Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-08-19
M. {. CONFERENCE
At CENTERv|LLE
BISHOP STUNTZ TO PRESIDE
OTHER NoTABLEs TO BE
PRESENT.

SeuleINllle, aug. l(-Ine Iowa an
nual conference of the Methodist
CHURCH will convene in Centeryille
Wednesday, Sept. 1, for the first time
since 1880. 1t will be presided over
by Bishop Homer c. Stuntz, an Iowa
man, elected bishop at the last gener-
al conference, the only man to secure
election on the first ballot He now
has charge of the South American field
but Is home for few months and was
assigned this conference to relieve
Bishop F. M. Bristol, who is in poor
health.
Many leading men Of the church will
be here to present their causes, such
as Clarence True Wilson on Tuesday
night, general secretary of the temper
ance society," DR.. Freeman D. Bovard,
corresponding secretary of the church
extension society on Wednesday night,
DR.. VIM. S. Bovard Of the board of
Sunday schools, Thursday night; DIR.
J. F. Ream of the board of education,
Friday night; Prof. j. B. e. Shaw, rep
resenting the Freedman's Aid, Satur-
day night, and WILDER F. Sheridan,
representing the Epworth league, Sun
day night. Bishop Stuntz will deliver
several short addresses, the Sunday
morning sermon, and the missionary
address Sunday night. One of the
special features this year will be a
series of o'clock talks on rural econ
omics by state university extension
department representatives.
The final session will be Monday,
Sept 6, when the pastors from the
$50 Methodist charges in southeastern
Iowa will be assigned to their appoint
ments for the coming year. These ap-
pointments will be made by the bishop,
who will have the advice of. the four
Gilbert Of the Muscatine district, Rev.
c. L. Tenant of the Burlington dis
trict; Rev. G. l.. Minear of the Oska-
loosa district, and Rev. E. j. Shook, Of
the Ottumwa district.
The Centerville church has made
special preparations for the confer
ence. AS the Sunday school has
grown to an attendance of above 500
more room was needed and the base
ment has been remodeled, steam heat
from the city plant installed, and the
interior decorated, at cost of about
$4,000. The church was built in 1906
at cost of $4,000. improvements
since make it 100000 property. =
Besides the $50 active ministers
there will be many retired from active
service present This is the year for
electing delegates to the next general
conference to convene at Saratoga
Springs in May, 1916. This necessi-
tates the assembling of the lay cleo
toral conference to elect he four lay
delegates to accompany TIE four min
isterial from the conferences. The
Centerville church presents a candi-
date for one of these position in J. M.
Beck, editor of the Centerville Ioweg-
ial, who was elected for the 1912 gen.
eral conference and is commended for
reelection. The lay electoral confer
ence convenes Friday, Sept at 10:30
and on adjournment Of its afternoon
session the Laymen's association will
and remain in session till
Saturday afternoon Many topics of
interest to laymen will be discussed.
The lay electoral conference Will be
called to order by its former secre-
tary, e. L. Stickney of Moulton, and
the laymen's association will be pre-
sided over by 8. A. Power Of Fairfield,
as president, and A. N. Jarvis of Bur
lington, as secretary. Topics on the
lay association program are all on
vital problems Of the day and it is ex-
pected large number of laymen will
attend.