Thirty Years in the Itinerancy — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Thirty Years in the Itinerancy
John Stuart Mill · en
At the close of the Conference we returned to Janesville for a second
year. There still being no Parsonage I purchased a residence, thereby
securing a pleasant home. The plan of supplying outside appointments was
continued during the summer, and in some instances Sunday Schools were
also opened. The religious interest continued, and the Church was filled
with people. At the expiration of their probation one hundred of the
converts were received into full membership, and, in the following fall
and winter, many others. During the winter a revival again visited the
charge, which greatly strengthened the converts of the previous year,
and added to their number. The two years spent in Janesville to us were
exceedingly pleasant, and gave us a goodly number of life-long friends.
The Sunday School had become very prosperous, the charge was now out of
debt, and the finances self-supporting. And more than all, we left a
united and happy people.
Janesville has since enjoyed her full share of able and successful
Pastors. Several years ago, she divided into two bands, and has now two
good Churches, two good congregations, and two able Ministers.
CHAPTER XIX.
Conference of 1859.--Presiding Elder.--Milwaukee
District.--Residence.--District Parsonage.-Visits to Charges.--Spring
Street.--Asbury.--Rev. A.C. Manwell.--Brookfield.--West
Granville.--Wauwatosa.--Rev. J.P. Roe.--Waukesha.--Rev. Wesley
Lattin,--Oconomowoc.--Rev. A.C. Pennock.--Rev. Job B. Mills.--Hart
Prairie.--Rev. Delos Hale.--Watertown. Rev. David Brooks.--Rev. A.C.
Huntley.--Brookfield Camp-Meeting.
The next Conference session was held April 20th, 1859, at Sheboygan
Falls. The excellent Bishop Baker presided, and I was again elected
Secretary. It was at this Conference the trial of Rev. J. W. Wood was
had. He had been the Presiding Elder of the Janesville District, but,
having obtained a divorce from his wife on the ground of desertion,
instead of the one cause named in the New Testament, and married
another, he had been suspended during the year. The trial resulted in
his expulsion. The case was carried to the next General Conference on
Appeal, and that body sustained the action taken by the Conference.
The disability thus hanging over the Presiding Elder of the Janesville
District, rendered it necessary that some one should be appointed to
represent the District in the Cabinet. The Bishop appointed me to this
duty, thus imposing severe labor for the session. Since I was appointed
to represent the District at the Conference, it was generally supposed
that I would be continued the following year, my term having expired at
Janesville. But on the contrary, I was assigned to the Milwaukee
District.
This arrangement made Waukesha my place of residence, as the Milwaukee
District had erected at this village a District Parsonage. The
inevitable concomitant of the Itinerancy, the moving season, passed in
the ordinary course of events, and left us comfortably located in
our new home.