The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1909-12-09

S. E. ANNUAL CONFERENCE
METHODISTS ASSEMBLE AT ABB
BEvILLE THIS WEEK.
Some Interesting Facts About This
Annual Gathering of the
Preachers and Laymen.
Abbeville, S. c., Dec. 1.-THE
South Carolina conference Of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South,
will assemble here Wednesday in the
124th annual session, and comes to
Abbeville for the third time in it's
history. First on December Is,
1868; again on December 9, 1895,
which conferences were held by Bish-
ops Wightman and Cranberry re-
spectively. The sessions this year
will be presided over by the senior
bishop of the connection, Alpheus
Waters Wilson, of Baltimore, who
holds the conference for the fifth
time in it's history; coming to it the
first time in 1888, then in 1904-6
and 8. Some doubted if he would
be able to do the work assigned him,
but really he is doing the work as
signed those with a larger lease OF
life. Bishop Wilson's work as pre-
siding officer is highly satisfactory,
and as an interpreter Of the scrip
ture has no superiors.
Abbeville Hosts.
Abbeville has had to provide
homes for about four hundred
guests, and it fills the town about full
but not to overflowing. When those
Methodists become hosts they are
hosts indeed.
Naturally there will be few chang
es in appointments. Bishop Wilson
is not the man to make radical
changes or to take "the bit in his
teeth,'' hence things will roll
smoothly, 50 far as surface indica-
tions are concerned.
The South Carolina conference
has had peace and harmony in all its
sessions of late years, and there per-
vades the whole body sense OF
good feeling in all things.
Floods and such pulled the reports
backward in some places at the last
session, but this years reports
promise gain in all sections.
Territory and Membership.
At the last session of this confer
ence at Laurens there were 253 trav-
cling preachers, counting those dis
abled as well as those engaged In
educational work, besides there were
seyenty-seven local ministers who do
not belong to the conference, but
who preach as opportunity offers.
The body represents membership
OF S5,161, and 44,612 Sunday-school
scholars, which figures cover the en-
tire State of South Carolina.
Last year the conference raised
and paid out the following sums for
the different objects named: Worn
out preachers and widows and Or
phans of such $1O,4S5.49; for for
eign missions s21,S13.51; for do
mestic missions in the State $16,-
454.07: for church extension $5,-
$500: for American Bible Society
S63O.48; for presiding elders S22,-
1910; for pastors $174,961.97; for
bishops s3,069.56.
They have IT'S church organiza-
tions and houses of worship, valued
at 81, 1,412,300.00. Besides they own
100 parsonages valued at S362,525,
also nine district parsonages valued
at s5O,000.00.
. The conference is divided into
twelve presiding elders districts and
235 pastoral charges, there being
that many men in active pastoral
work
Added to this they own six schools
and colleges, valued at $573,000.0O,
with endowments to the amount OF
s115,560.00.
Most Important in Years.
The meeting Of this, as well as the
meeting of all other annual confer
ences of the Southern Methodist
church, is of unusual interest this
year, as it is the closing of the
drennium-fourth year-and at
this session there will be elected dele
gates to the general conference which
meets only once in four years, and
will meet next year in May, at Ashe-
vile. Each conference is entitled to
clerical and one. lay delegate for
each forty-eight members of the con-
ference, on which basis this confer
ence will eject about five of each; to
be one Of which is a high honor, as
the body will be composed Of the
very best men in all Methodism and
is the law-making body of the church
"a veritable congress.
Since the general conference met
in Birmingham in May, 1906, this
branch of Methodism has lost six OF
it's bishops by death, two of whom
were elected at that conference:
Cranberry, Tigert, Smith, Duncan, Cal
oway, Ward have all answered the
call. This heavy loss is in the heads
of the church and the progress OF
the times require the election of not
less than five-perhaps seven-new
bishops. New conditions are con-
stantly arising, and the outlook is
for much important church legisla-
lation at Asheville next May; hence
all the churches will be awake and