Bridgeton pioneer., 1898-03-31
CONFERENCE SESSION,
Opening Sermon Preached Last
Night.
THE LAYMEN'S CONVENTION.
Spiritual Discussion Among the Ministers
as to the Successor of Presiding
Elder, G. B. Wight.

FA-HN, NdFcn Z9.-Ihe sixty
second session of the New Jersey Annual
conference of the Methodist Episcop.
0hurch was preached in the First NJ. E.
church tuesday night, by Rev. James r.
Boyle, d D.. of Trenton. Following the
sermon reception was rendered in the
lecture room of the church to Bishop G.
Z. McCabe, who will preside over the
conference.
The conference will convene in the
First M. E. Church, Sixth and Stevens
streets, at nine o'clock this morning.
when the sacrament of the Lords Supper
Will be administered by Bishop McCahe.
assisted by Presiding Elders Rev. G. B.
Wight, D. D., of the Bridgeton District:
Kew. ID. b. Harris, of the Camden district:
Rev. ]. L. Roe, of the New Brunswick,
district, and Rev. S. W. Lake, D. D. of
the Trenton District
The anniversary of the Woman's Home
Missionary Society will be held in the
Broadway NJ. E. Church at O'Clock this
afternoon. This evening, at I. 30 o'clock.
the anniversary of the Conference Educa-
ton Society will be held in the First
Church, while at thd same hour the Com
ference Epworth League will hold its an
niversary in tide Broadway NJ. E. Church.
To morrow, Friday and Saturday and
On Monday and Tuesday of next week
the conference will meet in regular BUSH
ness session.
Laymens Convention
tomorrow at l p. m, a Lavmen,s
Convention will will be held in the First
Church, and in the evening, at 80 O'Clock
the Conference Church Extension Ami
versary will he held at the same place.
On FRIDAY, at p. n., the anniversary of
the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society
will be held in the First Church, and the
anniversary of the Conference Mission
airy Society will be held at the same place
at Z 80 p. m. On Saturday at 7.So o. M.
the Conference Temperance Society will
nave It's anniversary in the First Church.
on Sunday, at the First Church, there
will be Conference love feast, preaching
by Bishop McCabe, Rev. s. F. Upham,
D. D., and Rev. Alfred Wagg and ordina-
ton of deacons and elders by Bishop
McCabe.
uMemorial services for departed MEM
bers OF the conference will be held in the
First Church at p. m. on Monday and
at 7.S0 p. m. the anniversary of the
Preachers Aid Society will be held at the
same place.
There are 2l0 members of the New Jer-
sey Conference, 10 probationers and Sc
supplies and candidates.
The question about which the greatest
interest centres, and to which Conference
will devote some of its time, is that of
equal lay representation in the General
Conference of the church. The call for
the Laymen's Convention, to be held in
the First Church, tomorrow afternoon.
was issued about two months ago, by
General James F. Rushing, of Trenton;
q. ii. Butterworth, of Camden; c, w.
Shoemaker. of Bridgeton, and George
Evans. of Ocean Grove. Much doubt ia
expressed as to whether the present ses.
sion of the annual conference will vote
for equal lay representation, partly be-
cause the matter has not been systematic
cally and persistently agitated, and partly
because the older, better known, and
more Influential members of the confer
ence are opposed to the innovation. The
lalty now make up one third of the Gen
eral Conference, and when they are
united, have veto power over the de-
clsions of that body. The laymen, or
many of them, say they are willing to
surrender their right of vote for more
positive legislative power, and argue for
equal representation, on the further
ground that they bear practically all the
financial burdens of the church.
Many of the clergy believe that the
church would not be benefited by equal
representation in the General Conference,
and predict that if the innovation is intro
duced in the general body, it will be ex-
tended to the annual conference.
Ministerial Changes.
There will be but little change among
the Camden ministers. Rev. j. A, Lum-
ey will no doubt be granted his request,
and be removed from the Trinity Church.
Rev. E. Hewitt will remain at the Taber-
nacle Church unless the younger mem
bers of Conference have their way and
make him presiding elder of the Bridge
ton district, in place of Rev. G. B. Wight,
D. D., whose five years are out. Rev. J.
b. Graw, D. D., is formidable contest.
ant for the Brdgeton presiding eldership,
but he is opposed because it is said that
when there were five districts he filled
tour of them, and the honors of the
Bridgeton district should go to a new
man.
= Rev s. M; Nichols, of the Bethany
Church. will be ''promotedn for good
work done, but will not necessarily he
from the pastorate of Bethany.