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 Conference shows. Pro-
gramme is Elaborate and
Interesting and will
prove Profitable to all.

The fifty-fourth annual session Of
West Virginia Conference of the
Methodist Episcopal church win be
held at GofT Memorial NJ. 3. church,
thisclty, 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 arc
published in the programme for the
occasion, which the Telegram repro
duces for the benetitand information
OF It's readers.
This Will be the fourth time that
Clarksburg has entertained the An
nual Conference; the first being in
ls4O, the second III 1869, the third In
1882, and the fourth on the present oc-
Casion.
What Is now known as the west
Virginia Conference was originally
partofthe "Pittsburg Conference
The pittsburgh Annual Confer
ence" Of the NJ. =. Church, met In
Wheeling, Virginia, In July, 1s4s, I'M
der the presidency OF Bishop LeondIas
L. Hamline, D. D., and pursuant TO
authority granted by the General Com
ference preceding namely in May, 1S49l
together with the sanction Of the pre-
siding Bishop, resolved to divide the
territory hitherto embraced ia 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
laborlng 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 first
place chosen by the western Virginia
Conference" for holding its annual
session, was Clarksburg, This Confer
ence met on "Wednesday morning, Oct.
10th, alto o'clock, and DR.. A. ]. LYDIA
was pastor OF the church. Clarksburg
church at this time had membership
OF 50. The number Of preachers who
attended this Conference was about %
and among that number we find the
names Of the following brethren who
are still with us: John Birkett, J. L.
Clark, j. j. Dolliver, B. Ison, Gideon
Martin and John Conwell.
We fndl Ia The minutes of this Con-
ference the following facts that may
be Of interest to some OF the older
brethern; Resolved. That the Bishops
are respectfully requested to change
the time Ol the Sessions OF the Western
Virginia Conference TO the month Of
June" Signed, rs, G. j. 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 hospItable manner IN
which they have opened their homes
to entertain us during the Sessions Of
our Conference In misplace. Resolved
That the 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
members of this body during Sessions
Signed by "H. z. Adams and David
Reed"
The total membership OF the Nor.
gantoWn district at this time was
$3.50, CIrksburg district, 4,Ss5 and
Kanawha district, 1892, making
totalI Of l2,257; and the total for
Missions was s66S.75. Our present
membership In the West Virginia
Conference Is over $1,000, and we rails
ed for Missions last year the sum Of
$40, $500.
Quite lengthy reports are found In
the minutes OF 1s49, relative to the
North Western Academy, the trustees
of which were at this time Charles
Lewis, D. Dawson, james McCally,
Nathan Coz, W, P. Coz, G.. Battello
and B. W. Moore.