The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-11-10
.METHOD|STS Will
MEET THIS WEEK
Annual Conference Assemblies i'll
Petersburg on Wednesday
Next.
INTEREST IN APPOINTMENTS
Secretary and Presiding Elder to
Be Elected. and Many Pulpit
Changes to BE Made.

Attention Of Methodists throughout
Virginia Will shortly centre on the
SESSIONS OF tho Virginia Conference.
which convenes It's one hundred and
twenty fifth annual meeting in Pc
tcrsburg, Va, on Wednesday morning
at o'clock.
The opening sermon will be preach-
ed by the REV. s. s. lambeth, ID. d..
acting secretary of the conference, az
ter which the body Will at once pro-
coed to business. No definite program
or schedule OF business has been
drawn up. the conference fixing Its
own hours, but trseneral tho body
will assemble each day at 8 a. NJ. in
the Washington street Church. and
continue in session until p. NJ. At
ternoon sessions will not be held for
the first day or two, as committees
viii utilize the time in preparing their
special reports. Each night 1t is ex-
pected that there will either be a
preaching service. or that some public
mass-meeting will be held in one or
more of the large churches in the
interests of missions or other forms Of
church work.
The Closing Scene.
The conference will continue in
session for about n week, It's bust
ness increasing in interest as the days
go by and the various committees pre-
pare their reports. The closing scene
is BY far the most dramatic and in
teresting. when the presiding bishop.
Bishop Galloway reads the list OF
preaching appointments. and the mem
bers OF the conference learn what will
be their field of labor for the next
year.
There will be no business session
of the conference on Sunday. but Pc
tersburg, Richmond aud other near
by points will have their pulpits filled
by members of the conference. a COM
mittee usually being appointed to arr
range pulpit schedule for confer
cnce Sunday.
1t is planned on Sunday afternoon.
possibly at 3 or 4 O'Clock, to hold
memorial session OF The conference. at
which time tributes to the ministers
who have died during the past year
Will be read.
Matters of Interest.
Broad Legislative functions are given
to the conference under the Metho-
dist Episcopal system, and many mat
tiers Of general interest are likely to
be discussed. Missions, education, Sum
day schools. Epworth Leagues and
church finance will all have their OPP
portunity in the debates. A PROPOSE
ton for a Change in the system OF
electng the trustees of tho Randolph
Macon system OF colleges. 70 as to
x,-1tD Ia. al
church control will no doubt be in
trcduced, and will provoke some op.
position among those friends OF the
colleges who arc ambitious for a lar
ger development.
Inquiry Will be made by tho con-
ference into the personal character and
work of each individual minister. and
the presiding elder will be given an
opportunity to Introduce any objection
before the minister is given new
charge.
Perhaps the matter of greatest gen
eral interest to come before this CON
ference viii be the election Of secre-
tary TO succeed the late Rev. Paul B.
Whitehead. d. D., who for fifty years
acceptably served the Virginia Con.
ference as secretary. Among those
who are being spoken of for the posi-
ton are the venerable DR.. S. S. Lam
beth, the present assistant, and acting
secretary OF tho conference. and the
Rev B. F. Lipscomb, D. D., presiding
elder OF the Petersburg district.
This conference will also have the
selection of an additional presiding
elder. TO succeed the late DR.. Wilson.
Among those prominently mentioned
for this position are the Rev. W. II.
Edwards. of Market Street Church,
Petersburg. Rev. r. Men. Simpson, of
Clay Street Church, is also spoken Of
for the presiding eldership.
Saying Farewell.
All over Virginia to-day Methodist
ministers Will be saying farewell to
their congregations. since on next Sun
day they will be at conference, and by
the following week many will be on
their way to new fields of labor.
There is naturally much speculation
as to who will secure the various APP
pointments. and while the bishop and
his council will give out nothing, We.
can forecast with considerable accu-
racy just what disposition Will be
made of the various positions. Rich
mond churches have an unusually larKe
number Of changes. many of the
churches having reached tho four-yeaI
limit a widely circula ted report says
that Dr.. w. ]. Young. of Centenary
will go back to former chargc--Court
Street Church, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. G
Danrille church Is known to be max.
| ing vigorous claim for tho services OF
DR.. Young.
! 1t is generally accepted among tn,
people at Centenary that Rev. j. n
Latham, now at Monumental Ports
| mouth, will be their next pastor
Rev George II. Spooner. Of Broa,
Street, is said to be slated for Alr
1 Latham's old charge in Portsmouth.
The same prophets say that DR. r.; Fl
| Rawlings, now at Main Street. Dan