The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1902-11-19
Annual Meeting Began This Morning
at Paris, Tenn.
A Busy Time Is xpected-Some
of the Reported
Changes.
OTHER NOTES OF CONFERENCE

-N-~'f ~fSff @NN $1,000
phis annual conference of the NJ etho-
dist Episcopal church, South, con-
vened here today at Ia. m, Bishop
E. E. Hoss, of Nashville, is presiding.
This is his first episcopal visit to this
body, though he is we'll and favora-
bly, known by most of the ministers
and laymen Of the body. The bishop
was elevated to his present office last
May at the general conference of his
church, in session at that time in Dial.
las, Texas. II is commonly talked
among Methodists that the good
church people of Dallas have offered
the bishop q very handsome home
in that city upon condition that he
will take up his residence among
them, and it is understood that work
has already begun on his new home
and that he has formerly accepted the
kind offer.
The present session Of the Mem
phis conference promises to be one
Of rather unsual interest, as quite q
number of important changes in pas
torates are expected, and serious COM
plications have risen during the year
IL connection with two or three of
the more prominent and able men of
the body, whose cases have already
appeared in the public press. A grea
amount of routine work will be &C.
complished during the session, such
as receiving the reports from the pas
tors, about 175 of them, of the work
they have done in their several charg-
es or fields, during the past year, the
work of the various boards and COM
mittees concerning the interests they
represent. the Sunday schools, Ep-
worth Leagues, Women's Societies,
the juvenile organizations, the in
crease or decrease of church member
ship, moneys raised and expended in
church buildings and parsonages, mis-
sionaIy collections and enterprises,
religious literature, the work of the
church in the field of education, and
the annual examination of character,
which leads to inquiry into the moral
and administrative conduct of every
single preacher in the body. The most
interesting portion Of the work to be
done, however, will be the appoint.
ments, or stationing of the preachers
for another year.
OF course madame gossip has been
busy, as she always is, on this
perennislly engaging topic among
Methodists, and many predio-
tons as to where certain preachers
will go and what preachers certain
congregations will get or receive are be-
ing made, some with degree of ac-
curacy, others the merest guesses.
For no man, not even the bishop him
self, upon whom at last rests the au-
thority and responsibility of making
the appointments, can foretell all of
these things. Some man will have to
be placed in charge of the Broadway
congregation in Paducah, because,
though DIR. Briggs term limit of
four years has not yet expired, he
has already announced his purpose to
retire from the regular ''pastorate, "
though not from the ministry. DR..
Evans, who is filling the unexpired
term of Mr.. Hammer at First church,
jackson, will likely return to that
charge. A few men will be trans
ferred from other conferences to take
important stations. 1t is generally be-
Eeved tina most of the preachers In
the city of Memhis will be returned.
Some think there will be change at
fernando street, and. of course, four
year Limitation will compel change
at First church. For many years this
great congregation has been served by
transfers, altogether, no homegrown
member of the Memphis conference
having filled that pulpit for something
like 90 years or more. The conference
has number Of rising young men who
give promise of ability to serve in the
most difficult fields within the bounds
Of the church. Higher education and