The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1910-12-23
Renort Of Gulf Annual Conference OF
NJ. E. Church, BY One OF Its
Members.

ant and profitable session IN the oe"u-
tiful little city of Welsh, Monday
morning. About one hundred minis.
tiers and many laymen and lay"oheh
visited this place and spent week
attending the sessions and mingIIhg
with the conference body and meeting
the citizens of this thriving and inter-
esting part of our Pelican State.
1t goes without saying, that 'heSe
varied visitors all expressed real
pleasure in making this stay OF oa's
in Welsh. The solid improvements
modern progress and push OF TINS
ueop]e. bespeak much in proof or the
fact that Welsh and its people are IN
touch with the spirit of the times ana
show substantial evidence that Welsh
is still on the map and is very mNch
alive. Really, no town or city IN our
} widespread coast country presents
more visible and laudable signs OF
: solid and rapid progress than does
this place.
Bishop Thomas B. Nicely was the
presiding officer of this BODY, and he
cave clear evidence OF his wise ana
far.sighted ability as a chairman and
chief executive. Bishop Nicely, a
resident of New Orleans, is q man OF
wide travel and broad observation
Though he has had long experience
with our immediate America, he IS
almost as familiar with South Ameri-
ca, Continental Europe and the Tar
Orient, as with his home territory.
One Of the peculiar phases OF the
Methodists is their bishops. Twenty
five of these general emssaries are
thoroughly acquainted with every
nook and corner of the world. They
are the globe trOtters Of a great
{ church. They ride all the seas, climb
the Alps, Apprentices, Rockies and
Andes. They pass among all the
, countries and chimes. all the races and
empires, from the crowded cities OF
{ our western world, to the Congo and
its iungles, to Europe with its crowned
, heads and to the Indies and the Ce]est-
+ ial Emplre. and to all the lengths and
, ATTITUDES of the far flung isles of the
oceans.
This is in keeping with the memor,
t able John Wesley, who left that leg
acy to the Methodists, tO-wit: "Tht
Y World Is Ny Parish" They cover
the continents, belt the globe anC
+ touch the periphery of the world.
/ Albeit, it is g matter of record and
a fact of history, that in 1888, the yeal
Old King George gave his consent t(
;, grant liberty to the American colon
les, John Wesley got his own cOnsen
to set up the Methodist EpiscOpa
Church of America, and as matter
), of history, the birth of the republic
and the organization Of American
MethOdism are almost Of even date
The deft hand that rocked the cradl
> of tie ihfantile republic has nurset
too, the little fondling Of s. Ohm Yves
lev. COeval in birth, they have grow
:, out Of their swaddling clothes. Bot
have laid Off their bib and tuCke
and are making rapid strides towarC
:, matchlesS manhood. The one ha
- flung her flag, the emblem of consti
:, tutiOnal law and national liberty
athwart the earth and alongside tn
globe, while the other continues t.
t. saturate the spheres and hemisphere
se with the teachings of the one Bible
l. free grace and full salvation. An
the deft hand still rocks and nurse
I, on.
r, John Wesley weighed only one hun
e bred and twenty-six pounds, and ye
y. Lord McCaulev said Wesley ha
N enough brains to preach three times
W day and run the British government
70 to boot.
IS Since the date of the birth of th
N Methodist Episcopal church, eightee
{, branches or off-shoots have left hel
n but this mother body still leads, wit
Ye nearly four million members, after a
o. the heirs have set up shop for then
II. selves.
as The Gulf Conference is just eigE
" years old and has over four thousan
" members. Beginning with litt]
TO handful of ministers, it now has fin
lie body of rapidly rising men. Hayin
al then only few churches, it now ha
It. over $3.50, 900 thus invested and nor
~ coming.
ed There is nothing like man. 1t
the man behind the gun, :ny time, a
the time. Tie thing that makes tn
W man is mind, not body, not mater