The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-08-21
METHODIST MATTERS.
Is Expected from Meeting OF
Indiana Conference.

Correspondence in New York Christian Ad-
vOcate.
The sixty-eighth annual session of this
conference will be held at Greencastle. Ind,
on Wednesday. Sept. IL. Bishop Goodsell Is
to be the presiding bishop. and it Is his first
official visit in this relationship TO Indiana
Conference. He will have a most cordial and
hearty welcome, and the members are an
ticipating his coming with much pleasure.
This session will be the fifth since the union
Of the old Indiana and Southeast Indiana
conferences. The session will be q large
one. since the Iaymen will meet this year,
and the entertainment Of such a large body
of preachers and laymen will be no little
burden for the Methodist churches and citi-
zens Of Greencastle. Plans, however, are
well In hand to meet every demand for the
needs of the conference. and Greencastle
will do the part Of host in the usual hos
pitable manner of Methodist communities.
Five hundred dollars Is to be raised, to be
used, If necessary, to help meet the ex-
penses Of entertaining the session. This
city entertained the conference last, Aug.
0-26. 1854, which was the last official visit
Of Bishop Foster to this body. The church
membership that year was 32.S31, as shown
by the conference minutes; now. since the
union Of the two bodies, there is a member
ship of 1907, making the largest In this re-
spect In Methodism. There are 2S1 effective
probationers; there are 81 s-uperannuated
preachers, and 10 supernumerary Your cor
SOURCE that mas q motion a9% will be made ear;y
after the opening of the session to restore
the boundary lines, and thus have the two
conferences, with territory about the same
as before the recent consolidation.
The difficulty Of finding places,to entertain
such a large body as Is constituted by the
main reason for asking that the lines be re-
stored. Quite a number feel that II is too
early to bring the matter up just yet. as
enough time has not elapsed since the union
to thoroughly adjust matters.
Bishop Goodsell will have the making or
three new presiding elders TO settle, because
of the time limit applying to their cases.
These new men are TO take the places or
Heavenrfdge, on Vincennes district. There
are five pastors who have completed their
j. H. Ketcham, now serving the church at
Mount Vernon, will retire from the effective
ranks this fall. after a continuous. service or
forty-five years as a member of this con-
ference. He has been a presiding elder for
several terms during this membership. and
has always done most efficient work in that
important office. His record in church be-
nevolences and church improvements has al
ways been hard TO surpass. As a pastor he
always aTS S1se left %s a good record. He viii Possibly fIy
live in Colorado, where he has some land In.
~terests. DR.. Ketcham and his splendid COM
the work of tae ministry, will be greatly
missed by maLy warm friends throughout
this conference, and many good wishes VIII
follow them to their new home.
T. J. Brant, a former member here. has
returned from kansas. and nov lives with
ormerly a most popular pastor.
W. R. Halstead. who went to Lincoln.
Neb, three years ago, but who v up the
the church at Frankfort, Ind. IL the wishes
Of the charge are granted. The past year
he has lived on his farm near Terre Haute.
and Is as well as ever, ready Cor work He
acted as a supply for this charge Q few
months. and so pleased the people that he 10
transfer from Nebraska. He was a recog-
niZed leader while In the Indiana Confer
ence, and 1t was with sincere regret that his
ago. All are glad, however, that he has re-
turned to Indiana soil, IL not to his old
conference home.
The past year has been a noted one fos
new church buiiGing and improvements. as
well as for parsonage building and improve
byviiie, Bedford and Vincennes Charges viii
expend 100000 for new buildings for
churches. Space will forbid the mention OF
many other charges In which splendid work
has been done in the Improvement Of church
and parsonage property. The benevolence
will be quite up TO last year, and some pre-
as a rule. are determined TO do their very
best TO see that there shall be no decrease
in this important part of their work.
| De Pauw University and Moore's Hill Col
,ege open their doors for another year OF
educational work next month. Both insti-
buttons had a good year. as the last reports
OF each for 1899 show. The future Is bright
for both. This conference meeting at Green
castle. 1t is hoped. will awaken more zeal
for De Paw University on the part OF the
preachers in the crisis OF her history than
could well be brought about by any session
held elsewhere. Loyalty on the part OF our
Methodist homes TO these two schools would
soon solve the problem Of their prosperity