Evening star., 1923-04-03
METHOD|STS MEET
/ IN 18TH SESSION
Norfolk Makes Strong Bid to
Baltimore Conference
for College.
Special Dispatch TO The Star.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
ROANOKE, Va, April 3.-Delegates
from many parts of Maryland and the
District of Columbia began arriving
here today to take part in the OPEN
ing session tonight OF the l3sth an
nual meeting of the Baltimore Metho-
dist, conference.
One OF the principal matters to be
taken up at the opening session Will
be the advisa bility of moving the
Randolph Macon College, a Methodist
school. from Ashland TO Norfolk. Citi-
Gems of Norfolk have offered approx
mately one million dollars TO the
church In order to have the college
moved to that city.
New Charges Likely.
Several ministers of the Methodist
denomination of this city have re-
NAMED their allotted time with
churches here and are expected to be
cha sea this Tn Teey
End Methodist Church. the Rev: ]. J.
Rives OF Trinity Methodist Church
and the Rev. G. D. White of Mt. Olivet
Church of Fairview.
Under the leadership OF the Rev:
Mr.. Wheeler. the congregation OF
West End Methodist Church has
erected a new church building and
increased its membership from Sos
to sos. In addition the membership
has raised nearly $4,000, which was
contributed to all phases Of the
church activities.
The Rev. ]. J. Rives at Trinity
Methodist Church also has made re-
markable strides in his church. The
membership Of the church has grown
nearly too large for the present
church building and new Sunday
school department has been built.
Both ministers have won for them
selves a name in the city because OF
their social activities that will long
be remembered by the citizens OF
Roanoke.
Conference Opens Tonight.
A sermon by the Rev. r. L. Fultz
OF Clifton Forge will open the con-
ference tonight The first business
session will open tomorrow morning
at o'clock, with Bishop w. A. Can
dler of Atlanta presiding. The nrst
session will be practically all taken
Up with reports of preachers and pre-.
close next Monday night
In the Baltimore conference are
eight districts with 6s6 churches; in
The Roanoke district there are sew
enty churches.
In the immediate vicinity there are
ten churches, eight in Roanoke and
one each in Salem and Vinton. The
eight churches in Roanoke have 8
nsm 0erShip or b,bbS ana dQQlnS the
1880 members of the Salem and Vim
ton Methodist churches makes the to-
tai of 7,949. In the past year the ten
churches have increased in member
ship by 1893, Roanoke churches adding
723 to the number, Vinton fifty and
Salem twenty-five.
Sunday school Membership.
The Sunday school membership of
the ten churches is approXimat ely
1906, Roanoke contributing 5.s92,
Ninton 512 and Salem 625. In all of
the churches are several leagues and
missionary societies with membership
lists running up in the hundreds.
Practically the same number of peo-
pie belong to the Sunday school in
the churches as to the churches them
selves.
Within the past year the Methodist
churches in Roanoke have raised for
All purposes approximately slS0.077
cash. Adding the $4,000 OF the vinton
Church and the $4,000 OF the Salem
Church brings the amount raised to
the total of S174.077. This amount
was the actual cash raised in the
churches. Pledges amounting to
thousands of dollars for church con-
struction and other needs were made.
Each person in the churches accord
ing to the membership gave just an
average of S2227 during the year or
approximately $1.86 month or about
cents each day.