The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1938-11-03
{. 5. Lewis Returns From
North Miss. Methodist
Conference This Week
Prominent Methodists
Meet At New Albany;
Review Yeor.s Work
By Rev. e. S. Lewis

By Rev. E. S. Lewis
The recent session of the North
Mississippi Methodist Conference was
an event of unusual interest. 1t was
held at New Albany and adjourned
Sunday evening at 4:30. There was
very large attendance Bishop j.
Lloyd Decell of Birmingham was in
charge. Rev. W. r. Lott of Oxford
was the secretary. There were three
gates and large number of visi-
tors.
Preaching services were had every
evening during the conference. DR..
w. B. Selah, pastor Of the st. Johns
church in Memphis. was the guest
preacher and he was a good one.
Great crowds heard him each even
ing. Other distinguished speakers
were present and gave the confer
ence notable addresses. Among the
prominent visitors was DR.. NJ L.
Smith, the new president of Millsaps
College. He is putting new life in
our college. They have now the lar
gest attendance ever in the history
of the institution. More than 500
students are now enrolled and they
are building a dormitory for girls on
the front of the grounds on North
late Street.
Encouraging reports were made of
he work throughout the conference.
There was net growth in member
ship of something like 1000. More
money was raised than during the
previous year and several fine young
nen came up for admission to the
conference. We have every reason
to be proud of our church, of it's
splendid record of work done and of
ne 4'asa II - -'spies = the life of
the state.
Many prominent layracn were IN
attendance upon the conference. Hon.
Thos. L. Bailey of Meridian was a
visitor. Among the lay delegates
was noted J. M. F'orman of India
nola, J. H. Sherrard of Sherrard, John
Kyle of Sardis, Herbert Holmes OF
S. ". Wall of Cleveland,
Judge M. F. Pierce Of Greenwood,
Judge J. G. McGowen of the State
Supreme Court, J. w. Overstreet oil
J. W. Rankin, ]. C. Nc
Amis, E. M. Cochran and dozen
others from Corinth, S. S. Finger
from Ripley, and many others too
numerous to mention. It was great
conference.
New Albany has great church
building. 1t cost about $4,000 and
is out of debt. A number of new
buildings have gone up this year and
it has been year of debt paying.
The orphans home is one of the in
situations freed from debt this year.
The churches at Tchula and Boone
vile, the parsonage at Pickens, and
other parsonages have been cleared
of debt this year. A $1,000 parson-
age is almost completed at Amory.
Every preacher who had served as
much as four years at one place was
given a new charge. Here are some
of the assignments of preachers well
known to Holmes countp people: r.
G. Moore goes to First Church, Wa
ter Valley; r. p. Neblett to Main
Street, Water Valley; S. A. Brown
to Tutwiler; w. B. Baker to Belzoni;
]. j. Baird to Cleveland; ]. T. Nc
Cafferty to Leland; T. E. Gregory TO
Tunica; c. M. Chapman to Ripley;
W. j. Cunningham to Sardis, j. A.
George to Oxford and A. T. Nell
vain to Greenville.
Seven of our pastors died during
the year. We have reorganized the
Brotherhood and fixed it SO that upon
the death of a member the family
will get $500 at once to help pay
funeral expenses. This is a great
and will do a world OF
good. We owe Rev ]. H. Holder
Of West Point great deal for this
new organization.
Rev. s. H. Caffey Of Greenwood is
the new chairman of the board of
education. RevMeliville johnson of
corinth is the new chairman of the
board of missions.
The next conference will be held
in Cleveland.