The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-26
CONFERENCE WILL
CONVENE TODAY
Staunton Already Filled With
Delegates to Meeting OF
Methodists.
OPENING SERMON PREACHED
Rev. H. P. Hamil, ID. D., OF
Blacksburg, Heard by Large
Congregation.
CBY MAMIE BAYs1
Special to The Tjmes- pisnntch

| lSpecial TO The Times Dispatch
Staunton. Va. March 25.-According
! 10 custom OF long standing i'm the Bal
timore Conference of the Methodist
| Episcopal Church. South. on the even
| ing preceding the opening of the an
| nual session the members of the con
| ference and many visitors assembled
this evening in the church. where the
session is TO he held to hear a sermon
| by Il member of the body
The preacher this evening was Rev
r. T. tamil, ID. D.. now pastor of the
Methodist Church in Blacksburg. and
formerly pastor in Staunton. lie was
heard by large congregation The
text of the sermon was the sixth verse
or the second chapter OF Genesis: and
coo breathed into mans nostrils the
! breath of life and man become liv-
ing soul. the subject of the discourse
peing' The Relation of the Holy Spirit
to the Material World.
The Easter decorations consisting
Oh pa and ferns in white setting,
added much to the attractive appear
ance of the church this evening The
trains into Staunton to-day brought
many clerical and lay members OF the
conference and large number of visi-
Tors many of the latter being women
II is probable that most OF the mem :
hers or the conference will answer to
thelr names at the calling Of the roll
tomorrow morning.
on admissions have been busy to-day
win the work of examination of UNI
uerGraduatcs and OF applicants for adj :
mission into the conference at this ses-
sion. The conference will convene to-
morrow morning at o'clock. with
bishoD John {. Nilgo. of Durham ~ e..
as the presiding officer. After the de
Votionai service. which Bishop Kilro
VIII probably conduct the roll of the
conference will be called by Rev. e V.
RcSester. ID. D.. secretary of the last
session. The secretary for this session
will then be elected. and il is probahla
that i)r. REGISTER will succeed himself
me secretary will name his assistants
the bar OF tho conference will he tyed
me hours for meeting and adjournment
VIII he named. and the body will then
be ready for the transaction of routine
business.
visitors will then he introduced. the
standing committees Will he appointed
communications relative to the various
connectional interests of the church
VIII be announced, and will he referred
10 me standing committees and CON
terence boards. The call of the twen-
tS-sccond minute question will he com
mchced NJ the session tomorrow morn
ing: Are all the preachers blameless
in lneir life and official administers
tioh and VIII be answered first with
reference to the presiding elders. after
which they Will submit the reports or
lhelr work for the past year The
conference directory shows that 2 mum
Der OF the representative of the CON
necuonal interests of the church Will
be present To address the conference
one matter of special interest TO he
presented to the conference durinp. mis-
session will be the matter relative 10
inc granting TO the women of the
church equal rights with the lsity.
rms matter will be presented by Rev
j Is. Henry. of Moorefeld w. Va. and
IT'S consideration will furnish, in all
pfooab ility, one of the most animated
discussions that will take place duriue,
III" session. Announcement has been
made that Bishop Alpheus w Wilson.
OF Baltimore. Will preach in the Central
Methodist Church of stanton to-mor-
row evening II is expected also that
hlShop Collins Denny. of Richmond
VIII arrive early during the conference
session