The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-10-23
GREAT DEBATES
in CONFERENCE
Methodists Eagerly Looking For
ward to Annual
Meeting.
---
BISHOP WILSON 10 PRESIDE
Churches and Ministers Are Pre-
pairing Their Annual
Reports.
BISHOP WILSON TO PRESIDE
Churches and Ministers Are Pre-.

srFfE ~ q VI pa -gi
toral changes are predicted at this
years meeting of the Virginia Annual
/. Conference of the Methodist Episcopal
n Church. South. which will convene in
VI Centenary Methodist Church. in this
city. on Wednesday, November o, and
remain in session for about a week.
Two hundred and ninety Methodist
ministers holding charges in the East
4 ern and central part of the State.
about forty law delegates from the
Y various district conferences, and the
representatives of the various boards
and missionary organizations will be
in constant attendance.
3ishop Alpheus w. Wilson,, one Of
the most distinguished ministers I'M
the South. and a man who is widely
known for his travel IN heather lands,
and for his writings and addresses on
topics of missionary interest, will pre-
side. In order that he may be In a.
position to give his entire time to the
IS work of the conference, n not be
interrupted unnecessarily, it has been
arranged that While here he will have
rooms at the Richmond Hotel, where
h he will be the guest of John p. Branch.
He is expected to preach here onsthe
Sunday morning preceding the confer-
ence in Broad Street Methodist Church.
= and will be the guest of the pastor
z of that church. Rev. S. g. Hatcher,
until the conference meets. In ac-
cordance with the usual custom, the
presiding bishop will preach on con-
ference Sunday, November 10. in Cent
tenary Church, for the pastor. Rev. j..
n. Latham, D. D. Many Of the pulpits
of the city in all denominations will
be filled on conference Sunday by
visiting Methodist ministers of dis
tinction.
Interest In Assignments.
Probably more than in any denomi-
nation, the annual Conference is a
clearinghouse OF all Methodist mat
tiers. and around it centers the chief
Interest Of all the people. 1t is at
the annual Conference that the bishop
announces his list Of assignments for
preaching. This list usually marks
tho last Item of the order of business,
and in former meetings it has been @
e dramatic moment when the clerk reads
the bishops list. Ministers and their
families hang on his words, for it
means where they will be located for
possibly the next four years. Church
members and church officers are anN-
tous to know what name of man
they will be able to secure to AXE the
( leadership in their affairs.
Bishop Wilson has many times pre-
sided over a Virginia Conference. He
knows most of the ministers person
r. s'ss AltlI Ga uollS J. sllOS /
all, of the churches. He knows their
needs and the character of the men
he has at his disposal, and in the
making up OF a list he has the as
sistance and advice of the bishops
Council. composed of the presiding ell
ders of the various districts.
Roll of Ministers and Churches.
Another custom of a Methodist Con-
ference which lends to Its business q
peculiar interest is the calling OF tho
roll of ministers, when each man must
report on the progress of the work In
the field in which he has been assign
ed, and when, II any man has ought to
say against him as a minister or@as a
man. lie has the opportunity. The
churches also must report what they
have done during the year, whether
their membership has increased, what
they have contributed to missions
whether they are in debt. and espe-
clally whether they have paid the
pastors salary. If all were known,
there is probably many a Methodist
church in the Conference that is
stratning its efforts to get out of debt
before Conference. and to clear off its
ooilgation to pastor, and pay its mis-
sionary ASSESSMENTS. so as NOT RI no
pnbliclss, rsssrded as being delinouent
Besides allfthese matters there viii
be important debates on methods OF
church work and on church policy.
me famous debate which went on inE
conference for several Years over the re-
latlon OF the Randolph-M Macon schoolsl
10 the church has been settled IN the}
churchfs favor, but there are other mat
tiers OF equal general intrest sure to
come up. and on which the conferencol
VIII be asked to take decisive action.
This Years meeting will be thesl2Stlrll
annual session of the Virginia Con.l
ference, Bishop Wilson is thessenior
bishop OF the Methodist Churchain#the
South. and a resident of Baltimore
Six times he has made tours Of mission
stations in foreign lands on behalf of
the Methodist Church. and has pr
ganized Methodis, conferences in
JapaG. China, Korea and Brazil.
Interesting Debntes Expected.
While the conference is to meet at
Centenary Church. where all of the ses-
Etons will be held, n where great
public meetings with addresses on
some phase of church work will be
FIELD each night, yet all of the Metho-
dist churches in andsaround Richmond
"a