Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-09-26
|FIFTY-NINTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE.
Visiting Ministers Pronounce the Most Successful They
Ever Attended.

| The meetings OF the fifty ninth annual
conference of the M. Z. church, which
closed in this city yesterday were
among the most successful ones ever
held in Wisconsin. The sessions have
been busy ones, many important
| changes have been made and the visit
ing pastors have been well entertained
and have enjoyed their visit among us
So great has been the volume of bust
ness transacted at these meetings that
the PILOT necessarily must give an
abbreviated account, leaving out much
of the less important affairs.
The conference district embraces
269 churches representing a member
ship of 165 pastors and nearly all these
were present, besides delegations OF
laymen. In addition there were a
number from out of the state, viz.
Bishop Luther B. Wilson, Chattanooga,
Tenn; Rev. w. A. QuayIe, Chicago;
Rev. j. G. Floyd, Cincinnati; Rev. j. T.
Mcfarland, New York City; Rev. G. IL.
Trever, Atlanta, Ga; Rev. w. T..
Thirkield, Cincinnati; Mrs Elizabeth
Allen, Des Moines, Ia; Mrs. Lucy
Ryder Meyer, Chicago; Miss Musson,
Lake Bluff, Ill.
At the first session a class of twenty
took the examination for the ministry
Mayor E. G. Zimmerman, in behalf of
the citizens of Wausau, offered hearty
invitation to the visitors to enjoy our
hospitality and Rev. S. N. Wilson, in
behalf of the churches of Wausau,
spoke likewise, and the response for
the conference was made by Bishop
Wilson. The conference was organized
with the appointment of Rev T. w.
North, Milton Jet, as secretary, Rev.
M. Drew, Beaver Dam, treasurer, and
numerous assistants to each. Bishop
Wilson presided at all meetings. At
the sacrament of the Lords Supper all
presiding elders were present and
participated. Presiding Elder A. j.
Benjamin, of the Fond du Lac district,
because of his having served the limit
of his term, resigned, as did also Elder
ID. g. John, of the Oshkosh district.
The latter has been fifty-two years in
the ministry and was placed on the list
of superannuates.
The different presiding elders read
their yearly reports which proved the
church to be in very encouraging
and flourishing condition. Rev. w. W.
Stevens, who was pastor of the local
church in an early day, spoke at this
session and related some of his early
experiences. He compared the Wausau
of twenty-five years ago with the cities
of Sodom and Gomorrah, which were
destroyed by the wrath of God for their
wickedness.
At the session of Thursday place.
for holding the next conference was
selected. Pastors of Milwaukee and
GAINESVILLE extended invitations. A
vote was taken and GAINESVILLE was
chosen. The last conference held in
that city was thirty-five year ago.
Cabinet meetings were held at which
matters not to be taken up on the floor
of the conference were heard. Delega-
tons of laymen appeared at these meet
ings with protests. One of these was
from Waukesha and asked that the
Rev. w. 2. Leek, of Green Bay, be
assigned the congregation at Waukesha
as pastor.
One of the unique resolutions pre-
sented was that OF DR.. Colman, of Mil
waukee, stating that the conference
believed in the efficacy of prayer. In
explaining the same he said that it was
voted the day before to assemble in the
morning at $50 for a half hour of
prayer and when that time arrived a
vey small number were present.
The resolution had its intended effect.
Rev j. L. Woodhead, one of the
superannuates, addressed the confer
ence on the matter of soliciting endow-
ments for church purposes and relating
a number of his experiences in asking
requests. He counseled ministers to
do their duty in this respect. He stated
that it was melancholy fact that some
wealthy Methodists contributed little,
if anything, to the church until after
they were dead.
Rev. s. N. Wilson, of the Presby-
terian church extended greetings in