The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-11-25
METHODISTS co TO
GADSDEN WEDNESDAY
Brief History of the North Ala
bama Conference
BISHOP HENDRIX PRESIDES
Since the Conference Was Organized
In 1870 Four of the Sessions
Have Been Held at
Gadsden.
BISHOP HENDRIX PRESIDES
BYE. M. GLENN.

November %, the Methodists of North
Alabama will meet in their thirty-seventh
annual session. under the presidency OF
Bishop Eugene r. Hendrix, D. D.
LII. D.. of Kansas City, Mo
The conference, as a distinct ecclesias-
tical body, was organized at Gadsden
November 1G, 1870, under the presidency
of Bishop Robert Paine. with the pres
ence and assistance of Bishop II. N. Nc
Tyeire To that first session were re-
ported 259 local preachers, 400 white
members and 1SS colored members. Fifty
seven itinerant preachers answered to the
first roll call. There were 9914 Sunday
school scholars. Paid for missions that
year, S20i0,36, of which sum HS6.95 went
to foreign missions, the balance being
applied to mission work within the con-
ference bounds
How great has been the growth in
contributions to the benevolent enter
prises of the church may be indicated by
noting returns for missions last year.
Paid foreign missions, sl5,229; domestic
missions. 1882; church extension Ca de-
partment of missions), 1896; by Woman S
Foreign Missionary society, $2sS2, making
a total of nearly $2S,0O0 for the cause of
missions in 1905.
The districts in 1870 were Florence,
Huntsville Gadsden, Larkinsville La
Fayette, Talladega, Tuscaloosa. Eighty
eight preachers received appointments.
Admitted on trial at that time w. L.
Andrews j. ". Newman, |. @. Melton,
! w. r. Pattillo, Benjamin Vaughan, r. q.
Raglan, J. II. Tucker, B. T. Larrabee, I.
G. Written, j. c. Hunkapiller, r. T..
Blackwell, w. c. Mccoy, p. Il. Nichol-
son. NJ. G. Foust, w. II. Armstrong, j.
/ II. Cameron Joseph Cox and M. NJ. Haw-
/ kins. OF this large class, only the four
/ first named now remain in the confer
ence, the first three still effective. There
remain of charter members on the con-
ference roll f. r. j. Brandon, t. G..
Slaughter, j. s. Davis, J. G. Walker, M.
e. Johnston and II. L. Booth, the first
! two effective. OF the lay delegates to
that first session, yet remaining among
us, are e. M. Roberts, local preacher of
! Collinsville, G.. w. r. Bell of Gaylesvlle,
and Bruce Harris, now of Birmingham.
-,- Earliest Organic Existence.
The earliest organic existence of Meth
odism in North Alabama began, however,
as early as 1903. In october of that year
the western conference" in session in
| Williamson county, Tennessee, sent the
| Rev James Gwinn to Flint circuit, in the
| "1lg Bend" of the Tennessee river. That
| circuit embraced territory now included
in Madison county. Alabama Hard by
the beautiful spring, now in the city of
Huntsville, John Hunt had already pre-
empted rights, built him cabin, named
his domain Hunts Spring" and set
himself vigorously TO the task of sub
DUNG the wilderness. Madison county
was organized in 1903, and in 1910 the leg
islature of Mississippi territory passed
an enabling act by which Hunts Spring
was chosen as county seat, and the name
changed to "Twickenham,' which year
later gave place to Huntsville. In that
| region Methodism in North Alabama had
its first organic existence, beginning in
/ the autumn of 1905
Prior to 1870 the Methodism of North
| Alabama was embraced in the Tennes-
| see. the Mississippi and the Alabama con-
| fercnees, the last named being later sub
| divided into conferences known as Mont
| gomerv and Mobile. The southern bor-
| ders of the Tennessee conference extend
| ed 10 the divide between the tributaries
of the Tennessee river and those of the
lower watershed of Alabama.
When first erected into distinct &C.
clesiastical body, the conference terri
tory was considered a hard field Much
of that which now huns with the whirr
of wheels of vast industry, and smiles
| with transformation as tremendous as
though touched by magic wand, was in
| that day looked upon as poor and UNI
promising.
Astounding resources at hand, so little
reckoned generation ago. Ii was a
hardy. heroic company, proposing to
| measure to the demands of a difficult
situation. Thirty-siX years since, outside
very few centers of population, in this
region now oVerspread by network OF
railroads. where cities have sprung ur
as if by magic where urban populations
= audi Nrl1 q q
has brought opportunity and development
and comfort and comeness-thirty-siS
years ago was. in many regions and re-
spects an unpromsng proposition. Al
that time this whole North Alabama re-
! zion was traVersed by Methodist and
Baptist preachers most largely, II not al
most exclusively; and upon them the
country was dependent generally fol
whatever gospel was got. Distances were
magnificent circuits were big, work was
hard, pay was poor. But the Held was
held and the desert has been made liter
ally in these latter days, to blossom ano
bring forth abundantly.
All Towns Were Small
At the organization of the conference
thrty-sX years ago at Gadsden, even tho
larger towns of North Alabama were
comparatively small. Few of them were
strong enough to sustain station
| preacher The country circuits were Of
| large dimensions, and the resources oil
the land lay largely undeveloped. 1t was
| indeed a difficult field. But, from the
beginning, Methodist preachers have as
body never flinched for hardships, moi
drawn back from difficult situations
have always been forward to find thu
trail to outlying settlements and have
held themselves ready to give Cheerful
heed to the command to go with the min
istries Of the gospel. One of their chic
| tenets has ever been. where others &,
and survive. the Methodist preacher car
do the same. That is a part of his his
tory. II is the theory of his life
| station preachers have plenty of worl
to do. and delicate conditions to handle
bur usually the problem of support i,
easy. But on circuits il has not Away:
bncn 50: is not so now. In this confer
ence. as reported for 1895, there are l3'
circuits Cpastorate ties having each three OF
more churches with Il membership
above 49, 600 which assessed for the sup.
mort of pastors, in round numbers, the
sum of $4,000. or an average of little
more than $l05. This, in 1905 with al
its prosperity That considered. how
scant the stipend paid thirty years since
when the country was not yet recovered
from the despoiling scourge of civil war
Who SAYS the average circuit preacher
among the Methodists is preaching foi
nay. particularly on basis of such pay
as is herein recorded?
At Present.
At present the North Alabama confer.
ence has. all told. 10 presiding elders
districts and 227 pastorates with 7i,17'
| oh l41iy ffpf,e