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man. They go about their work as a man of the
world. They do not have the power of the Holy
Ghost. He quickens and empowers. Obstacles to
him are as if they were not.
By all means we should be careful that we re
ceive him, the Holy Ghost, in all his fullness. Have
we done so? Is there any doubt about it? If
there is, let us not be satisfied until all doubt is
removed, and we can answer an emphatic “yes”
when he knocks.
General Conference of the M. E.
Church South.
The Fifteenth Quadrennial Meeting of the General
Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church
South which is now being held at Birmingham, Ala.,
is attracting both interest and attention from all
denominations.
Bishop Wilson presided at the opening of the
Conference while Dr. Carter of Louisiana led in
prayer. Dr. J. J. Tigert of Nashville, Tenn., was
elected secretary and there was an unusually large
number present. The first evening meeting was so
largely attended that it was difficult to procure even
standing room.
At this meeting Bishop Duncan presided after
the religious introductory services of song and pray
er’ by Bishop Morrison. Governor Jelks of Ala
bama welcomed the Conference to the state. Gov.
Jelks chose his words of welcome with marked
taste and fitness, and when it was remembered that
although not a Georgian, the governor is a
graduate of Mercer University, all Georgians pres
ent naturally felt pleased at the beautiful welcome
given the Conference.
The Address of Bishop Wilson
was a notable feature of the first business session
of the Conference, and every subject which might
come under the consideration of the body was ably
torched on by Bishop Wilson. Every thim v in this
address was of interest and it ; s regretted that space
forbids quotations from it in full. The following
points. however, must be mentioned.
Bishop Wilson spoke of the decrease in local
preachers and on this subject he said:
“In the early days of American Methodism local
preachers were the “rmht arm” of the itinerant
ministry, and without doubt made the marvelous
triumphs of the Church a glorious possibility. It
may be that the policy of subdividing circuits and
multiplying stations, each under the care of a pas
tor. is largely responsible for this decline.
Ten years ago our general minutes reported 6.724
local preachers: today we have only 4.718. a decrease
of 2.006. Whether the office and work of the local
preacher is ever to be restored to former efficiency
may be a matter of grave doubt. If not, we certain
ly should consider how to develop a system of lay
agency.
We find also in many parts of the connection a
desire with which we sympathize, to restore to
the quarterly conference the authority to license
preachers. ’ ’
Under this same head the Young People’s De
partment was given consideration and a number
of recommendations were made regarding the work
of the Epworth League, etc. Woman’s Foreign
Missionary Society was also mentioned fully as
well as the Woman’s Home Missionary Society
while Church Extension and Sunday Schools were
also considered by Bishop Wilson. The Publishing
House of the Church at Nashville, the great Vander
bilt University at that city and the general question
of education as well as the special subject of the
Ministry and Modern Scholarship were each treated
in an able and extensive manner.
It is safe to say that in this address Bishop Wil
son outlined as far as possible the entire work of
the Conference and since the opening of the as
sembly each subject touched on by him came under
consideration. In concluding this remarkable ad
dress. Bishop Wilson said:
“The work is before us, and necessarily is upon
us. A door is never opened without a command
to enter. Into every whitened field the Lord calls
both reaper and gleaner. “Go ye into all the
The Golden Age for May 17, 1906.
world” is the standing order of Heaven, never to
be revoked until the last conquered banner has been
furled, and the last lost sinner redeemed. To us.
as in the olden time, a voice from Heaven speaks
in tones of divine authority and urgency: “Sanc
tify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do won
ders among you.”
The question of extending the time limit of Meth
odist pastors was given much attention by the Con
ference both in committee and general session. A
recommendation of extending the time to six years
and also of abolishing the time limit altogether was
considered, but both questions met with more or
less opposition and the subject was not decided as
we go to press.
x Missionary Exhibit.
A splendid missionary exhibit was shown at Bir
mingham and so varied, extensive and educational
did this exhibit prove that it was moved to retain
the collection as a whole and make a permanent
exhibit at Nashville, Tenn. This point, however, is
not yet decided on.
Greetings to the Southern Baptist Convention.
On Thursday, May 11, the Conference sent the
following greeting to the Southern Baptist Con
vention in session at Chattanooga:
“The General Conference of the Methodist Epis
copal Church, South, sends greeting to the South
ern Baptist Convention. The grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ be with you.
“j. J. TIGERT, Secretary.”
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B. P. ALLEN,
Presiding Elder LaGrange District, North Georgia Conference.
One of the features of the Convention was the
presence in the chair during the eighth day’s session
of the venerable Bishop John C. Granbery, of
Richmond. His arrival made a total of eleven
bishops present at the Conference.
Committee Reports.
The various committee reports made up to date
are as follows:
A committee of physicians submitted to the con
ference a resolution adopted by the Medical Asso
ciation of Alabama opposing the insertion of cer
tain medical advertisements in religious papers.
The Church Extension Committee reported favor
ably on the proposition to erect a representative
church building at Washington city. The Sunday
School Committee made suggestions for numerous
changes in the Discipline and also made provision
for the endowment of a chair of religious pedagogy
and Sunday school at Vanderbilt University, Nash
ville.
The Committee of Appeals reversed the decision
of the North Georgia Conference suspending Rev.
W. W. Wadsworth.
The Committee on Missions has recommended the
creation of a Home Missionary Bishop, and G. H.
Detwiler, of Greensboro, N. C., is favorably spoken
of for the place.
The Committee on Temperance recommended the
amendment of the discipline so as to prohibit a mem
ber of the church from acting as liquor dispenser
under a dispensary law. The report provides that
it shall be the duty of a pastor to deal with any
member of the church who shall sign a petition for
the sale of liquor or become a bondsman for a liquor
dealer. This proposed law does not apply to any
person acting under court decrees. The same com
mittee reported a resolution calling on the President
and Congress to prohibit the manufacture and sale
of liquor in the Panama canal zone.
The following summary made by that able mem
ber of the Conference, Bishop Galloway, of Missis
sippi, will be of interest not only to Methodists, but
to all who are anxious for the spread of every me
dium which carries the Light:
“The increase in membership during the last
four years was 109,427, against 38,085 during the
preceding four. We have now 1,614,648 members,
1,039,785 Sunday school scholars, and 120,248 Ep
worth League members. The receipts of our Board
of Foreign Missions for this quadrennium were sl,-
659,941, an increase over the preceding four years
of $645,673. The collections for church extension
were $372,649, an increase of 112,833, over the quad
rennium ending in 1902. During the past year the
Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society received
$155,909, and the Woman’s Home Mission Society,
$101,728. If these amounts be added to the receipts
by the general and annual conference boards, we
have a total, for home and foreign missions during
the year now closing of $955,779.”
Love’s Wish.
When life has sunk into the golden West
Os love’s last day, and we greet earth no more,
When we, like fledglings, seek our soul’s sweet nest,
When all love’s visions and fair dreams are o’er,
I fain would fashion one fond hope for thee,
Dear heart, whom ever I may call my bride:
When death shall lead us to eternity,
May we go smiling homeward side by side.
I fain would have thee then, dear heart,
As forth we fare to seek our soul’s last clime,
Where mortal loves take the immortal part,
And there’s no shadow of uncertain time,
Come to me in thy spirit’s new-found form,
And speak to me in the soft tones which blend
With heaven’s language, love as true and warm
As now you give me on the way we wend.
And when we reach the land our souls have dreamed
Awaits us far in some Arcadian sphere,
And ere we pass the gates through which have
teemed
God’s faithful ones, then may you, drawing near,
Plant love’s last kiss upon my waiting brow,
And say to me in accents angel-sweet:
“No shadow e’er hath intervened ’till now
’Tween me and thee and the great God we meet.”
—Arthur L. Hardy.
Eleven Thousand Conversions.
Among all the multiplied religious and mission
ary organizations of our land, the veteran Ameri
can Sunday School Union (organized in 1824).,
merits the help and good will of all who are inter
ested in the children. The eighty-second year’s
work, ending February 28, 1906, shows a wonderful
amount of labor and results. Its missionaries have
opened 2,641 Sunday Schools and brought in 94,-
988 children and parents, aided by visit or other
wise, 3,527 schools; opened, 42 Home Department
classes, enrolling 2,055 persons for Bible study; dis
tributed 21.434 copies of the Scriptures. 268,939
visits were made to families; 464 Christian Endeav
or Societies were formed; 25.703 Gospel sermons
and addresses were delivered and 11,344 professed
conversions in the Gospel meetings from these Sun
day Schools.
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