Evening star., 1898-03-12
THE VIRGINIA CONFERENCE
Third Days Session of Methodist Body at
Falls Church.
Reception of Reports OF Presidin9
Elders-Elders and Deacons Elect
ed-visit to Arlington.

4 SHuTSu uloIHiuS dt " CiOCh, VI iCSCuC0
by religious services of half an hour. The
| first business considered was the reports of
presiding elders, that of Rev. D. c. He'd
rick of Greenbrier district being the first.
| He reported a total of 200 members added
| during the year, 2T1 received on probation
and 341 conversions. One new church had
been built, and three are in course of con-
| struction. He reported a total of fifty-four
churches within the bounds of The district.
One death had occurred in the year, that of
Rev S. c. Morgan.
Rev. A ]. Porter of Roanoke district, re-
ported four churches added and his district
in good condition. Rev. Porter is seventy
years of age, and had travelled 1619 miles
on horseback during the year. His con-
gregation raised last year SIC, ,3I5 for church
erection, and S6,525 had been received from
| the board of CHURCH extension.
Deacons were elected today as follows:
Rev. r. l.. Leslie, p. c. Jordan, r. N. Hart
ness.
Rev. Robert Chew was reported as having
| completed course of study and was elected
| an elder.
Those continued in the courses of study
! v ere. Fourth year: J. +. Allender, c. NJ. NJ.
| Fultz; third year. NJ. n. Davenport, ]. f.
! Giles and Nj. 3. Sleenor; second year, Jas.
| b. Kcrster-
The relation of NJ. L. ]. Anderson was
| ferred to the Missouri conference.
The bishop made an address specially to
| the class for admission 20 full connection.
Rev. NJ. Z. SleeEor was granted super
numeraIy relation.
Visitors Introduced.
Visitors introduced to the conference to-
day were: Bishop Hurst of Washington,
DIR. Samuel l.. Beiler OF Washington, DR..
Marsh of Kansas conference, DR.. c. B. Ma
| son of Cincinnati.
The presiding elders were appointed a
| committee to nominate members of trial
| beard; also to select the place of next
meeting
Revs. James W. Bond, Jasper Sage and
r. T. Ricketts, were admitted on trial and
| introduced to the conference.
Revs. ]. NJ Newton and H. H. Ingle were
appointed additional members of the board
of examiners.
Three addresses were made-by Bishop
Hurst. in behalf of American University:
DIR. Mason of Cincinnati, in behalf Of
Freedmsn's Aid and Southern Educational
Society. and by DR.. G. L. Newcomb Of
Chattanooga. for the U. S. Grant TheoloSi-
cal School of that city.
At 2 o'clock the members of the con-
ference paid a visit to Arlington.
The Presiding Bishop.
Bishop David A. Goodsell, who is pre-
siding over the Virginia annual conference
now in session at Falls Church, Va, is of
New England ancestry on both sides. One
of his forefathers. Thomas Goodsell, built
the first house in New Haven in the year
1912, and John Goodsell, son of Thomas,
was the pastor of the first church at Green
field Hill. Conn. His successors. down to
Bishop Goodsell, have continued in the
ministry.
Bishop Goodsells father was a minister
for fifty years in the Methodist Episcopal
Church, and in 1889 the present bishop
with his uncle, John Goodsell, and his
brother, George Goodsell, were admitted to
the east New Iork conference. The bishop
graduated in June, 1859, from the New
York University, having been prepared for
college in Clinton Academy, northern New
York. Joseph Cook was one of his class
mates
For twenty-eight years he was a pastor,
Chiefly in Brooklyn, n. Y, and the larger
cities of Connecticut, such as New Haven,
Neriden and Norwalk. He was for sixteen
y=ars secretary of the east New York con-
ference, and was for eight years the liter
ary editor of the New York Christian Advo-
cate He was later elected editor of Zion's
Herald, Boston, and having been chosen
secretary of the board of education of the
church, was released a editor to accept the
latter position, and while serving in this
Office, was, at the general conference Of
New York, in May, 1SSS, elected bishop.
His FIST official residence was at Fort
W orth, Texas; then at San Francisco, Cal
now in Chattanooga, Tenn. Since his cleo
ticn as bishop, he has visited Japan, Corea
and China, in his official capacity ard for
two years was in charge of the NJ. E..
Church in Europe. He returned from there
in September last. He is now fifty-seven
| years of age, and though having been ten
years in service. he is still the youngest
bishop OF the church.
Home Mission Society.
The afternoon session yesterday was de-
to ba oft ha
Woman's Home Mission Society of the con-
ference. The president, Mrs. s.. A. Bail,
presided. and addresses were delivered by
Mrs. C. L. Roach, corresponding secretary
| of the Womans Missionary Society of The
Baltimore conference; Mrs. j. F.. Gilbert,
recording secretary of same society, and
Miss Alice NJ. Wells, deaconess Of The
Metropolitan NJ. E. Church Of Washington
Miss Ida n. Ball submitted her annual
| report as corresponding secretary of the
Home Missionary Society of the Virginia
conference. Miss Alice NJ. Wells sang
several solos with autoharp accompani-
ment.
Last night the church was crowded to
| listen to addresses on the subject of south
ern education. The meeting was presId .tl
| over By Rev. T. J. Crumley. and the prin-
| cipal speaker Rev. DIR. c. B. Mason of
Cincinnati, one of the secretaries Of the
| freedman's aid and southern education
q
| ty. His address was very entertaining.
| Rev. DIR. Newcomb, professor of theology
| in the Chattanooga Seminary, also spoke en-
| education.
| This evening at 1:30 o'clock the Woman's
| Foreign Missionary Society will meet and
| will be presided over by Mrs. W. Y Swig-
/ gott Mrs. Stevens of Baltimore will de-
| liver an address.
| Sunday AppOint ntments.
The pulpits of the several local churches
will be filled tomorrow by the visiting min
| listers as follows: NJ. E. Church, IL am,
| Bishop Goodsell: 7:30 pm, Rev. NJ. F.
Marsh. NJ. Z. Church South, IL am, Rev.
a. ]. Porter; 7:3O pm, Rev. r. H. Clark
Presbyterian, IL am, Rev. W. F. shep-
| pard; 7:3O pm, Rev. j. B. Feltner. Bap-
tist, II am. Rev. ]. E. Allender. Congre-
| gatlonal. IL am, Rev. W. T. Schooley.
| Episcopal, II M. Rev. DR.. G. T. New
| comb; 1880 pm, Rev. L. ]. McDougle.
| Colored NJ. F.. Church. II am, Rev. A. NJ.
Chappell; 7:30 pm, Rev. E. W. Feltner.
] Mt Olivet NJ p. Church. IL am, Rev. l.
| F. Ricketts,. Walker Chapel, pm, Rev.