The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-27

IT. and l90 parSonages, valued at S34S, 475. In 1909 there were 5110 additions on profession of faith In supplying a min istry for her churches the conference. this year, has to call into active pastoral service fl local preachers. In Methodist economy and parlanee, local preacher is one who is not subject to pastoral ap- pointment, except as he may be willing to offer himself; he is not member of tho annual conference: when put in charge of a church he is designated. a supply. The fact that fl local preachers are, in 1910, doing pastoral work in north Alabama. indicates the present import ance of the local preachers as an eff clent and honored arm of the ministerial service.
 Missions
 The spirit of Methodism is distinctively missionary. Mir. John Wesley, the father and founder of the Methodist movement, as he contemplated the impulsive spirit of the gospel in connection with the re- ligious needs of men, said 'The world is my parish" The genius of his spiritual progeny is today true to that noble dic- tum, as is abundantly attested by the sustained efforts of worldwide Method- ism to do a full and generous part In universal evangelzation Besides the ac- tive efforts in foreign fields, each Meth odist conference maintains within its own
 
 domestic conditions may require. This work is done by the conference through a committee, called the conference mis- sion board, which has general supervi- sion of all such work. This board is made up of one lay member from each presiding elders district, and an equal number of ministers. They hold office for four years.
 In North Alabama Dr. J. D. Simpson is the chairman of the board, while the Rev. R. M. Archibald Is the secretary and really the dependable executive of- fiecer of that board, as well as the waik- ing and vitalizing embodiment and in- personation of the board In its plans and purposes. This board sustains or assists therein some 10 mission pastor ates. During the last three or four years there has been marked stimulus to mis- sions in general, and to domestic mis- sions in particular.
 Education
 Methodism has always made it a point to be wide awake on the subject of education generally, from the cradle to the college; ard in the matter of higher education was the pioneer in this state. LaGrange college antedated the Uni versity of Alabama. At Huntsville, Flor ence and Tuscaloosa college work under Methodist auspices has been notable. And 
 memorable shift of conditions, been aban- doned at these places and elsewhere, yet the work there done, and the money therein spent, may not be counted as lost investment, because of the evident and abiding good done.
 At the present time the North Ala bama conference owns and operates Attn ems college for young ladies and Birming- ham college for young men. These insti- f,,ff rat11n laa r management respectively of Miss Mary N. Moore and of Dr. J. D. Simpson. The properties are valued at s135,00 and S170.- 0O0 In the very important particular Of undivided conference allegiance and sup port these colleges today are in better standing than ever before. Less than 10 years ago the coming of conference session presaged tussle and scrap on the college question This was par ticularly the case as to Birmingham col lege That institution was born in a tempest and cradled in a storm. And possibly the activity and strenuousness of opposition in the past may account in some measure for present apathy in cer- tain quarters. So hard 1t is for men to reverse. themselves. However, the confer ence is. at least on the surface, united in behalf of Athens and Birmingham colleges.
 Through several recent years influential agencies have been at work looking to a new order of dealing with education from the eMthodist standpoint. That new or der seeks to correlate and unify all the Methodist schools in the state. The problem was first attacked from the standpoint of a school for young men. A commission from the two Alabama con ferences was appointed to see what could be done That commission reported their efforts abortye as to getting to- gether at that time, touching one college for men. but suggested the feasibility of unifcation as to the girls. Accordingly came appointment of the joint commis sion which now has in hand building and eauipping the Womans college at Mont gomery. Early in the life of that joint commission a scheme was worked out which declared, as policy to be pur- sued by the Methodists In Alabama, the building and equipping of one great col lege for boys and one for girls one col lege to be located within bounds of the Alabama conference (in south Alabama), the other in north Alabama. About this time because of undesirable conditions at Tuskegee (where was located the Ala bama Conference Female college), 1t be- came desirable for the Alabama confer ence to look out for another place for a college for young ladies. Accordingly south Alabama was ready to deal with
  outcome of that was the location at Montgomery of the Womans college, which (according to the scheme) fs de- signed to be at the head of our college work for girls in the state.
 The location of this college at Mont gomery, within the bounds of the Ala bama conference, fixed likewise (by the terms of the scheme) the location in north Alabama of the college for boys, which should be the other head of the system. That meant Birmingham college. Now comes the rub. The north Alabama con ference last winter, in contemplation of the prospective opening of the college in Montgomery as an "A grade" institution, levied therefor an assessment of 5000, same to be available at the conference session now at hand. It occurs to north Alabama brethren that since this confer ence has in good faith (and for the in auguration of the scheme as given), made this assessment for the college for girls at Montgomery, 1t comes to be in