Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-03-17
METHODIST MATTERS.

Tho Glory and Strength OF the Church.
The Methodist Episcopal church reports
for 1882 a net gain of nearly IS, 900 mem
bers and probationers. The magnificent
total is now 1,74S, ,O21, of whom Ia, ,S4
are probationers and 1,572, 1T members.
The net gain in probationers is 16,0SG
in members 1887. The number of
deaths was 22.377. There are 49,
152 churches, gain of 256. valued at
$65, 467, ,0S2, a loss Of $745,619. Of tho
travelling preachers. III died; 116 "lo-
Gated" as against 43 in 1881: 1, 337 are On
trial /, ,432 are classed as superannuated,
and 913 are supernumerary, leaving S,675
ranked as effective" There is decrease
of 235 in the effective list, and
of 1914 in the whole liss in conference,
not including those on trial and
those located. Of local preachers there
are II, ,697, a decrease of 295. Tho Sun
day schools, 1901 in number, have de
creased by 1O6, but there is a gain of 81
351 in scholars, the total being 1928, 35S.
The annual conferences now number ~,
besides IA missions. In the finances of
the church there has been an increase
in every term save one, the cOllec.
tion for the Sunday school union. There
was raised for missions $624, 1876, besides
$107, ,672 collected by the w. F. NJ s.; for
church extension, s110, 900; tract society,
SIS, 800 Sunday school union, $16, 991 /;
Freedmen's aid society, $50, ,SOS educa-
tion, $49,0 ,039; American Bible society,
s22, 200 for ministerial support, &c, $685.
$50 conference claimants, s167, ,693 cur
rent expenses, Sunday schools, 81, S47, ,596.
"Reminiscences OF I3oehn.
Lancaster Inquirer.
1t is stated that this is the first time
that the Philadelphia conference ever met
in court house, but this is not the fact,
for in 1905, the conference covened in
Chestertown, Nd, in the court house."
And there it was that Rev. Henry
Boehm, the great Lancaster county
Methodist preacher, was ordained deacon.
He was mainly instrumental in forming
the first Methodist congregation in this
city. That was lust rs years ago. eft
was very hard soil for Methodism," he
says. Worried by the ill success of his
endeavOrs he was one evening walking
along the street when he met woman
who told him that Philip Benedict was
seeking the Lord and needed guidance.
He went to Benedict's house and the result
was the formation of class of six. Two
years later, in 1909, sufficient congrega-
tiOn had arisen for the erection of place
of worship. Such was the beginning of
Methodism in Lancaster.
The Methodist meeting house built in
Lancaster county, was erected on his faith
er's land, about one mile below Willow
street,in Pequa township in the year 1891
and to this day it is knownas " Boehm's
chapel"
"Tell you something about Henry
Boehm?" said member of the confer
ence. "Well here's an anecdote which
they say he was guilty of: On one oc.
casion he changed his mode of delivery to
a more subdued style, and gave this as his
reason: When was young l thought it
was the thunder that killed the people {;
but when grew wiser discovered that it
was the Gghtning-so have determined
to thunder less and tighten moro"
The migratory nature of the Methodist
church preachers calling occasions, even
at this day when modern wit and wisdom
have done so much for human comfort,
many hardships, but the earlier Metho.
dist preachers most literally earned
their bread by the sweat of their brow" "
Mr.. Boehm tells that on one occasion,
while travelling in gig through the hills
| of Northumberland, "nO bones were
broken and yet the flesh was torn from
my left leg so that l. was cripple for
months. I suffered more than if it had
been broken. Riding on horse with that
poor leg, NO language can decribe my suf.
fering."