Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-20
THE GENERAL CONFERENCE
Highest Court Of N. E. Church South to
Meet in Baltimore.
Questions Which VIII Come Before
ternal Relations Problem.

II
pie generally, but especially among men,
bers of the Methodist denomination, re-
gardiEg the approaching quadrennial meet
ing of the general conference of the NJ. e.
Church South, which will begin in Balti-
more In a little mora than two weeks and
continue for nearly month.
The conference is composed of about 800
delegates. and 1t Is expected that there will
be at least 100 visitors. The delegates will
represent conferences throughout the en-
tire southern and southwestern sections Of
the country.
The Baltimore conference, of which the
churches in the District Of Columbia form
a Part. has named as its delegates Revs.
DIS. Collins Denny, Rumsey Smithson, P.
H. Whistler, ]. A. Kern and j. ). Hutchin-
son, and Messrs. Robert Magruder, NJ. S.
Conrad. p. V. D. Conway. L. ]. Williams
and ]. w. Wood. Nine bishops, each of
attend. Their names are Rev. DIR. j. c.
Keener of New Orleans Rev. DIR. A. W.
Wilson, Baltimore; Rev. DR.. ]. c. Gran
berry. Ashland, Va; Rev. DIR. r. x. Har-
grove, Nashville, Tenn; Rev. DR.. w. w.
Duncan, Spartansburg, S. c.; Rev. DR..
Charles Is. Galloway, Jackson, Miss; Rev.
DIR. E. r. Hendrix. Kansas City, Mo-; Rev.
DR.. J. 5 Key, Fort Worth. Tex, and Rev.
DIR. .. P. Fitzgerald. San Francisco, Cal.
The present plan of the members is un-
derstood to be to elect two new bishops,
it being believed that the eXigencieS which
confront the church are such as to demand
that the board of bishops shall consist of
eleven meE;b, rs instead of nine, as at
present. and it is thought to be probable
that one of the new bishops Will be selected
from among the members OF Baltimore
conference.
Officers to BE ChOsen.
Other officers to serve for the ensuing
four years will be elected as follows: Two
n charge of the DlD-
fishing house in Nashville, Tenn: editors
of the Nashville and Pacific Christian Ad-
vocates; two missionary secretaries,
Sunday school editor, secretaries of the
Epworth League board, members of
board of education and church extension
society. Besides, there are to be chosen
members of the book committee, Sunday
school board. missionary board and Church
Extension Society.
The payment recently by the United
States government of $2SS 900 to the South
ern Methodist Publication Society for prop
erty destroyed by federal soldiers during
the war may lead to the establishment of
an additional publication house by the
denomination.
The general conference meets but once
in every four years, and for that reason
1t is called upon to transact much busi-
ness of petty well as Of an important
character. 1t is the law-makng body OF
the church, as well as being Its highest
original tribunal, and sits in the nature Of
an ecclesiastical court of appeal.
These two functions necessarily load 1t
with a full calendar of the gravest types
of business. all of which must be settled
before Adjournment because of the long
interval between each session.
In addition to the matters already enumc-
rated there is another question of much
interest which will be considered. This
will be final and official determination
as to the exact status which evangelists
fhn NJ IA 'hl
question has been much discussed of late
until it has reached that condition wherein
ultimate settlement is more than urgent.
The conference will, it is expected, like
to promote a better fraternal and religious
relation between the two great divisions
of the Methodist Church. While there
will be no probability of a consolidation
of the governmental portions OF the two
bodies there will be an earnest effort to
effect a genuine union and cooperation
in the field of religious labor.
1t is stated as probable that there will
be a report of the committee which has
had for some time in charge the forma-
ton of catechism.
Memorial From Baltimore.
The Baltimore conference will present to
the body a memorial requesting the en-
largement of the present limit of the pre-
siding elders district. Now more than
twenty appointments to a district are pro-
hibted. and thirty has been named as the
proper figure in the memorial.
The delegate about whom the most inter-
est will center, it is declared, is Rev. DR..
Andrew Hunter of Little Rock, Ark. DIR.
Hunter was member Of the general con-
ference which met in 1Sii. and which took
action separating the southern branch from
the NJ. T.. Church in the north. He is said
to be the only living member of that con-
ference. He is a remarkably well preserv-
ed man, between eighty and ninety years
old, and has been a delegate to every gen.
eral conference of the NJ h. Church South
which has met since that time.
Representative Deliver of Iowa will visit
the conference while i'll session, and, it is
understood, will present the claims of the
American University. Mr.. Deliver and
Rev. DIR. Berry will represent the general
conference Of the NJ. +. Church as fraternal
delegates, and Rev. DR.. w. T. Dawson OF
birmingham, England, will represent the
Wesleyan Methodists.