The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1900-09-21
The city's Gates will be Thrown
Wide Open next week for the
West Virginia Methodist
Episcopal Conference.
Big Church Event
For Fourth Time
In our city. as a Brief History Of
the confereace shows. Pro-
CANINE 10 Elaborate and
Interesting and will
prove Profitable to all.

The tifty-fourth annual session Of
West Virginia Conference OF the
Methodist Episcopal church win be
held at Goff Memorial NJ. 3. church,
thiscity, beginning next "Wednesday
and continuing to the following Mon
day inclusive. Rev. Earl Cranston,
d. d., will be the presiding bishop.
Some facts OF historic interest are
published In the programme for the
occasion, which the Telegram repro
duces for the benefit and information
OF itsreaders.
This will be the fourth time that
clarksburg has entertained the An
nual Conference; the first being In
ls49, the second iu 1869, the third In
1882, aud the fourth on the present oc-
casion.
What is now known as the "West
Virginia Conference was originally
partofthe 'sPittsburg Conference"
The Pittsburgh Annual Confer
encen Of the NJ. e. Church, met In
Wheeling, Virginia, In July, 1s4s, un-
der the presidency OF Bishop LeondIas
L. Hamline, D. d., and pursuant to
authority granted by the General Com
ference preceding namely In May, ls4s)
together with the sanction Of the pre-
siding Bishop, resolved to divide the
territory hitherto embraced In It's
bounds, and to set aside certain ap-
pointments to be known as the west
ern Virginia Conference" OF the
Methodist Episcopal Church, and
laboring under separate Jurisdiction.
Whereupon said appointments and
ministers proceeded to effect the regu-
lar Conference organization.
The western Virginia Conference
had atthis time only three districts,
viz :-Morgantown district, Kanawha
dIstrictand Clarksburg district. Our
Wheeling churches belonged to the
Pittsburg Conference.
1t will thus be seen that the hrst
place chosen by the Western Virginia
Conference" for holding its annual
session, was Clarksburg. This Confer
ence met on "Wednesday morning, Oct.
10th, at 0 o'clock, and Dr.. A. ]. LYDIA
was pastor of the church. Clarksburg
church at this time had a membership
OF SO. The number Of preachers who
attended this Conference was about 81
and among that number we find the
names Of the following brethren who
are still with u.s. John Birkett, J. L.
Clark, ]. j. Dolliver, B. Ison, Gideon
Martin and John Canwell.
We find In The minutes OF this Con-
ference the following facts that may
be of interest to some OF the older
brethren; Resolved. That the Bishops
are respectfully requested to change
the time vi the Sessions Of the Western
Virginia Conference 70 the month Of
June" Signed, rs. G. ]. Worthing-
ton, G. Battelle."
Resolution OF Thanks. Resolved,
That the thanks Of this Conference
are due and are hereby respectfully
rendered to the citizensof Clarksburg
for the kind and hospltable manner in
which they have opened their homes
to entertain us during the Sessions Of
our Conference In misplace. Resolved,
That tho thanks OF this Conference
are hereby rendered to the pastor and
trustees OF the Presbyterian church In
this place for the tender of their
house Of worship to the use Of the
membeBof this body during Sessions
Signed by III. z. Adams and David
Reed"
The total membership Of the Nor.
gantown district at this time was
4,25o, Clarksburg district, ass and
Kanawhs district, 1892, making q
totalI Of 12,257; and the total for
Missions was s663.75. Our present
membership In the West Virginia
Conference is over $1,000, and We rails
ed for Missions last year the sum Of
SO $500.
Quite lengthy reports are found in
the minutes OF 1s4s, relative to the
North Western Academy, the trustees
of which were at this time Charles
Lewis, D. Dawson, James McCally,
Nathan Coz, ". P. Got, g. Battelle
and B. W. Moore.