Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-06
SOUTHERN CHURCH
Baltimore Conference Last to Leave
the Parent Body.
DIVISION ON QUESTION OF SLAVERY
The Church Proud of Its Educa-
tional Institutions.
BISHOP GAMBLERS GAVEL

\ IAN DlIE6 ia Ell
The Methodist Church South is exactly
what its name proclams 1t, and one
would ever make the mistake of locating
the ffne-looking body of ministers north of
Mason and Dixon's line after hearing it's
genial presiding officer, Bishop Gambler, ad-
dress the body in his slow, southern tones.
The Baltimore conference of the Methodist
Episcopal Church South is composed of
240 clerical and 80 lay delegates, and they
are all powerful in exhortation and in
slant in good works, as shown by the re-
ports of the various committees
The Baltimore conference is somewhat
unique, as it was the last to break with
the parent body of the Methodist Episcopal
Church. Its origin and that of the church
north Is the same. For seventy years it
had dispensed its blessings, always able to
quen Its difficulties and disturbances, and
they were many; but slavery finally wreck
ed its harmony, and in 1916 the new or
ganizatiOn, called the NJ. f. Church South
was formed, carrying with it Bishop JOS
hua Soule. DID, senior bishop of the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church, and Bishop An
drews, who had been the real cause of the
Dfeech and its widening to separation,
through his passively holding property in
humankind, which, according TO the laws
of the church, he could not sell, and must
not give away.
dist Episcopal Church South met in Peters
burg, Va May l. 1916, but the Baltimore
conference remained with the parent body
for many years longer. An attempt was
made al the general conference in 1913
to have reconciliation, but the northern
conference fatty refused to be conciIiated
Since that time all hope of union seems to
have been abandoned. There is annual talk
OF union. huf il ends in talk Tho tJpo
| conferences are on the best of terms. and
exchange fraternal greetings of the most
cheering character, but a union is never
considered. The two churches differ in
many respects now, and it is declared, the
communicates of neither would be happy
under the discipline of the other. The
character of the educational work done by
the TWO conferences is also different, and
1t is safe to say that the generation is not
yet born that will see union between the
two.
Proud of It's Schools.
The Baltimore conference is very proud
of its schools, its educational institutions
being scattered all over the south. The
Randolph-Mecon system of colleges and
academies, endowed by those of that name
in the name of the Southern Methodist
Church. number half a Dozen Randolph
Macon College Is in Ashland, Va, and Is
the parent college, founded in 1880 1t is
to the Baltimore conference what West
folnl Is 10 lhe army, or the Naval Academy
is to the navy. Another of these acade-
mics Is located at Bedford City, Va. and
yet another at Front Royal, where students
are prepared for college or university
work These are exclusively for men. The
Noman's College at Lynchburg, Va offers
10 the young women of the south facili-
ties for education equal to those furnished
at the male colleges. This institution is
rated as one of the best in the United
States for women. There is a fine seminary
for women at Danville Va, which offers a
preparatory course for entrance into adj
Vanced classes in higher colleges
The aggregate value of these school prom
critics Is now placed at about 100000. and
they have had some fine requests for en-
dowment. The children of all ministers in
the Baltimore conference are educated free
| IN these Institutions.
The Presiding Bishop.
Bishop Warren A. Gambler of Georgia,
who IS the president Of the conference. Is a
unique character. He was elected bishop
two years ago at the general conference,
and is the youngest man who has ever been
elected 10 that responsible position He is
native of Georgia, and was president
of Emory College in that state when he
went into the bishopric. He is In the prime
OF vigorous manhood, cultured, magnetic
and forceful. His stature is not great
and his width and the way that he CARRIES
ms mead, which is covered with a perfect
SIIStti4 VI udTh Drown ndir, reminds ono of
the famous little giant of the west" Ste
phen A Douglas. His manner of speaking
IS much the same, and his oratory Is of the
breezy up-to-date style. He never haIts
Tor word, and he uses what would he
called good newspaper" English.
IN the conference he makes things hum.
ne mas shghtly nasal twang to his voice
a,ia drawis his words out, much as Car
| REED used to, and never fails to get in n
| ldugh TO llven up proceedings.
| me gavel which Bishop Gambler uses in
| presiding over the conference has a story.
| 1t is rather large and is made of cedar
| bound with bands of silver When he Jva .
| born. on the home plantation, way down
| IN Georgia, his father planted a cedar tree
ana named h.1 1t for the welcome boy. In time
| the beautiful home, Corona" passed out
| or the hands of the Gamblers, but the
| friends Of the cedar tree boy never for
| got him. When he was made a bishop
| TWO years ago, his friends, who remem-
| bered with what pride the father of the
baby boy had planted the cedar tree, went
| 10 the old home and got big branch of it
now huge piece of timber. and had the
| saVel made, and upon the silver bands
| placed an inscription and legend, and then
| presented it to the bishop He values II
| above price and carries 1t with him at all
/ times.
The senior active bishop of the conference
| Is Bishop Wilson, who is at the present
time in ill-health.
Secretary Armstrong;
The secretary of the conference is Rev
| j. E. Armstrong, presiding elder of the
| Rockingham district, whose home is ir
| stanton, Va DR.. Armstrong is tall and
| thin and white headed, but as vigorous al
| a man just entering the race. He has beer
| for forty years secretary of the Baltimore
| conference, which is now holding it's 116tt
| annual meeting, counting from the frs,
| conference of the Methodist Church in Bal.
timOre. in 1TS4. He has been reelected and
| will probably be gathered to his fathers
| with a pencil in one hand and bunch OF
conference minutes in the other.
| The oldest minister in the conference Is
| Rev Nelson Head. who Joined it in 1894
and is now lightweight years old. He has
Just arrived at the honor of being the
| father of the conference, however, for w
| TO this year Rev. Francis Mills antedateG
DR.. Heads entrance into the conference by
| two years. having entered in 1892 DIR
Mills, after life of good works, died since
| the last meeting.
The next oldest on the list Is Rev. VII
| liam G. Eggleston, who entered the con
| ference in 1887 Rev. ] Hoffman Waugh
comes next, having entered in 1874. The
| Oldest minister the effective list at thi.
| time is Rev. S. X. Cox, who connected him
| self with the N 1874 Thraa ~