The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-04-13
SECRET SESSION
Executive Board Discusses
the Admission Of New
Preachers to Metho-
dist Conference.
ORDINATION TOMORROW
Stewards List Considered and
Provision Made for Dis
abled Ministers.

Half score very anxious young men
! sat side by side on a similar number of
chairs. In the ante-room of the First NJ.
e. Church in Hoboken this morning watt
ing to be called before the executive ses-
| sion OF Inc Aewark Methodist Conference.
It was the supreme ordeal OF their career,
suggesting paraphrase Of a well known
question
ITO be or not to be a Methodist
preacher?"
These candidates for ordination had
1assed through a very stiff examination
for which they did not appear to be very
grateful to the new cult, Christian Sci
ence. and the attack made on it by the
brethren of the New York East Confer
l'ence. From every member of the Exam
lining Board came searching questions on
practical theology for the very purpose
of ascertaining whether or not there was
the slightest indication of religious pto-
maine poisoning from Methodist point
OF view. AS if this was not hard enough,
there was the crossfire of the brethren in
conference to endure. No wonder they
were nervous and Ill at ease.
Hitherto the practice has been to con-
duet the questioning in open session, but
this morning a pastor stood at each door
leading into the main church and only
clerical members of the conference were
amitted.
Newspaper man?' exclaimed one of
the doorkeepers as News" represen-
tative tried to get in. Depart ye cannot
enter here
For three hours they were in executive
session. and the only excitement was
that every now and then presiding ell
der would rush out, whisper into a candi-
dates ear and run back again, leaving
that poor fellow in bewildering state of
mind as to the outcome At eleven o'clock
a brother came out and requested the
candidate to come before the conference.
They marched in with heads erect, the
doors were closed and their trials were
begun.
Are you in debt?' etc., etc, and other
very embarrassing questions We're put
from all sides and then they were asked
to retire. In their absene the presiding
elders and Secretary Rev. DR.. NJ. D.
Church, of the Board of Examiners, re-
ported as to the character and fitness for
the work. The question of admission to
full connection was voted. During all
this time the candidates had vividly in
mind that story in the Lives of Saints
relatives to a gentleman involuntarily
sitting on a red hot gridiron.
Tomorrow afternoon Bishop Foss will
ordain the young elders and deacons ex-
amined this morning.
Conference considered also the stewards
lists and took up a long time. AS ''The
IA ,to tod 1,o
this year is the providing for superannu-
ated and Supernumerary preachers and
widows of ministers. The list is long
one, and while the conference desires to
give as much as possible to their worn
out workers, their desires are bounded by
the amount of money at their disposal.
Each case was carefully studio I and from
remark made by one of the brethren a.
satisfactory adjustment was made One
thing was put plainly before the pastors
and that was they must make prompt
returns for their benevolent collections,
and during the year ensuing they must
endeayor to increase the .'disa bility fund.-
Rev. G. L. Meade, in charge of tomor-
rows pulpit arrangements. announced
these for Jersey City churches tomor-
row.
Simpson Church.-Rev. f. j. Hubach,
morning; Rev. W. A. Chadwick, evening
service.
West Side Church.-Rev G. w. Gardi-
ner, morning and evening.
Central Avenue Reformed Church, Bow
ers street.-Rev. w. S. Newsom, evening.
Second United Presbyterian Church,
Hancock avenue.--Rev. W. S. Newsom,
morning.
Trinity Church, York street.-Rev. Ar
thur Lucas formerly secretary of the
Jersey City Y. M. c. A, morning; Rev.
H. B. Leach, evening.
Palisade Church.-Rev. George Foun-
tain, morning; Rev. Nathaniel Brooks,
formerly pastor of the church, evening.
Tomorrow morning in the First Church,
Hoboken, will be held the Conference
Love Feast. Bishop Foss will preach the
sermon In the afternoon the ordination
service will be held followed by the
memorial service. In the evening will be
the evangelistic service.
As it looks now, the conference win
wind UP late on Tuesday.
METHODIST MISSIONS