The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-04
ME ETHOD|STS FILL
 DISTRICT PULPITS
Announcement Of Assign mentS Chief Event Remain
 ing Before Conference
ExsLEY BUREAU THE AGE-HERALD

Ensley, Ala, Nov.
 Messages of Methodisn- will go from every Protestant pupit in the Birmingham- -Eessemer district Sun day. With these assignments filled the forty-fourth annual session of the North Alabama Methodist con- ference will have come practically to an end. There remains short ses- sion of the conference Monday morn ing.
 The most interesting feature of the conference Is the announcement of assignments for the next year These announcements will not be made by Bishop Candler urtil Monday. In tho meantime the Methodist ministers are on pins as to where they will be sent or what kind of people they will be asked to minister unto. Some of them have their earthly treasures packed awaiting the announcement about which no one knows except Bishop Candler and the 13 elders who com pose his cabinet. They will tell noth- ing of the sssignm rents. This has been brought to pass by the frank intiu.ation of Bishop Candler to the broad general effect that any elder that breaks the seal of silence placed on the assignments would be found unworthy to be an elder and would automatically transfer himself to a less dignified field of activity. Hence the inability of anyone to say what will be done with the 450 preachers attending the conference.
 There are reasons to believe from political standpoint that several of the leading ministers in the Birming ham district will not be n-olested Bishop Candler would suggest that 1t were impertinent even to say this. However, it is thought that Rev. Rev Keener Matthews. Rev. Ben Waites, Rev. William Mansfield, Rev w. P. Guthrie of Vivian and others In this district will not be changed for the present. This also applies to Rev. Thad Mcdonald at Fairfield.
 CandIer At EnsIey.
 The center of interest of thes con ference Sunday will be at the First Methodist church in Ensley where Bishop Warren Candler will preach That announcement alone is believed sufficient to crowd the church to the dors, but when it is added that the bishop will ordain several dea cons following his sermon, one is justified in getting to church early if he wants a seat. The ordination service for deacons as set out in the book of instruction is an inter esting ceremony, to which will be added the wol ds of Bishop Candler, in an eXhortation which will no doubt be entirely worth hearing. The presiding bishop has a way of say ing things and a vocabulary of eX pressions that is rarely equaled in this section of the country.
 Those to be ordained deacons will include O. K. Lamb, B. J. Hodge J. F. Sparks and H. E. Wright, that 'iaNe served the prescribed number of years in the conference.
 At the churches in Ensley sermons will be delivered by visiting preach CTS and this is true of the other churches throughout the Birming ham, Bessemer district
 Saturday night the anniversary of the Epworth league was held by the conference. The program arranged was interesting, reviewing as it did during the past year. The league has an outstanding place in the or ganization of Methodist churches and has contributed with singular devo- tion to the upbuilding and opera tion of church activities. The min isters and lavmen indicated that the work of the Epworth league was one of vital concern to the church and gave every evidence of being in- terested in all of the work done and the announcements of it's ambitions for the future.
 day morning session was an i'm, promptu sermon by Bishop Candler, who delivered a forceful sermon to the conference. The subject was not generally known and the extempo- raneous effort, while interesting, was none the less a surprise, being un- recorded on the official program.
 Following he,talk of Bishop Cand- Ter the following young men were ad- mitted to the conference on trial. They are to remain two years and then be ordained deacons. Another two years and they are made elders or ministers, provided they shall have taken up the courses of study designated by the conference.
 O O O
 To Be Ordcined Elders.
 Elected to be ordained elders: John William Archer, John Clifton Draper, James Hiram Harris. Richard Ever ett Meigs, John Lee Williamson, James Wilson Syler.
 Admitted on trial: James Newman Floyd. Frank Thomas Smith, Robert Mrs. J. H. Grove; reader, Mrs Esau Harpis Dance of Machre" est. Saens); piano, Mrs. Hugh McEniry; reader. Mrs. c. B. Lytle. Moonlight Sono+aD (RaathoVen): nianO Mrs C,