The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1914-11-24
OPENS IN METHODIST CHURCH
TOMORROW MORNING WITH
RTSHOP GAMBLER IN CHAIR.
ONt OF LARGEST CONFERENCES

Many Members of Committees Arriv-
ed Yesterday, and Much Important
Work of Conference Is Being Done
Today. Will Be in Session Until
Monday Night of Next Week.
Every train since Sunday has
brought ministers and delegates to
Dawson to attend the annual session
of the South Georgia Conference, and
the 400 or more who will be in at
tendance will be present when the
conference is formally opened in the
Methodist church Wednesday morn
ing.
Committees meet each train, and
send the visitors to the homes to
which they have been assigned.
Bishop Warren A. Gambler will pre-
side over the conference, and will
arrive in the city this afternoon from
Marietta, where the North Georgia
Conference has just finished it's ses-
sion. While in Dawson he will be a
ouest at the home of Mrs. j. B. Perry.
Rev. w. F. Smith and Rev. J. A.
Smith are the veteran secretaries of
the conference, and both arrived
Monday.
Interest in Appointments.
AS is always the case, there is
much interest in the appointments
that will be given the preachers for
another year. The uncertainty is in4
creased more than usual this year,
owing to the fact that fourteen min
listers will be forced to move by the
four-year limit of service in Metho-
dist laws.
AS fourteen must move an equal
number must be transferred to make
way for them. Then when twenty
eight men are moved it will affect
twice that many more. So, it is be-
lfeved, this conference will witness
the removal of a large number Of
ministers from one charge to an
other.
Among the preachers to be moved
are two presiding elders-Dr. j. P.
McFerrin Of the Macon district and
a former pastor of the Dawson
church, and Rev. ] NJ. Cutler of the
the Thomasville district.
Pastors Of the conference who have
served their four-year limit and who
will be moved are Rev. E. F. Morgan
of Dawson, Rev. j. T. Ryder of Vine
VILE. Macon; Rev. H. T. Freeman Of
Asbury, Savannah; Rev. J. w. Reese
of Jeffersonville; Rev. T. H. Thorn
son, OF Triton; Rev. G. w. Curry of
Abel; Rev. Reese Griffin of Nashville;
Rev. ]. ]. Ansley of Marshallville;
Rev. J. w. Arnold of Talbotton; Rev.
W. H. Ketchum of Midway; Rev. j.
Rountree of Davisboro; Rev. W. K.
Dennis of StatesborO.
Some Conference Statistics.
The South Georgia Conference is
one of the largest conferences in
Southern Methodism. There are 239
pastoral charges in this conference,
with 797 organized churches, 746
church buildings valued at $2,O14,-
255 in the last report, POI parson-
ages valued at $447,210; 200 local
preachers, 81, 613 members, CSC Sun
day schools, with 54,412 scholars.
Last year the conference raised the
total sum of money for all church
purposes of $659,19O. Of this sum
the presiding elders received $780,
SIS, while the pastors received
1920, $50. Foreign missionary work
was paid $28,781, while home mis-
sionary work received $24,73O. 4
special fund for missions amounting
to 81, 641 was paid. Church extern
sion enterprises received 81, LOG,
and christian education $13,994. The
women's missionary societies of the
conference enroll in the 375 societies
10,1O6 members, who are credited