The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-25
nETH0D|STS GATHER
At LAUREL HILL
Annual Session Of Richmond District
Conference Begins Amid Pleas
ing Rural Scenes.
REPORTS ARE ENCOURAGING
Presiding Elder Appoints Committees.
Land Adjoining Centenary Church
to be Occupied by Publish
Ing House.
Bx ". NJ RICKERS.

BY w. NJ. BICKERS.
Laurel Hill Methodist church, about
Ave miles West of Richmond, in Hem
rico county, is spacious. well furn-
ished rural temple of the old orthodox
order and situated on an. eminence
surrounded by tall pines and oaks
and fragrant with the aroma of a
labyrinth of laurel and honeysuckle.
Thither Methodist went up yesterday
TO the Richmond District Conference.
The ministers. lay delegates and visi-
tors filled the church and the sanctu-
airy was vocal with the old spiritual
sons. prayers. and the Methodistic
s'Amen."
An attentive reception committee
welcomed the visitors and the charm
ing hospitality OF the hostess church
folk added greatly in making the oc-
casion a day of genuine Joy.
Presiding Elder r. HI. Potts pre-
sided with his wonted grace and dig
nifty and Rev. r. NJ. White made a
model secretary. The body was
called TO order about $3.50 and the
opening hymn Charles wesleys "A
charge to keep i ha"e"D was sung as
it only can be sung by Methodist
conference. The Scriptural lesson was
the 18th chapter Of Romans. DR..
Graham Lambeth led the opening
prayer and then Come Thou Fount
OF Every Blessing" was sung. fol-
wed by the election OF secretary.
designating the bar OF the conference.
re-, call and the fixing OF the hour of
meeting as follows: Meet at $3.50 A.
M; preaching at noon; recess at I
r. NJ to ESQ ?. NJ. and adjournment
at will.
The presiding elder announced the
commit tees Following are the chair
men: On spiritual state of the
a
schools, J. II. Montgomery: Epworth
league. r. V. Proctor: American Bible
society. H. c. Pfifer; temperance. F..
ID, Davis: financial plans, s. r. Jones;
education. d. II. Kelley: orphanage,
j. Z. Kelley. church extension. r. NJ.
a,axey: quarterly conference reports,
H. r. MolIart; evangelism. J. r.
Carey.
The reports of the several pastoral
charges were very interesting and
showed progress all along the line.
Brief. pungent remarks were made by
at least twenty lay delegates. supple
meniing the pastoral reports,
Rev. j. $. Hunter, field secretary of
the conference and repr sentative of
thu Methodist publishing house. spoke
Interestingly OF the success of the
Richmond branch. which has been
more proftably conducted than either
las.
Rev. T. A. Smoot, pastor OF Gen.
tenary church, told OF the purchase Of
property on either side of the church
on Grace street. one for church drive
and the other for the erection of a
large and modern Southern Metho
dist publishing house.
One brother called attention of the
conference to the fact tina, tt,e .soon-
ference bar" space was occupied ex-
clusively by men folks" but pointed
cut thai woman has now come into
her own in church work.
A lay delegate sounded the note for
more distinctive Methodist doctrine
proclamation. but hoped the church
would never be less catholic. He was
glad. he said. that his pastor
breaches Mcthodism.
The Centenary drive reports showed
every church over the top and a gem
eral awakening OF interest in all
church enterprises. All the churches
seem TO have caught the vision of 4
new day, Great growth of.the .tithers'
league" was also reported.
After the singing OF Jesus, Lover
of My Soul" and the benediction, there
was a short recess and upon reassem-
bling there was great volume OF song
as In the Cross of Christ l Glory"
was sung with spirit. Prayer was Of
fered by DR. Pfifer. Rev. c. Wesley
Jones. pastor of Monument church,
preached the opening sermon of the
conference from the text Mark S:36.
Later the conference recessed to par
take of the nice dinner prepared by
the members of Laurel Hill congrega-
ton and served in a lovely grove. The
adde's in charge set ont great pro-
fusion of edibies which were greatly
reiished
Afternoon Session.
The conference reconvened at $50.
DR. ID. T. Merritt conducted the devo-
tional exercises. The Sunday school
departmental work was taken UP and
the entire time of the session given to
the reading and discussion of reports
and papers relative to this subject.
Among the unique and forceful ad-
dresses were those by Miss Ethel
Smithers, Miss Eva Branch and Mrs
Coleman, departmental officers in the
conference Sunday school work Their
recommendations met with favor.
The report of the committee OF
which ]. II. Montgomery is chairman
was progressive and met with approval
except as to clause 4. which recon-
mended that the church budget pro-
vide for necessary aid to proper Sun
day school maintenance, This clause
was eliminated after lively discussion
and the report.was then adopted
Rev. r. NJ. Maxey and Prof. ]. H.
Rowe got into spirited debate rela-
tive to the grown folks and the chill
dren" question. They agreed that the
Sunday schools fostering care of chill
dren would not be conducive to spirit
ual growth"
Professor Rowes argument pro-
ceeded on the premises that the de-
velopment of spirituality to the ideal
Of Christ's sermon on the mount must
cpme from the growth OF children into
that idealism. which would be of
greater spiritual force than that ex-
erted by the adult converts. Or. Black
well and others were drawn into the
discussion, which was animated but in
fine spirit, and eventually all hands
agreed.
At o'clock the conference ad-
journed with the benediction by DR..
Smoot. and will meet at $3.50 this
morning.