Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1902-12-17
WEDNESDAY DEC II, 1902.
METHODIST CONFERENCE.
An Interesting Account Of the
Session Held at Newberry.

ference, held in Newberry, ,.
c., was the one hundred and
seventeenth session OF that
body. 1t takes its place among
the oldest conferences of the
Methodist church in this coun
try and is perhaps fully as con
servative in tone as any. 1t
has ever moved slowly in the
matter of changes, that is in
changes of every kind except
those involved in removing
preachers from one charge to
another, these are usually plen
tiful. This session of the con
ference was not a record
breaker in this particular by
any means, yet, upwards OF
ninety changes were made.
Only twenty two preachers,
Including Presiding Elders,
had served up to the limit
four years. Changing these
twenty two, of course, neces-
STATED twenty two other chan
ges. Allowing for these,
more than forty changes were
made, the necessity of which
does not appear on the sur
face. From this it would
seem that some preachers or
charges, perhaps both, could
cultivate the grace of "stick.
ability" pro6tably.
Bishop Duncan, anxious
perhaps to prepare the way
for some disappointments soon
to be received, remarked at
the last session, just before
reading the appointments, that
he had dared to think that if
the same custom obtained in
our church as did in some 9th
ers, some would wait long
while for a CALL. He did not
pursue the same subject ty
remarking that some charges
in the. Conference would call
a long while before their call
fell upon listening ears. He
doubtless could have so re-
marked with equal truth. AS
it is no charge calls and no
preacher waits.
he reports showed that
ehc high water mark had
t&&o reached in matters
:i,sanei#I. The achers, as
were better paid and
st. elections for missions,
.~re away up and be-
1a: record of last year.
trict, ,Orangeburg, paid
onary assessment in
Urn aside here to re-
Edgefeld circuit paid
= IN Missionary assess
:ull. This, with what
tn ..:2s are doing in their
y aa.. md they are doing
considerably more makes a
record of which the circuit
certainly need not be asham-
ed. Upwards of seven and a
half thousand dollars were
distributed among twenty-five
or thirty worn-out preachers,
several widows of deceased
preachers and a number of
orphan children of preachers.
This amount seems meagre
enough to those who have
charge of its distribution, but
/ doubt if any other church
in the state makes quite as
good showing in regard to its
disabled preachers and their
families as this.
When a fraternal message
was received from the Bap-
tist Convention the Bishop
had the scripture verses re.
ferred to in the telegram read
to the Conference. Con-
ference with great unanimity
instructed the secretary to
make suitable response; ali
of which was exceedingly
fraternal.
Newberrye entertained royal
ly. 1t is a prosperous town.
The number of stores and
large stocks carried by many,
of them indicate that it is set
in the midst of a prosperous
country. Doubtless every
preacher and delegate left
wishing heartily that its pros
perity might be even greater
in the future. The apostolic
call that came from St. Pauls,