The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-11-25


out the conference bounds there has been
this year gratifying ingathering, SO that
the ratio of increase is expected TO be
fully up to last years net results.
Church Property.
Church property is owned by the con-
ference in the sum of S9S3.532 in houses
of worship, $232,S3S in parsonages, and
$4,000 in educational institutions. The
moneys invested in houses of worship
represent 724 church buildings of all
grades, boxing the compass of architec-
tural design from the imposing pile in
the opulent city pastorate, worth S2o,OOO
and up, down to the nondescript "Shang-
hal shanty' built by "the settlement
| throwing in material and work sans
steeple sans stove, sans cushioned pews.
But the people get the gospel preached
all the same, and no sans about that.
The settled policy of the church Is to Sc
cure a parsonage for each pastorate. or
such houses, there are now Ill, of good
value generally, and well adapted to meet
| current demands. The investment in ed
vocational institutions points to the APP
preciating plants at Owenton and Athens.
Sunday Schools.
Sunday school interests are well to the
fore in every section of the conference.
| The number of schools is about $50, with
total membership of nearly $4,000. Sum
day school enrolment compared to the
number of church members in the several
districts. according to last statistics
gives to Guntersvlle district the blue
ribbon. For instance, in Birmingham
district, by far the most favored of them
all, the Sunday school enrolment is %
per cent of the number of church men,
bers; whereas, in the Guntersville,
district almost entirely rural, without the
facility and incentive of paVements,
street cars and electric lights, the en-
rollment is rs per cent So that, on per-
eeltage basis, 1t seems that the uneXpect-
ed has happened, and the impossible has
| come to pass Rev. j. I. Williams has
been for the past four years the popular
presiding elder in the Guntersville coun-
try.
The Presiding Elders.
The presiding elders are a body of
picked men, chosen by the bishop to be
his chief advisers. They are to be noted
for wisdom, prudence, impartiality, fair
| ness, freedom from clique or combine,
and general ability in administration of
the affairs of the church They consti-
tute the bishops cabinet for handling the
| affairs of the conference and particularly
that of assigning pastors to their respec-
tive fields of labor. In a body, such as a
| Methodist conference, where the pastor
and when the church surrenders her right
to select a pastor, 1t is a matter of SUI
preme Importance that the men who sit
in the cabinet should have the fullest
possible confidence of pastors and
churches. And If one in that high place
should lay himself liable to the imputa-
| ton of Partially or self-seeking to that
extent will be aroused among pastors
and churches the suspicion that men and
matters are not altogether sure of a
square deal"
Generally, Methodist preachers pride
themselves in standing upon their ordina-
ton vows, and make no effort to infiu-
ence their appointments. Nevertheless.
instances occur occasionally when favored
churches feel justified in pulling for a
certain man supposed to specially fit their
case, or when a superior man supposes
that he must look out for number one.
But such is not the general characteristic
of an annual conference.
The Districts.
The districts into which the conference
| territory is subdivided are limited to a
possible thirty pastorates. Birmingham
district is practically at the limit. and is
the only one in such condition. While it
is the largest in the conference, consid-
ering number of pastorates and also con-
sidering number of members territorially
1t is much the smallest Methodism has
had a very vigorous growth in the Bir-
mingham region. That condition, full
complement of pastorates in the district,
accounts for the fact that portions of
jefferson county. some lying within five
or six miles of the court house, are EN-
braced In other districts. For instance,
Gadsden, Guntersville, Jasper, Talladega
and Tuscaloosa districts all cut into Ala
bamas prodigious county of Jefferson
the Guntersvile coming to the very verge
of the city of Birmingham, at Boyles.
Rumor is rife that suggestion has been
made to the bishop to reduce the num-
Der of districts to nine by absorbing one
now in existence that is, by partitioning
among the other nine the pastorates of
that one. For such suggestion there may
be strong reason; but, considering that
the district TO be absorbed has. during
the past four years, made specially nota-
BILE development and growth, with assur-
ance of more and better coming, and
considering that the prospective expan-
sion of that territory would hardly be
helped by cutting it up; and, considering
that the other districts are themselves
developing at such rapid rate as to war
rant expectation that some of them will
soon reach the full limit: and, consider
ing that absorption of this tenth district
can hardly be effected without making
| Birmingham a party to the absorbing
process, which would require the cutting
off of some of its present proXimate ter
ritory to the west and southwest, II
would thus appear that there arise many
good reasons for letting the present plan
of districts remain undisturbed
Then again, a very strong reason
against reduction of number of districts
arises out of the simple fact that the
absorption of district means the loss
of a presiding elder, and the consequent
closing of at least one door of hope to
those who possess both ability and will
ingness to carry "the care of all the
churches" therefore, it is hoped that
though the bishop might see fit to re
duce" some of the elders, he may not see
fit to reduce any of the eldershps.
The Cause of Education.
The cause of education always comes
in for prominent attention at an annual
conference session. Methodism was born
i'm n university. and has been forward al
ways in fostering schools of all kinds,
and seeks ever to promote the cause of
higher education. The conference college
for young ladies' at Athens, under the
wise presidency of Miss Mary Moore
seems to have entered upon an era OF
unprecedented prosperity and promise.
substantial improvements have been
made to the college premises, with ad-
d lions and enlargement to the dormi-
tory department, and the institution Is
free to overfiowing.
At Owenton under the skillful guidance
of President Turner and his able faculty
progress has marked the year. Mr.. r. S
Munger, as chairman of the board OF
trust and Dr. S. L. Dobbs. as financial
agent. have had their dilgent labors