The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-01
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS


 wish to congratulate Pastor NJ. E. Lag eiby. the host of the Alabama confer ence and the Lafayette Street church on
 the way in which the visitors and the delegates to the Alabama Methodist con- ference are being handled And also to make mention of the arrangements made for the various committees
 Rooms have been assigned and marked so that there is no confusion. Writing tables with stationery are placed in the basement. There is typewriter for ! those who use machine. But the big [ gest innovation is a directory of the del- egates and visitors, giving the names of the homes and the street numbers ! of those entertaining them, thereby rnak- ing it easy to locate anyone on short notice The Lafayette Street church de- serves the name it likes to be known by, "A home-like Church."
 Dr. J. D. Simpson, pastor Of the Athens Methodist church, a member of the north Alabama conference, was honored by be- ing put up to preach on Wednesday aft ernoon at 3 o'clock. He upheld the rep utation of his conference for having host of great preachers. He, however, Is no stranger in the Alabama conference, having joined it at Mobile in 1878, when 1t was presided over by Bishop Kava- naugh, who was then in his eightieth year. He joined the north Alabama con- ference in 1883. when 1t met in Brning- ,oy, 1.,, T,s~ McTyeire, the man who was instrumental in establishing Vanderbilt university at Nashville, and who lived there during my stay at the university. l remember we'll his towering personality.
 I have heard a number speak of Dr. Frank Culver, one time pastor of the Eleventh Avenue Methodist church. and one of the strong men in the denomina- tion, who transferred to Texas. There was general pleasure among his many Alabama admirers that he again will lead his delegation to the general con ference in Atlanta in May, 1918. Dr. A. L. Andrews, formerly of Selma, so re- port says, is doing a great work in the First Methodist church, Houston pr. Hoyt Dobbs has also made name for himself as scholar and a progressive educator at Dallas, where he is dean of the theological department of the South ;, ern Methodist university, which was founded when Vanderbilt was lost to the Methodists.
 1t was a matter of pride to Alabama Methodists to know that Alabama men were making such a good impression in there are two conferences in Alabama. reckon they would open their eyes if they lived in the Lone Star state, for it has five. It will be seen by this that Bishop Mccoy has no easy job, for Texas fell to his lot in the assignment of bishops. Much sympathy is expressed here for Bishop Mouzon of Texas, who recently lost his wife. He is one of the bishops elected when the general conference met at Asheville.
 The Southern University at Greens boro, and the question of it's consolida- tion with the Birmingham college, and the likelihood of a very warm debate, calls to mind that Dr. c. A. Rush, who resigned the presidency of the Greens boro institution last summer, and was later appointed pastor at Opelika, lis grandson of the famous and ilustrious Bishop J. o. Andrew, who was the cause nf n 0r1 c1,f rv,io ot Al Methodism into northern and southern branches; all because he married a a lovely young woman who was the owner of slaves. Now, after more than half century, unification is one of the liveliest topics before the two great Methodist bodies. I have read a ream for and against it, but as no one has asked my advice. I am going to let them settle 1t as best they may among themselves. An outsider always gets the hot end when he buts in on a family row.
 I learned something down here that interested me greatly. It seems that the denominational or church papers of northern Methodists are owned and op- erated by the conferences. The general organs are controlled by the general con ference and the editors are elected by the conference It appears that these papers have been operated at a great financial loss, the total each year run ming into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Here the Alabama Christian Ad- vocate is controlled by committee of six, appointed from the two conferences. and this committee as whole selects the editor, who is appointed by the bishop. It was pleasant to hear the many good things said about my friend Branscomb, the editor and about the live paper he is getting out I know full well that he has a mans size job to keep the peace between two confer ences, in not giving one more space than the other, but this is easy in com parison to the task he has of making the Advocate pay it's way. I have had 16 years experience in running denom- national paper and I know the difficult ties, and I hope the Methodists will give their editor their full spport. He de- serves 1t and it will make 1t easier for the church to get the ear of the people. cAmlElaMd@On1eH