The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-11-08
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
A GREAT AFFAIR
Peculiar Interest to Methodists and
Differs Greatly From Other
Denominations
Anderson Mail. 31st.

Anderson Mail, 31st.
The approaching session of the Up
per South Carolina annual confer
ence of the Methodist Episcopal
church, south, for this section, which
meets at Lancaster, November 2, ere
ates peculiar interest IN the gather
ing, for Methodists, it IS SAID, differ
greatly from other denominations in
the administration Of the affairs of
their church.
The annual conference is great
time for Mr.. and Mrs. Methodist, and
for Brother Preacher and Wife 1t is
the big event of the year. Their IN
terest is contagious, and when the
open season for Methodist conferenc-
es is on the general pubiic begins to
register interest and the terms bishop,
presiding elder, pastor and appoint
ment, take on new meaning.
An annual conference meeting is
considered good for The morale OF
any community. If the conference
is to meet in a small town, the gather
ing is the principal topic of converse
tfon for weeks beforehand, and the
entire community seeks to do honor
to the occasion. Such cleaning up
as goes or! Back yards as we'll as
front yards are moved and raked; the
city fathers get busy; that pile OF
barrels which has stood on the cor
ner of the public square undisturoed
for so long is hustled out of the way;
favorite recipes are exchanged ana
housekeepers vie with each other IN
the matter of window washing, new
draperies, rugs and general cleaning.
Small boys tell big tales to the village
cooks about the bishop who is coming
and how-she will swallow the ham
whole, while yehow-legged chickens
run for tall timber. Figuratively
speaking, every lamp is trimmed and
burning, and the whole town is eager
to welcome the knights of the sadSle-
bags.
Eventful Day Dawns
The eventful day dawns; trains are
met and the entertainment commit
tee assigns the homes. It is the style
now to give the country preacher the
best home in town, while the city par
son goes to the little home on the
outskirts and gets to church the best
way he can. The idea back of this
plan is. to give all parties a chance
to see the other side:
Here they come, nearly two hun
dred of them, brushed, shined and
shaved whitman inch of their lives.
There is the bishop, the presiding cid
ers are easily identified; that fine
bunch of youngsters are the under
graduates-a little later they will re-
port as the "class of, the first year,
"class of the second year" and some
will be gathered within the elect cir
Gle known as admitted into full con-
nection.. Some of the brethren have
brought their wives and there is quite
sprinkhng of parsonage children.
All, sshere comes the bride" y,
there's always bride at a Methodist
conference! Sometimes she's young
wife whose wedding trip takes the
form of attending her first annual
conference, often she is the second
wife of clerical nochinvar who has
been earnest in fulfilling the scriptur-
al injunction to comfort "those wild
ows.'s She. may run to style or be one
of the mees kand lowly kind after the
ideas of ST Paul; but the bride is al
ways among those present at confer
ence time. And however much she
may strive to keep her'mind on things
celestial, one knows that deep down
in her heart she's praying that the
ability of her own particular preacher
will be recognized and that he'll get
good appointment.
Five days are generally allotted for
the business Of an anual conference,
although modern efficiency is speed
ing things up, cutting out some Of the
preaching and dispatching business
in short order. The evening before
conference is officially launched, the
opening sermon is preached. Some
times this sermon marks the semicen-
tennial of one of the older members,
and when this is the case it is apt to
be a weepy occasion, punctuated by
frequent and fervid Amens.
Although the modern suit case and
Boston bag have superseded the an
cient saddlebags; and 1ong-tailed coats
have passed the heyday of their pop
MA ritv IN oil its essential elements