The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-01-13
FIRST WEST MISSISSIPPI
The General Conference Meets
Once Every Four Years and
Gain In Membership Is AL
ways Large - All Annual
Conferences Will Be Repre-
sentedH Interesting Data.
(By MAMIE BAYS.)

(By MAMIE BAYS.)
Charlotte, Jan. 10.-Many religious
meetings will be held in different sec
tons Of the South and the Southwest
during the year 1914 and around a
number of these meetings Interest
that is more than centerS.
Several Of these meetings will be the
representative gatherings OF several OF
the large denominations OF the South.
All of these are of equal interest to
the membership Of the denominations
they represent. but the one about
which the greatest interest of the pub
lie will center most largely will be
no doubt the General Conference OF
the Methodist Episcopal Church,
South. which will convene at Okla
homa City on Wednesday,, May 9Th,
and which will be in session for about
three weeks. The cause OF the in
crease of general interest attached to
the General Conference, in compari-
son with that OF the other large re-
ligiuus bodies which will be held
about the same time is the fact that
the General. Conference meets only
once in four years. whereas the other
bodies. at least most of them, meet
annually.
This will be the first time that the
'cUtIdf 1OHltItIlCt ilhS DcclA Ilc1O dt
oklahoma City, and it has not been
held west Of the Mississippi river
since 1902, when it met at Dallas,
Texas.
Composition Of General Conference
The General Conference is cofnpos
ed Of III equal number OF clerical anC
lay delegates. The basis of represen.
tation is n clerical delegate fol
every forty-eight members Of the an,
nli1t cOnfprpnN&. and an NnI1o0 nnDnhu1
OF lay delegates. The basis Of repre-
sentation IN the General Conferenc,
Is n same In the annual conference
on the foreign mission ED of tn,
church as In the conferences In tn
home territory. One local preache
may be included in the number Of la
delegates elected in any annual con
ference. All OF the annual confer
ences Of the church will be represent
ed by members of each OF these bodie
in the coming General Conferenc,
with the possible exception Of the Al
rican Mission Conference, which q
yet is in its formative period. TIL
representation OF hat body will h
made probably by Bishop Walter I
Lanbuth, who has the special over
sight OF the mission work of tn
church In Africa and who has mad
W. visits to that field since the NEE
Ing OF the General Conference
1910. at Ashevil.e, n. G.. The 9th,
foreign mission conference OF II
Methodist Episcopal Church. Sout
are the Brazil Mission. China Missile
Cuban Mission, Japan Mission. X,
rean Mission and Central Mexico Mi
sion. Three other conferences a
composed largely OF foreigners-Me
lean Border Mission. Northwest Me
lean Mission and the German Missile
Blu most of h territory of these CO
ferences is IN the United States.
Most Annual Confercuces Have NJ.
All OF the annual conferences e
cept five. have been held for t
year preceding the meeting Of L
General Conference and the renal
ing five will be hefd during t
months OF January. February n,
March. the last one to be held b
ing the baltimore Conference, viii
will ut Baltimore on Mar
the 2Sth. There are fifty-one ANN
conferences In tho church and the
tai number OF delegates elected to re
resent the conference already held
3l6; OF this las are cleri,
land 15S are lay delegates. When
OF the conferences have been held
membership OF the General Conf
ence will have been increased
bout 115 clerical! and Us lay de
gates, making a total OF $50.
Of the ccDncc;ioEal officers of
church. h secretaries Of the varit
departments CT the work Of
church. will attend the General G,
ference" Also. even il they have
been elected members Of the body
til" annual conference OF bic Il
are oembei:. ant HE san.e is !:
81 ~ members OF :hc various tG..
II the church. b;t only those who
elected lCicgat.-- siii have the pi
i-sc Of voting On the Questions
"c,he oeI,re t.:e t-f.e.aI t'oNfere
IUr acticn. NAH. ether prracf
:nd iayMen to the thHrcit xii at
~" Conceal conference as ri<i,
hence - .ct.l 9F4rE -! tstec ~