The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-05-06

The address of the bishops was read by
Bishop Hargroye, of Nashville. and thel
came the surprise of the day III the re
quest of Bishop keener TO be relieved o.
/ his duties. Bishop keener said in part
| THE hour has come for me TO speaf
| of matters personal to myself. | nave
had the honor of being an itlnerant lillh
| lister for .4lty-six years, ana Tor nan VI
| that time have been one OF your Sencti''
sunprintendents. My age and intirmitics
demand some relief, both for myseil ana
tbe church. and | respectfully refer the
matter of my future services 10 your
| cody Judgment. In this city. in 1887,
| thank God that he heard my cry mat
he forgive my sins and called me into
the ministry in the far South, lhere
/ have been privileged to labor, building
UP the church.
Rishop keener's voice broke number
of times and members of the conference
wore I'M tears. Bishop Galloway reSpon-
ded. He paid a high tribute to the re-
firing bishop on behalf of his colleagues
The resignation was referred 70 tue
Committee ON Episcopacy. In the at
dress of the bishops. the death Of bishop
Atticus G. Haygood, was mentioned and
this recommendation was made rs 70 tue
election of national members of tue
Episcopacy:
I'VE think under all the conditions
that the work of administration can DC
efficiently done for the next quadrcnhtum
10y the election of two additional bishops
ut this session of the conference.
The statistical tables show the net in
crease in itineratc preachers for the -four
years To he 502. and members, i2S22i.
The present number of itincrant preach
ers is $3.50; local preachers, I,6So; total
11,674 The total number of members
is 1.47S. 43t. The value of the church
property is $35.0O0.0O0, an increase in
four years of S2,00O,oOo
I'VE have t4.SSS Sunday schools, with
10I.135 teachers and S3l,4SS pupils.
This is an increase of SO schools. :, 4a9
teachers ana S6,202 pupils There arr
s. 1856 Epworth Leagues, with 126.oS4
members. The church has 76 education-
al Institutions. with 1000 teachers; IT,,
600 pupils: property worth S4,6o1 $50.
and endowmentS amounting TO So, 1S9,
600.
I'm the foreign mission field there has
been net gain of 2.1T7 members, 1,14l
Sunday school attendants, 1,22o Epworth
Leaguers, Is church buildings, and 10
parsonages. In self-support gain of
S11 ,656.S5 is reported. Our mission pro-
perty is worth $39S, TO. On the mission
debt of 1929. HAS the church has paid
SILT, 5591T. The amount paid to mis-
sions in the four years is S2,06I ,9J5.S3."
As to lay delegates. the following was
said:
rs not the vital relation of the lay
delegates of district conference to those
selee ed for the annual and general con-
ference Il sufficient reason to fix a uni
form principle and method for their Sc
lection in all the annual conferences
The subject of union between the
Northern and Southern branches of the
church was spoken of, as follows:
THE commission on federation proyid-
ed for at your last session met a similar
one from the Methodist Episcopal church
in Washington in January last in john
session. which proved harmonious, and
was characterized by courtesy and hear
fly good viii. \ report will be made on
the subject"