSh
will embrace all the churches of this city
and county and probably a few close py
outside the county. In this way all the
churches of Indianapolis will be under one
presiding elder. The plan has met the APP
prevail of all the members OF the caplnSt,
and seems to be a popular one with the
ministers generally, as Well as tne iayiien'
THE LOCAL CHANGES.
The cabinet has been at work every
afternoon now since the conference began,
To on announce
ments and will make none until Monday
afternoon or evening The only change
which has been settled upon in this city
is at Roberts Park, where Mr.. Bacon is to
go. The successor of Mr.. Roberts at
Fletcher place is not known.
The session of the conference yesterday
morning opened with devotional exercises
led nv the Rev. William NICK. Hester. DIR.
G. L. Curtiss, chairman OF the BOARD OF Elk
animation, read report II IoiI "a - he elio
school for undergraduates Whlcn mao De 81
held at Seymour from Aug. Is 70 aug. -
The report of Rev. II. j. Talbott pre-
siding elder of the West indianapolis us
trict was received He reported, that
new church had been organized ana place
of worship established at the corner ot
New York and Crawford streets IN the CITY
of Indianapolis with 122 members, ana that
q f1ourishing mission had been eStapllsned
at East and Downing streets lie sald ne ne
had been materially assisted during the
year as in former years by stude3nts aL
De Pauw; Nine charges had peen cen hileo !, e 10y
them. The report showed that a H eH
church at Clay City is nearly completed;
that debts of churches had been reduced
about $4,000; that Meridian-street ChuTch
had deer eased it's debt by $500:
The conference reappointed Drs. Jonn
Poucher and Edwin Post as professors at
De PAW the former to the chair OF IAN
guages and exegetical theology in the theo-
logical school, and the latter to the chalr
of Latin in the college of liberal arts. L. ":
Duvall was reappolnted as a professor az
the Ohio Wesleyan University. Bryan Car
ter was granted superannuated relation
on motion of his presiding elder, H. }. TAI
Under the tenth Question"
preachers have completed the conference
completed the four, years course, We're
elected to elders orders l.. M. Gr1gsby, II.
w. Baldridge, p. e. urner, 5. 6, Benh a,a
f. c. Jordan. ]. n. furry, John CLOUDS,
D. w. Noble, Merritt MAGELLAN, II. n.
Sheldon, l.. F. Dimmitt, IT, ]. Anthony, w;
q Proctor. Deacons orders were conferred
upon the following: w: H. Crane, nelson
p Ray and j. w. Cordrey.
THE NEW MINISTER'S.
The two-year class of candidates for adj
mission to full connection contained the
following ministers: L. T. Gerkin, F. w.
Davis, c. l.. Martin, r. S. Hyde, e. A.
Robertson, w r. Plummer, ]. l.. Shroyer,
c. S. Henninger, +. M. Chambers, O. A.
Ward, ]. L. Brown, C. w. Dobson, l.. B.
"A. y.
SON. The forrnalities of the admission OF
the candidates were not concluded, though
the reports as to character and success in
examinations were favorable to all and
they will be admitted. Bishop Fowler spent
an hour delivering a charge TO the class,
the members of which occupied seats dI-
rectly before him beneath the pulpit. IL
was an impressive charge, containing ad-
vice of value to young ministers.
A long discussion was had over a reSo-
luton to assess 81, 900. to be apportioned
among conference charges to pay the eX-
penses of the entertainment of the present
session of the conference. 1t was proposed
that half the amount be set aside Tor the
next years conference. Rev. George y
Wolfe, of Princeton announced Ihdt ms
town wanted to entertain the next confer
ence whether or not any provision Tor eX-
penses We're made. The resolution was
adopted without the final provision.
For the relief of Rev. j. M. Couchman,
of Farmersburg, who reported the Gay be-
fore that he had been robbed or Sl9V or
church funds a collection was taken. The
sum of SIS was realized and this was turned
over to the treasurer to be applied Tor Mr.
Couchman. pro rata to the various accounts
chargeable against him.
Bishop Bowman arrived during the ses-
sion and was introduced. He occupied
seat in the pulpit but made no ADDRESS.
BISHOP FOWLER'S LECTURE.
Great Audience Hears Him Dis
cOurse on Lincoln.