The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-10-30
NEE Herr:
OF THE DISCIPLES.
Annual Convention Began Yesterday.
Morning.
LARGE ATTENDANCE PRESENT.
Convention Opened With Session Of Siniste-
rl.l Associatlon-Anuual Address OF the
President and Election of Officers
Programme To-Day.
ATTENDANCE PRESENT.

OF Christ OF Virginia oEehe.psg : "sr5->,'
morning at $50 O'Clock in TINS CITY d.
the Seventh Street Christian Church. lie
attendance is excellent and tue sessi,'!i
promises to be one of the pest III 'ne
history of the body. Over one hundred
and fifty delegates are feglstereu s'iu
more are expected.
The first day was a most successiui
one, and was taken up by the session o.
the Ministerial Association. meetings.
were held morning, afternoon, ana hisiie
and considerable business was transacted.
Officers were elected at al, executive Sos
sion held in the afternoon. Several IN
terestiug addresses were delivered py
speakers well known in the denomination
THE MORNING SESSION.
The convention was called to order yes
terday morning at $3.50 O'Clock Ny lhe
president, the Rev. 3. z. smith, OF ei'ai
lottesville. After singing ana PRAYER tne
annual address of the president was de-
livered. In opening his address the KEY
MIR. Smith defined the objects OF the VIZ
giuia Christian Ministerial Association,
which was the branch OF the conFentioh
then in session.
He said in coming together they erected
three tabernacles, one for the preachers
one for the women of the I. W. .. NJ
and ore for the Virginia Brotherhood. lie
eXhorted his brethren in the ministry to
be mindful of the work entrusted TO them
as workers together with Cod lie cau-
toned the Association against unworthy
preachers and said that one object of it's
existence was to protect churches against
unworthy men and supply them with Wor-
thy leaders and teachers. lie sus-
gested that the Association exercise
more care in the selection OF the mem
bers of it's body, and exercise more care
in its efforts to keep bad characters out
of our churches and pulpits. There are
preachers and elders and deacons in the
State of Virginia who are not only unfit
for the work of the ministry, but are I'M
worthy
A committee. lie said, should be APP
pointed. known as the Mem
bershp Committee whose business
it should be to keep in touch
with the ministers and keep the Associa-
ton thoroughly Informed as to preachers
whose names are brought before the As
ISOLATION for membership. The ministers
should be fitted both in head and heart
No lazy man should be admitted to the
pulpits. He should be energetic, studIous
worthy and possess native talent.
The ministerial association should be a
reliable bureau of information, whose
business it should be to furnish informa-
ton. both to preachers and churches.
FIe closed with an eXhortaton to the
members of the Association to take heed
to themselves: take heed to the doctrine
A preacher without character is a hypo-
critic, and zeal without knowledge is
fanatiCiSm.
DISCIPLES OF UNITY.
Rev. J. A. Spencer, of Danvile, spoke
on Our Relation to Other Religious
Bodies followed in tive-minute talks
by f. T. Billiard, of Lynchburg, and w
r. Cooke, Of Woodstock. Mr.. Cooke en-
phasized the plea of the Disciples OF
Christ for unity and for the authority
Of its Word of God and exhorted his bro
Their ministers to practice what they
preach.
Rev. L. A. Cutler spoke on Our Re-
lation to Social and Civic Reforms 1t
rclir" enoeclr THAT Mr.. Cutler
calls the greatest evil before the people
III. ~nIanet li.,AAc. ..t.rwlnS =. -,..i,
of his chara Cteristic utterances:
The State of Virginia pays out four
dollars to one to legalize this iniQuity IN
our land. The great Methodist Church
Conference says the liquor traffic is a sin
and all religious bodies have passed res
olutions saying: We put ourselves on
record against the whiskey traffic Yet,
Il am proud to say that sixteen years
ago in this city I was boycotted for cast
ing my first vote against the whskey
traffic, and if every Christian would do
as l did, and have done for sixteen years,
there would not be saloson in the
State.
Il don't care one fig for your res
olutions if you resolve one way and vote
another The saloon wants your vote
and he gets all he wants.
ION election day a Christian ought to
vote as he resolves and prays. Your bal
lot ought to declare you a Christian or
a whiskey man, and it does so declare"
Rev P A. Cave made a stirring speech
on Our Relation to the Problem of
Christian Unity" in which the main fea-
ture of his thought was that the way to
unite is not by emphasizing our differ
ences, but by urging the things in which
we agree.
The subject was followed in a five
minutes talk by F. ". Troy
APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEES.
After the appointment of the following
committees the convention adjourned for
luncheon, which was served in the base
ment of the church:
Resolutions. y. Dearborn, L. M.
Omer, IT. D. Coffey.
Nominatons-F. f. Billiard, ". j. Hall.
]. a. Spencer.
Programmed. Il. Morgan, L. "A. Gave,
F.,W. Troy.
Reading-Cephas shelburn, ]. T. L.
Bunuley c.. r. Moroan.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The afternoon session was opened with
devotional exercises by Rev. II. D. CoffeN.
Then followed an address by Rev. c. P.
Williamson, president of the Richmond
Female Seminary. on the theme of An
Evangelist; or Should a Pastor Hold His
Own Protracted Meetings." Mr.. Will
hanson earnestly and healthfully devel-
oped his subject, assuming that the needs
of the local church should determine
whether the meeting should be held by
pastor or evangelist. A general discus
sion followed, participated in by Rev. j.
w. West and Rev. w. l.. Dudley.
The discussion was closed for the fu-
neral of Mrs. Fuller, which was tenderly
conducted by the pastor Rev. Carey E.
Morgan Rev f. F. Billiard, of Lynch
burg. closed the Afternoon session in
sermon on Fishing for Men,
ADDRESS BY REV. MIR. ABBOTT.
The evening services We're begun by
Rev. J. D. =Honaller, OF strasburs. who led