The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-25
METHOD|STS WILL
MEET AT ROANOKE
Many Changes in Assignments
of Ministers to Be Made
at Conference.
Especial to The Times-Dispatoh. ]


Roanoke. Va. March 24.-one of the
most Interesting facts connected with
tho session of the Baltimore Confer
enco OF the Methodist Episcopal
Church, South. this yenr, which will
convene In Roanoke on Wednesday
morning next, Is that of the leS pas
tors in tho conference who arc now
dong tho active work OF the ministry,
twenty eight must be appointed to
new fields of labor at this session OF
tho conference. because of the -four
yenrs' time limit" II does not follow
that only the twenty eight preachers
who have served their present pas
toral charges for four years, conseou-
lively. Will BIO the only members of the
conference who will BIO appointed to
new charges. for 1t Is not unsunl that
the necessary removal of one pastor
creates the necessity for the removal
Methodist Episcopal Church. South, is
appointed to a charge for longer
period than ono year. and he may be
changed to another charge at the close
of the first second or third year, II
the occasion demands. and he cannot
remain longer than four years 1t la
rather an unusual fact In this con-
nection that of the twenty eight
preachers who must be appointed TO
new charges at the session of the oon-
ference this year. not one of the seven
presiding elders is among the num-
Der. none of tho presiding elders hav-
ing served their present district longer
than three years.
The guess work regarding the ap-
pointments OF the preachers for each
succeeding year begins as far in ad-
vance of the conference session as
several months. This guess work IS
INDUCED in freely by preachers and
lnymen. and II not lnfrequentiy occurs
that the appointments arranged by
these Kitchen cabinets" are found 10
be true forecasts. us they often agree
with the appointments as made b. the
cabinet of the conference and an
nounced by the presiding bishop at
the closing session
Before the session Of the General
Conference OF 1870 every bishop in
tho church had tho power OF making
any appointment or any preacher In
any conference over which he might
preside, without the knowledge of his
cabinet. IL he so pleased The law of
the church in this connection now is
that no bishop has the right to make
an appointment during the session OF
conference without letting every pre-
siding elder in tho cabinet know the
same. and every bishop must read the
entire list of appointments TO his cab
met before they arc read to the CON
ference.
There are twenty eight lay dele
the Baltimore Conference who sustain
the superannuatcd relation, preachers
who as the result OF age or i'll health
no longer receive appointments to pas
toral charges and who In many In
stances are dependent upon the con-
ference for support. Only four men,
bers "f this conference sustain the
supernumerary relation; these do not
receive appointments but they do not
receive their support from tho con-
ference.
There are twcnty-e'ght day delo-
gates who are members OF this con-
ference. four from each of the seven
districts.
The Baltimore Conference Is the on.t
one OF the fnrty-s!X conferences of the
church that can count two of the Nom
bers OF the present college OF bishops
MS former members of this body.
Bishop Alpheus w. Wilson. of Balti-
more. and Bishop Collins Denny. of
Richmond. wcro elected to tho epis-
copacy from this conference.