The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-26

cessful and felicitous handling of the car of American Episcopal Methodism. | The present panel of North Alabama | "Beloveds" are men from the rank and | file, recognizing the bounds of their habitation and mindful of the times and Limitations of their appointment. Under their administration there has generally | been peace and some good measure of | prosperity. It is commonly known that
 a presiding elder is appointed by the
 bishop. just like any other conference
 member. for one year at a time.
 1 The 12 presiding elders districts con-
 tain, all told 260 pastoral charges (sta-
 tions, circuits and missions), with $50
 congregations and 745 church buildings, | carrying values to the sum of nearly two | millions of dollars, and 19S parsonages,
 worth in round numbers $40O,00o. Re- 1 turns made to the statistical secretaries I a year ago show the Methodist commu- nicants in North Alabama to be about l 5000; this indicated a net gain for last J year of more than 2S00. That net gain will in all likelihood be duplicated, if | not exceeded, the present year.
 The Evangelists
 | fundamental theory of Methodism, as | pertains to evangelistic effort and ex- l pansion and in gathering stresses the importance of each pastor being an evangelist; and so far as possible, his | own evangelist. Such theory has in the | past been very abundantly sustained; :;
 and the vast preponderance of the num- | bers coming into our churches today are | the fruitage of faithful and efficient 1 evangelistic pastors. aided and abetted by | true and loyal local preachers and zeal | ous laymen. However, there is the rec | ognition of the value of men specially adapted to evangelistic work; and hence | the conference has in the field, as confer | ence evangelists. three excellent men, | who go to the assistance of pastors as | they may be called and are able. These | are the Rev. James O. Hanes, Rev. James
 A. Bowen and Rev. John A. May. They
 have done excellent work this year; and | their ministries, in certain quarters, have
 been invaluable. Then, too, there are true 1 laymen who have given themselves more | or less to assistance in evangelistic ef- I fort. Of this appreciated number may be l mentioned the Hon. Nathan M Rowe of | Triana, Madison county; MT. James w. l Woodroof of Mooresville, Limestone coun- | ty; MT. James B. Wadsworth of Gadsden: | with numbers of others, such as are cal
 culated to give force and efficiency to | our hosts.
 1 In addition to the aforementioned gen.
 tlemen, the Rev. R. M. Archibald, the | conference missionary secretary should | not be overlooked, nor underestimated as | a distinct evangelistic entity in North | Alabama. While he is interested primarily
 in matters immediately pertaining to mis- l sions, yet does he recognize that the
 most dependable basis upon which may be built a worthy spirit of missions is
 none other than that which looks to the l true evangelistic spirit; and, according | ly, every effort that he puts forth, as | every cause that catches him, from his | picture show to a doctrinal discussion | of Christianity, may be said to focus | about real evangelistic effort. If his ar ray of figures is well taken (and he says
 it is), then the North Alabama mis- sonary board has evidently done big things.
 Conference Forecast
 l The sessions of conference at Florence
 will have to do very largely with problems pertaining to Education, missions and | church extension, connectional affairs, | pastoral reports, and finally the appoint | ments of pastors for the next year That
 last is the crucial point in every annur, ] conference in Methodism. Tn that par
 ticular point is found the condition de- terminiing the turning of every wheel,
 anywhere and everywhere.
 Educational Affairs
 | It is commonly said that the Methodist | movement was born in a university, i. G., l Tn OXford, England. Among the early efforts of Mr. John Wesley was that which
 looked to the education of the people. And so, whether by apostolic succession
 or otherwise the Methodist people, as the l spiritual progeny of MT. John Wesley, have come to count that along with the ministry that looks to the creation and
 development of spiritual life and force, | there likewise is call for a ministry look
 ing to intellectual development and cul- ture; that along with the message of
 religion and eternal life, there essentially |, inheres the duty of fostering schools and | colleges Many communicants at Meth od1st altars are not educated much; and. | tried by the standards and tests of thor | ough university or even college courses, | many Methodist ministers may fall into the category and company of those early
 Christian fathers who were termed fig
 norant and unlearned mem; yet do Meth
 odist people in general, and Methodist preachers in particular. stand definitely committed to the cause of public educa-