The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-11-16
DRS. DOZIER & DOZIER. 1l7A N. 2lst Street. Birmingham. Ala.

the long and the short of all the states may be set down as mere guess work
 Probable Changes.
 : Will there be many changes among the pastors? Yes. doubtless. Strictly speak ing, every itinerant Methodist preacher receives appointment but for one year at a time, and with that year any given pastorate ends. Beyond this, however, the statutes of the church permit reap pointment of a pastor to a given charge for a term not exceeding four years. Yet as a matter of practical working, only a small percentage ever reaches the four year limit. The great body is strictly itinerant and moves, moves without any regard to any statute of limitation. The record of the last annual conference ses- sion shows that more than 50 per cent of the effective pastors were changed That percentage may be rather higher than usual, but not much; for each year | witnesses a pretty general shaking up. And this year may be depended upon to i maintain the average.
 The Central Church.
 l Central church, where the conference will sit Is comparatively a new congre- gation. as New Decatur Is comparatively a new city. The church ediflce. neat imposing and commodious structure. was
 
 pletion under the pastorate of Rev. Ira F. Hawkins, now presiding elder at Gads- den. After MT. Hawkins, there came to the pastorate at New Decatur Dr. Anson West, Rev. S. R. Emerson and Rev. G. L. Jenkins Under the ministry of these eminent men, the church building was carried forward toward finishing and furnishing; the meanwhile the member ship grew rapidly, till now it ranks in point of numbers next to the First Meth odist church. Birmingham. Last fall MT Jenkins reported as having received into Central church during 1907, by pro- fession 90 and by certificate 55. The con- tributions made by this church for sup port of pastor and for various connee- tional and benevolent causes have kept pace with the rapid numerical growth of the congregation. In addition to bearing its proportionate part of the financial ob- lgations of the conference Central church has this year sicnalized its liberal spirit by undertaking the support of mission ary in the foreign field. The church owns a well appointed parsonage. Altogether, few pastorates in Alabama surpass in importance and vastness of work aHd possibilities of further development Cen tral church. New Decatur. The present pastor is Rev James Andrew Jackson Brock, A. NJ. He is in his first year as pastor there. Rev. G. F. Boyd is the be- loved presiding elder; he has been there for four years, hence must move. And thereby hangs a question mark,
 The General Work.
 The general work of the church in the bounds of the North Alabama com ference will doubtless be creditablv de- tailed at New Decatur. The years lnan- cial stress has been felt generally, and will be reflected in reports rendered. And then, as with material affairs, so with spiritual a general election year. with the incidental scrappins of a political campaign. may not be counted as special Iv conducive to the development of per sonal piety or promotive of religious re- yivaI Nevertheless there have been great ingatherings this year throughout North Alabama And the roll of mem bers. last winter nearly 7S,000. ought to pass the S0,O00 mark.
 A matter of considerable interest incl dent to the approaching session will be the observance of the centenary of Meth od;sm as an organized evangelical agency in Alabama. At Tuscaloosa last winter the conference raised committee con sistins of J. G. Robertson, F. P. Culver, G. w. Read. J. H. Mccoy and F.. M. Glenn charged with the task of provid- ing proper observance of the one hun dredth anniversary of Alabama Method
  which look to a continuation in suitable services to be held in New Decatur on the evening of the 18th inst The speak CTS chosen for that occasion are Rev. J. w. Newman. D. D., of Talladega. and Rev. J. M. Mason. D. D., of Eufaula. 1t is expected that these able divines will be in the pink of condition and what they have to say will be worth hearing.
 Founding of Church.
 Methodism was planted in North Ala bama by the Rev. James GwYnn in the autumn of 1908; and from that planting has sprung vigorous stock Methodism is strong in the Tennessee valley. Today it leads all other denominations in that region, alike in the rural districts and in the more populous centers For instance in the Decaturs the number of communi- cants is in the neighborhood of 1500,