The Washington herald., 1911-02-18
WITH THE METHODISTS.

I
| WITH THE METHODISTS.
| The next general conference of Metho-
dists. the large Northern body, will be
held in Minneapolis, provided satisfac
tory rates can be made with the railroads
and the committee is convinced of the
accommodations and the rates. 1t will
be known definitely within a month or
two whether the city named is finally
determined upon. Many other cities,
especially some in the West put up
strong pleas for the great gathering, the
governor of Iowa heading a delegation in
favor of Des Moines. The most he was
| able to accomplish, however,
promise to select Des Moines provided
Minneapolis became impracticable through
action of the railroads. A third choice was
Saratoga Springs, but that resort looked
not nearly so much to the conference OF
1912 to that of 1916. when it will next
time go to an Eastern center. Indian
| apOlis was another city considered, and
| it had former Vice President Fairbanks
as champion. The same meeting of the
committee that considered the general
conference location decided upon $4,000
to be distributed this year to aged Metho-
dist ministers out of the profits of lit
| erature sales, the largest sum ever so
| distributed in any one year. 1t was also
advised that a charter has been secured
for the book concerns This action will
not remove the concerns. as had been
| at one time expected, but IL may result
| in other agents being chosen in places
| of the four now serving. The change is
| in the interest of uniformity of methods
and combination of effort
| This paDaral coprarapce js tba Iaoisla
| tive body for MethoGists of the Northern
States, the largest single body Of Metho-
dists of the world having upward of
| 4,OO0,O 900 members and giving SB5. oO0 900
| year. Each four years, when the con-
! ference meets, it goes over nearly all
business conditions. acting on some but
reporting on ALL There are to be elected
next year several new bishops, since the
number is now short through an unusual
number of deaths, both on the mission
| and on the home fields Discipline,
| whether the rules shall mention by name
| certain things mat MethOdiSts believe
people ought not TO do, or whether the
! wording shall be general, will be up for
discussion, and so will the administration
of the publishing business, one of the
greatest in any religious body. The mat
! ter of Methodist opportunity and Obli-
CATION in growing cities will be taken up
and if possible some of the defects, as
held by those especially interested in the
city problem. will be removed. In not a
| few instances single cities are divided
| between two district conferences, pre-
venting centralized effort. Foreign mis-
SionS, with relations to home effort, will
also form a conference subject, and ii is
expected that action will be taken look
J ing to Methodist effort hereafter in Spain
and Portugal There is strong Metho-
I F-11x
| work in Italy, which has attracted at
| tention of late, by similar work in Por-
! tugal at least, and possibly also in Spain.
! The general conference takes to the city
where it is held many thousands of visi-
| tors, for its sessions usually continue
| through the whole month. The date is
May, 1872
The Washington Methodist Union has
assumed obligations amounting to sew
eral thousands of dollars in its extern
sion work. and the only method to pay
! off the indebtedness is by annual collec-
| tions in the churches by special effort
G. w. F. SwartzeIl is president of the
| union, and has done much in the past
year toward promoting the work and
making the present position Of Method
| ism in Washington what it is.
| The Christian Advocate of New York
has this to say about the pastorate of
the Rev. w. R. Wedderspoon at Foundry
| Church: Last October he began the
work and has made a systematic vista
ton of the membership. This has brought
| him into close relation with his people
and the locality. The membership has
been increased by the addition of sew
\ enty-five, many of whom were convert
| ed during the regular Sunday services.
The difficulty that now confronts the
| trustees is that of accommodating the
increasing attendance.
DR.. Wedderspoon, after brief sojourn
| at Atlantic City, where he has been re-
cuperating, will occupy his pulpit on
Sunday morning. The subject announced
is THE Christian Race"
The Training School for Deaconesses and
Nurses, also the Sibley Hospital, which
are under the auspices f the Woman's
Home Missionary Society of the Metho-
dist Church, have just closed a success
full year. Dr. w. II. Wilder has been
superintendent for three years. The
| finances are in excellent condition and
plans are being made to enlarge the
| facilities of the hospital At the last
meeting of the local board of directors
DR.. J. w. r. Sumwalt was elected treas
urer in place of the Rev. Joseph Daw-
son, who has Just taken up his appoint
ment at the East Baltimore station.
At Congress Heights Methodist Episco-
pal Sunday school Rev. Merritt Earle,
pastor, on Decision Day, fourteen Of the
children of the Sunday school decided for
Christ The healthy condition of the
treasury. together with this fact, Is an
indication of the prosperity Of the school.
The attendance increases, last Sunday
registering 13S
An entertainment In the Congress
Heights Hall for the benefit OF the
stewards fund VIII be given by the young
people on the sd and 2fth.
In the Sunday evening sermon Of his
series on spiritual lessons from the
Bible, Christian and historic scenes In