The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-03-08
Bishop Atkins Tells OF Church Mission Needs And
 Opportunity For SerUice
Leaders of Methodist Missionary Centenary Discuss Plans of Coming Campaign-$1, ,5OOO00 Pledge of North Alabama Conference-Many Leaders of
 Movement Attend Dinner Last Night

paign director, presided. Reports were made by the representatives of various church organizations, the chairmen ol the centenary committees, and the pre- siding elders, a number of these repre- sentatives being called on Tor prleA speeches. The message brought by those men and women were most encouraslhS in that they reported the work well or ganized and the Methodist people rally ing to the enterprise as to no preNlous campaign in the churchs history Dr. Frank Willis Barnett of Birmingham and Dr. Hoyt NJ. Dobbs, formerly of BIT, mingkam, and now dean of the schooi of theology of Southern Methodist uni versity, Dallas, Tex, were visitors, "h' spoke to the conference.
 SERVICE TO EUROPE
 The principal address of the evening was by Bishop Atkins, who gave sone accounts of his observation in frahce and elsewhere in Europe, the needs or the people of those lands, and the great opportunities for service to Europe that the church-in the United States now has, opportunities to minister both TO material and spiritual needs
 Bishop Atkins said: What EuroPs needs above all else is moral character The war has left many sections oeso- late, but Europe will recover It's losses and again come to it's former hnanclai and material strength. Its people neeo help in this work of reconstr uc'loh' ~, such help as we can give, but the church must carry to them something more than material aid'
 The bishop declared that one who hau not seen the war districts Of trahce and Belgium could not have any con ception of the desolation Of those regions. He told of some of the pat tlefields visited and declared that from what he had seen and heard he did not hesitate to declare that there had been no eXaggeration of German atrocltles'
 OUT-OF-TOWN VISITORS
 Among the out-of-town visitors at the meeting were the following pre- siding elders: Rev. w. B. Hope, All bertville; Rev. S. L. Dobbs, Gadsden; Rev. J. B. Cumming, Florence; Rev R. W. Anderson, Sylacauga; Rev. John R. Turner, Talladega; Rev. w. E. Faust, Tuscaloosa. There were present also the presiding elders of the Birmingham and Bessemer districts, Rev Robert Echols and Rev. G. E. Boyd, and other ministers in attendance were: Rev. J. A. J. Brock, Roanoke; Rev. J. D. Simp- son. Woodlawn, Rev. J. c. Persinger, Ensley; Rev l.. c. Branscomb, editor of the Alabama Christian Advocate; Rev. J. M McCleskey, Avondale; Rev. R. NJ. Archibald and Rev. Foster h' Gamble, conference missionary secre- taries; Rev. J. S. Chadwick, conference Sunday school field secretary, Rev. h. F. Stansell, Bessemer Of the laymen from outside of the Birmingham and Besse- mer districts were: MT. A. G. Patterson, Albany; MT. J. s. Wadsworth, Gadsden; MT. Paul s. Haley, Oakman; MT. w. 5. Porter, field director of the centenary campaign for Alabama. Some 20 or more of the laymen of the Birmingham and Bessemer districts, together With number of the representatives of the women's missionary societies of the two districts, prominent Methodist women of Birmingham and vicinity were pres ent. It was gathering of church peo- pie who have part in big task and who are confident of success.