Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-23
BISHOP WARREN
GIVEN WELCOME
METH0DISTS ASSEMBLE IN
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
AUDITORIUM FILLED BY VAST
CONGREGATION
Superintendent Of Sunday School Ex-
tends Greeting, and Burdette and
other Well Known Speakers
Deliver Addresses

Methodism of Southern California
turned out to do honor to Bishop
Henry W. Warren, the senior bishop,
who is to preside at the thirty-third
session of the Southern California con-
ference, which was opened last night
in the First Methodist church.
Despite the. inclemency of the
weather a large congregation filled the
auditorium, and Bishop Warren was
welcomed by the conference and lalty
as well as by other denominations.
DR.. Henry w. Brodbeck, superin-
tendent of the First Methodist churcn
Sunday school, extended the greeting
in behalf of the church, to botn tne
bishop and the members of the con-
ference.
Rev Robert H. .Burdette gave a well
come in his own inimitable manner.
Almost from the time he began until
he took his seat he kept his hearers
laughing. He started by saying that,
in his estimation. the Methodists had
selected the best fitted men In the
Rev. Robert J. Burdette gave a well
come.
"I welcome you," said DR.. Burdette,
"for what you are, for what you are
going to be to the city, and for what
we can get out of you. You Will give
us all inspiration, for the invasion or
a Methodist body is always an 1nsp1-
H.,
brings a change of weather with 1t, for
it comes with a whirl and wind"
He related an experience with his
first Methodist conference, when he
was a young newspaper reporter, and
said that he had always loved the de-
nomination since that time.
"I believe we should make the
church easy to get into." continued
DIR. Burdette, "and hard to get out of.
1t is no place for good people, but 1t
is for the bad people. The Son OF GOD
came to save lost mankind. We want
to draw the unworthy to the church.
If 1 am kept in, I can't possibly see
how they can keep any, one out"
DIR. Y. T. Guild made response on
behalf of the conference. and spoke
of the life and work of the Methodist
ministers. He enlarged the meaning
of the annual conference to the min
listers and their families. on the added
and renewal of work that
it accomplished.
Enemies of Rum Shop
sit is for the church to put Jesus
Christ in the social and political life
of the state" said Dr. Guild, "and for
us to match ourselves against the
great rum curse. When a Methodist
arrives, an enemy of the rum
shop has arrived. If the church does
the state the red special of today will
be the red specter of tomorrow. We
need to stop the race track gambling.
and here we have no Governor Hughes
to put a stop to It," DIR. Guild closed
with a plea for return to the faith of
the early Puritans.
Bishop Warren was the last speaker
on the program, and was introduced
by Rev. A. w. Atkinson, who pre-
sided. Bishop Warren, tall, some
what old-fashioned appearing man,
with chin whiskers and no mustache,
was greeted with continued applause,
and in his earnest address won many
admirers He thanked the speakers
for their kind words, both In behalf of
said that he was glad to be in the
sunny southland again, and paid high
tribute to California, saying that when
God wished mighty people he started
them emigrating., beginning with
Abraham. When the continent of
Europe sent it's flower, to the east. the
best again emigrated to the western
shores of the country. This created
much enthusiasm. and the bishop
closed with an eloquent tribute to the
work of the church in this part of the
country.
The formal opening of the conference
will be held this morning at 8 o'clock
n tne flrSt MetnOulSt cHurcn, B1SnOp
presiding. After the sacra-
nent of the Lords supper the organi-
sation of the conference will be held,
by the annual memorial SER
vice. In the afternoon a statistical
session will be held.
This afternoon at 2:30 o'clock the an
,iversary of the Womans Foreign
society will be held and
his evening the anniversary of the
BOARD OF foreign missions will be OBJ
erved, J. s. Carroll presiding. DR..
George B. Smythe will make an ad-
iress at the evening session.
The conference will continue over
lext Monday, when the list of appoint
nents will be read by the hishon