The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1911-12-22
ST. JAMES CHURCH
HAS new PASTOR.
Rev. W. M. Poage. D. D.. One
Of the Leading Men in
Conference Comes
to Palatka.
Other Conference Changes of Local
Interest.

The closing day OF the session of the
Florida annual conference OF the Metho-
dist Episcopal church south is always
the one to which greatest interest at,
| taches. For il is at this session that the
presiding bishop reads the list of pastors
assignments to the churches for the en-
suing year. The closing session of the
conference at Gainesville last Monday
was no exception.
There were some changes made
which effect the Palatka church. In the
first place this church was taken from the
Miami district and placed in the Live
Oak district, thus having a change in the
presiding eldership. The presiding ell
der of the Live Oak district is Rev. ].
| w. Bigham, a former pastor of First
church, Jacksonville, and more recently
of Ocala and Live Oak.
The new pastor of ST. James Metho-
dist church in this city is the Rev. w.
M. Poage, D. D., who comes from Live
Oak. DR.. Poage is one of the most dis
tinguished preachers in the conference,
and has filled many of the leading pull
pits of his demonstration in the state,
including First church Jacksonville.
Rev. Howard Dutill, for the past four
years pastor of St. James church has
been assigned to succeed Rev. w. ].
Carpenter at First church, Tampa. Rev.
DR.. Carpenter goes to First church,
Jacksonville.
The Crescent City church is still held
in the Miami district, and Rev. D. D.
Dieffenwierth continues as its pastor.
Interlachen is in the Ocala district and
will continue 10 be supplied by Rev. A.
P. Johntry. Rodman church will have
as its pastor Rev. NJ. o. Williams. Rev.
DIR. H. E: Partridge is continued as pas
tor OF the Hastings church, and Rev. DR..
r. l.. Honiker, former popular Palatka
pastor goes TO Bunnell. Melrose circuit
will have as its pastor Rev. w. F. Jones.
Rev. DIR. J. P. Hilburn, also a former
Palatka pastor, is continued as president
of Southern College, where he has
made fine record.
Rev. Edward F. Ley, for the past year
editor OF the Florida Christian Advo-
cate, has been appointed pastor of the
church at Arcadia, and Rev. d. B. Sweat
was elected editor of the Advocate with
four ministers TO assist
Rev. DIR. w. X. Piner, pastor of the
church at Lakeland and formerly OF
First church, Tampa, and known as one
of the most eloquent preachers in the
conference, retired from the ministry of
the church at this session and will take
up the practice OF law in Tampa. In
taking this course it is thought that Dr.
Piner was moved wholly by domestic
reasons, and this finds emphasis from
the fact that on Monday at Tampa DR..
Piner filed divorce proceedings against
his wife. As the papers were immedi-
ately Withdrawn ii is not known upon
what ground the action is based. Mrs.
Piner has been for some time an inmate
OF a sanitarium in Kentucky
The Conference decided to establish
a summer Chautauqua On Anastasia Is
land, opposite ST. Augustine, and de-
cided TO push the work with vigor so
that meetings can be held the coming
summer The next conference will be
held in Tampa.
The presiding bishop of the confer
ence was Bishop f. E. Hoss D. D., of
Nashville, Tenn. The bishop preached
to a great congregation on Sunday morn
ing from the text ''What Think ye of
Christi" and for more than an hour
held his audience spellbound. at was
one of the most pathetically eloquent
sermons ever listened to, said Col. S.
]. Hilburn, land the great congregation
was so moved that there was scarcely
dry eye in the audience.