The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-12-07
MISSISSIPPI CONFERENCE DOING
EFFECTIVE WORK AT
MERIDIAN.
BISHOP GAMBLER IS PRESIDING
Mounger on History of Methodism
lures.

Meridian. Miss. Dec. THE Mis-
sissippi Methodist conference was of
ficially called to order by Bishop War
ren A. Gambler, of Atlanta, Ga, who
will preside during the session. The
opening session was observed with de-
votional exercises conducted by the
bishop. He delivered a mastery ad-
dress upon the subject of miracles
and by his beautiful spirit and digni-
fed bearing won the hearts of all
those whom he had not known before
this session of the conference. He
stressed upon the members of the con-
ference the dignity oftheir calling and
caused them to be proud of their posi-
tion and more loyal in their belief.
Following the sermon by the bish-
op, DR.. \. +. Watkins, of Hattiesburg,
who has so efficiently served as secre-
tary of the conference for many years,
= Nas unanimously reelected. Standing
1cOmmittees were appointed to repre-
sent the following departments of the
church The State of the Church,
Sabbath Observance. Publishing inter-
ests, district conference records, con
ference relations, temperance and me-
mOirs.
At the business sessions held today,
reports were heard and ordered filed
from all of the presiding elders Of
the south Mississippi districts As
whole the reports showed the church
to be in fairly good conditions. finau-
cially and otherwise. but on account
of the ravages of the boil weevil in
some sections of the state, the finance
end showed up short. In every case.
however, there was an increase in
membership and a marked advance
ment in every department of the
church.
The list of superanuated preachers
of the church was read and revised,
following certain recommendation
made by the presiding elders. Each
year the list is examined and those
of the ministers who have recuperat-
ed from illness or have become able
Ib}sically to resume their work are
. given charges in the conference.
One of the principal works of the
church today was the pledging of five
thousand dollars toward establishing
the great central Methodist church at
Washington D. C. The work was out
lined by DR.. George S. Sexton, of Dal-
las, Texas, who has charge of the
campaign for the establishment of this
church, and who is a member of the
general conference commission ap-
pointed to found this institution. Bish
Op Gambler, who is presiding at this
session of the conference is chairman
of the commission.
DR.. Sexton stated to the conference
the object of the work, its scope and
its relation to this conference. He
stated that it would speak out the
spiritual facts as regards southern
Methodism and would be a great cen
trail body where Southern Methodism
would have a voice in the affairs at
the nations capital. Much interest
was manifested in the work. The
amount pledged will be paid at the
rate of twelve hundred and fifty dol
lars each year for four years. DR..
Sexton will leave Thursday for Pen
sacola, where he goes to attend the
seventy-eighth conference of the south
Alabama Methodist conference.
DR.. E. H. Mounger, for Fifty years a
minister in the south Mississippi
Methodist church, on last evening ad-
Aressed an auditorium full to over
flowing and his delightful address,
with "reminiscences of the past
years in service, thoroughly captivat-
ed the vast congregation. The doctor
in his characteristic manner told of
those on which the present structure
of Methodism in south Mississippi is
builded and laid before the congrega-
tion many beautiful truths in regard
. to the lives of the early Methodists
with whom he had come in personal
econtact. In this, the semi-centennial