Smyrna times., 1886-12-08

Three more months That is how long a |
score of Methodist ministers of the Will |
mngtOn Conference will stay with their
present charges.
The ministers whose three years pasto-
rates are expiring are the Revs. E. l.. Hub
bard and B. F. Price, of Wilmington and the
Revs. 1. N. Foreman of Nassau; j. ID. &.
Hanna, of Deal Island; j. w. Hammers
ly, of Bellevue; George f. Hopkins, of
Hurlocks; T. f, Martindale, of Dover; f.
G. McSOrley, of Laurel; a. F. Melvin, of
Bethel; E. II. Miller, of Sparptown; +. II.
Nelson, of Newport T. a. II. o. Brien, of
Chesapeake City, w. J. ONeil, of
Church Hill; j. B. Quigg, of Smyrna;
William B. Walton, of Salisbury; William
NJ. Warner, of Wyoming, and w. w. w.
Wilson, of Crisfeld.
Already states are being fixed and the
work will continue until March. 1t is a
settled fact that the Rev. Z. L. Hubbard
will go to New Castle, the Rev T. E. Terry
to Dover, the Rev. T. +. Martindale to
EastOn, and the Rev. F. G. McSOrley to
North East
The nineteenth annual session ofthe Will
mingtOn Conference will be held in Girls
field during the month of March and will
be presided over by Bishop Henry White
Warren, ID. D., of Denver.
The coming session of conference will be
awaited with interest, because two, and
probably three, presiding elders are to be
appointed, and an effort will be made to
have the conference re-distrieted. There
are now four districts, but soon there may
be FIVE. In that event, Bishop Warren will
have to appoint three presiding elders.
The presiding elderships are the plums.
Those of the Wilmington and the Sails
bury districts, held respectively by the
Revs. Charles Hill and j. A. B. Wilson,
are to be supplied by new men, Messrs.
Hill and Wilson having been presiding
| elders for four years.
For the presiding eldership of the Will
mington district the aspirants are said to
| be the Revs. G. w. Prettyman, of Newark ;
| w. L. S. Murray, of st. PAUL Church; j.
| 4. Bryan, of Asbury; N. NJ Browne,
of Scott, and r. G. Jones, of Mt. Salem,
while for that of the Salisbury district the
Revs. A. d. Davis and w. W. W. Will
son, the latter a brother of the present pre-
| siding elder, are mentGed.
The Rev. John France, presiding elder
of the EastOn district, has two more years
to serve. The Rev. A. w. Milby, whe
died since the last session of conference,
had entered on his fourth year as presid-
ing elder of the Dover district The Rev.
| I. o. Ayres, who is completing the late
Mr.. Milby's unexpired term, will most
probably be reappointed
About redistricting the conferencel The
members Of the conference are understood
to be about equally divided on the subiec
and when the question comes up for ina
disposition the opposition will most likely
make things warm. The following plan o
redistrcting has been suggested Take the
appointments lying within Sussex county
with possibly the addition of some others
and form them into a Sussex District.
There are now 10 appointments, with 5!
churches, valued at $l,075,50O, and hav
ing a membership of g. III. These appoint
ments are Greenwood, Bridgeville, Can
mons Crossing, SeafOrd, Laurel, Delmar
Shortley Glendale, Lincoln, Georgetown
Nassau, Lewis, MillsborO, Frankford, Sci
byvile, GumbOro, Roxana and Milton
To these could be added the following il
Maryland and Virginia: Berlin, Newark
Snow HILL Girdle Tree Conners, Stockton
and Chincoteague, making a district of 2
appointments. This arrangement woul,
relieve the two districts having possibly tn
most undeveloped territory Of some of thei
appointments and give the presiding elder
oil those districts the opportunity Of concen
T trating their efforts upon the undevelOpet
territory remaining. 1t would be a com
pact work, all Of the appointments except
ing Berlin and those below it being within
; a drive of 70 miles from Georgetown, tn
/ presiding elders home. Being compose,
largely of one county, there would be so
! cial, political and financial interests whicl
would help to weld them into an ecclcsias
, tical community. :
Few Methodists know how long tbei
pastors have been IN the ministry som
D information on this point NAV be interest
/, ing. The Rev, j. L. Houston, the oides
y minister IA the conference, is on the sinner
e anuated list and has spent 81 wears in m
!. ministry The Rev. George Barton. als
t on tns s9lberannuated list, has been min
: lster ior 9O years, as has also the Rev. B i
I Price, who is completing the third wear :
. ms pastorete at Madeley Chapel Tn
heVs' valentine Gray and John AIlen. als