The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-20

soon aller adjournment BlSnOp vincent
who had been such a splendid presiding
officer during the week, and whose splen-
did faculties and great Christian charac-
ter had been such an inspiration to not
only the ministers but to everybody who
came in contact with him, had to leave
on an early train for his next field Of
duty. The preachers began to say good
bye and leave for their homes. Every
one Of them seemed to take his appoint
ment good naturally. although to say
that all were pleased would be a ridicu-
lous statement in connection with a
Methodist conference. The Methodist
preacher goes into conference blind so far
as his future field Is concerned, and when
he comes out he may be far from the
field of labor which his aspirations and
desires may have led him. But it may be
truthfully said that no set Of ministers
ever accepted their places with more
Christian grace than did those who were
sent 10 new fields yesterday. All went
away determined to do a greater work
for Methodism and the church than they
did last year. They got some good point
ers from Bishop Vincent as to how 20 in
terest their audiences more and increase
the attendance. They were shown the ri
diculousness Of the long, dull sermon,
the long and stereotyped prayer, the time
consumed in making announcements for
all the social and church events of the
week from the pulpit, and many other
wearisome and embarrassing parts of a
church service. which drive the people
away from the church. The ministers.
almost to a man, declared this to have
been one of the best conferences ever
held.
SUNDAY SERVICES.
Greater audiences were never seen in
the First Methodist church than gathered
at the various services on Sunday. Prob
ably 5000 people were at the church dur
ing the day, and not less than 1900 at
tended each service. just as many as the
church would accommodate to standing
room. For the morning ordination serv-
ice persons went as early as o'clock and
remained SO as to be sure Of a seat. At
10 o'clock the church was full, and at
1920 it was damned. Probably as many
went away as were in the church. The
aisles were full, the rostrum was crowd
ed, the galleries crowded to the walls,
every step Of the stairways occupied, and
persons were standing around the church
walls, in the studies and grouped about
the door and out into the vesdbules. The
morning service was divinely beautiful
and sacred. thousand voices rang out
in song and hundreds of souls sought SER
vice in prayer. The ordination of deacons
and elders by Bishop Vincent and the
Lad
Miss Park Of Boston, the renowned cor
net soloist with the Park Sisters, who
was converted through Bishop Vincent's
Influences played a cornet solo, accom-
panied by Mrs. Noble, the organist,
which was a very beautiful number.
Bishop Vincent preached on the power of
prayer He held that a person must
know how TO pray, and that one should
study how to pray. The great fault in
most people and in some preachers Is the
fact that they do not know how to pray,
how to concentrate their mind so as to
get in close and sweet communion with
the father. No preacher can be a sue
cess without prayer. The bishop urged
upon the ministry to reconsecrate them
selves to prayer and to take plenty of
time to pray. 1t was interesting to note
the great sea of faces fixed on the speak
er and such breathless attention was
probably never before given to a minister
as was given to Bishop Vincent.
The Sunday school at 2 o'clock was an
other crowded service. The Park Sisters
played three fine sacred selections on
their comets, the harmony and effects
being most beautiful. There were 1900