The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-01-20
N. {. CLERCYMEN
TO MEET HERE
Forty-n ninth Session Of the
Newark Conference to Be
In West Side M. E.
Church
PR0GRAMMEC0MMITTEE BUSY

| hEN. JOdN y. OODuJ 3lO REL Ire
AS SECRETARY ABTER A QUAR-
TER OF A CENTURY's SERVICE
FIRST MEETING IN JERSEY
CITY IN THIRTEEN YEARS.
Following the selection Of the West
Side Avenue Church. Jersey City, by the
four presiding elders of the Newark Con-
ference of the Methodist Episcopal
Church as the place of meeting for the
forty-ninth annual session of that body,
not much time has been lost in begin,
ming the actual preparations for the
gathering, even though the date of con-
vening is still somewhat distant At the
same time, with the exception of the
comparatively few that have already
taken action, the individual churches are
giving attention to the pastoral relations
for the ensuing year. Invitations have
been already extended to, and accepted
by, clergymen from other than their pres
ent charges. and in other instances where
! changes are likely to occur negotiations
are under way by the congregations for
having their preferences laid before the
bishop and his cabinet-the presiding
elders.
While the. conference has met in Jer-
sey City on seven previous occasions, this
will be the first time it has been held
there since April, 1893, when the sessions
took place in the Centenary Church.
Practically all of the committees, local
and general, that will arrange for the
coming convention have been named and
that on program and anniversaries will
meet Monday. It is composed of Rev.
Charles A. Kemble, of Park Church,
I Elizabeth; Rev. Frederick Bloom. Of La
fayette Church, Jersey City; Rev. DR..
George G. Wilding, of Market Street
Church, Paterson; Rev. DIR. Thomas /.
Coultas, of Rosaville Church, this city.
and Rev. W. @. O'Donnell, of the West
Side Avenue Church. The local commit
tees, working with Rev. DIR. Charles M.
City district, are made up as follows:
Directory, Rev Mr. Bloom and George
81. Lincks; arrangements. William H.
Beach. chairman, William H. Cummings
and Jacob F. Arnold entertainment,
Rev. Mr.. O'Donnell, Edward Taylor and
Frank A. Swenarton. The laynen men
toned are officers of the West Side Ave
nue. Church.
As heretofore, the conference business
sessions will be held in the morning, leav-
| ing the afternoons and evenings open for
the rolding of the anniversaries of the
various church organizations, and some
progress has been made with the pro-
1 gram. For one thing it has been ar
ranged that Tuesday night, April 8, the
Gay before the opening of the conference
proper, Rev. DR.. James r. Day, chan
cellor of the Syracuse University, will
deliver lecture. and after his address
a reception viii be rendered to Bishop
I Tsrt I, ~
presiding officer of the conference. The
following night the anniversary Of the
Centenary Fund and Preachers Aid So
ciety will be held and Rev. DrI James NJ.
Buckley will be the speaker.
One important incident at the very
opening of the conference will be the
probable retirement Of Rev. JOHN r.
Dodd, of this city, as the conference sec
retary, after having flied that Office for
quarter of century. He would have
/ declined reelection last year had he
not desired TO round out his twenty-five
years. It is expected that his reIinquish-
ment of the Office he has filed for SO long
a period will be made the occasion af
special action for the conference. which
body. since its organization in March,
1858, has had only three different secre-
taries. the first having been Secretary
Ellison, who in 1871 was succeeded by
Secretary FitzGerald. The latter served
until 1881, when Mr.. Dodd was chosen,
and it so happens that he will formally
retire at a session in the same city in
which the conference met the year he
was elected secretary.
OF the changes to be made, however.
the most interest centres in the appront-
ment of a presiding elder for the Newark
district Rev. DR.. Warren Z. Hoagland
has been appointed to that important
post for the last six consecutive years.
Under the rules governing presiding el-
ders he cannot be named again and he
will probably return to pastoral work.
As to his probable successor the names