Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-04-08
METHODIST STATISTICS
MANY CONVERSIONS BUT FEW
SAVED.
Tic Wilmington Conference Has au In
crease of Only 9i3 Full Members
During the Conference Year
Out of 5,eO2.

= from every member comes the cheering
report that IL was among the most pleas
ant of all the sessions held by the Con
ierences. But the minutes containing
the statistics Of the conference have been
published and the result OF the years
work so far as the increase OF member
ship is concerned Is by no means satisfac-
tory. While there has been healthy
solid increase in the principal collections,
there has been but beggarly increase of
9l3 full members of the church. Even
this number might be considered healthy
| and encouraging for some other denomi-
nations that has not one-fouTth as many
! churches and ministers, but for de-
| nomination that reported one year ago
1866 ministers, 120 local ministers, 1888
churches, 37S Sunday schools, 5,2O2 pro-
bationers and 81 ,94S full members, the in
crease oil 9l3 is so correspondlngly small,
that 1t occasions anxious feelings among
Methodist ministers and the general ex-
preston Is that there is something wrong
somewhere.
According to The statistics published
the late Conference year started In with
credit of s, 202 probationers, out of which
only 9l3 have been saved TO the church,
making allowances for the death OF 487
| members during the year. But on the
other hand the death allowance is no
doubt fully met by the number of people
who came into the church with certii-
Gates Of good standing from other denom-
nations and who never serve a proba-
| tionary state.
With this explanation then II will be
found that ofthe 8, ,202 probatioDers report
ed at the commencement OF the Confer
ence year 4,S89 OF them became back
slideTs, or in other words only one out of
/ * n haxra pa1 IN ho nh
This year the Conference commences with
5,665 probationers, an increase OF G33. to
Its credit. Much has been CLEANED from
a number of members of the Conference
as to the cause of this terrible slaughter
of probationers, but 1t might be proper to
say here that though many join aud but
few reach the full mem bership state, the
fal' ing off ls not entirely among the pro-
bationers. Pruning the church records
OF those who have been full members but
had baskslidden eiterward had much to
do with the poor showing.
The absence Of column of statistics,
to show how many of these probationers
reached the church as full members,
leaves much to conjecture. OF the many
reasons given by leading Methodist min
listers for such slow increase in mem
bership in the best equipped denomiRa-
ton on the peninsula, nearly all agree
that the main cause is the Inconsistent
lives that many church members live,
thereby bringing reproach upon the
church. Much could be said upon this
subject, which will not be said in thiS
article.
But to return to statistics agairst the
minutes show that the increase in VIII
mington Methodist Churches, including
Mt. Salem, during the year In full mem
bers was o1ly 1873 out of 564 prohationers
ut the commencement of the year, and
the following will show the loss and gain
in the Wilmington churches as per re-
ports TO conferences:
Asbury Church, for conference oflS8S,
had 90 probatiopers, 700 members; total,
100; she reports in 1882 720 full men,
bers, loss 20; In 1889, 1876 probstioners
are reported.
Brandywine reported for conference of
1883, 90 probationers, 24S members;
total, 1888; she reports in 1889 29l full
members. Loss, AZ. In 1889 SO proba-
TONERS are reported.
Epworth reported for conference of
1883, Is probationers, 9S members; total,
ll3. She reports in 1889, ll2 tull mem
bers, showing a loss of only one. $50
probationers were reported at the late
conference.
Grace reported for conference of 1888,
10 probstioners and 4Sl full members;
total, 496. She reports in 1889, sol full
members, showing gain OF 8. Eight
probatloners are reported for 1899.
Madeley repor ed for conference OF
| 1883, rs probationcrs and 81 members;
total, 1877. She now reports $50 mem
members. Loss, II. AZ probationers
are reported for 1889.
Mt. Salem reported for conference of
1888, 20 probationers and 275 full mem-
bers; total, 800. She now reports 220
full members; loss, So. 40 probationers
are reported for 1889. The pastor, Mr.,
Avery, has gone through close pruning
OF the records and five of his members
took certificates for Goodman Chapel.
St. Paul's and Kingswood churches re-
ported for the Conference of 1888, 40 pro-
bations and 522 members, total, 57l. The
report Is now 4B0 full members, loss 81,
Probationers reported for 1889, 100.
Scott reported % probationers and 2s3
full members for 1873, total, S05. She
now reports 240 full members; loss, 65.
Probatloncre reported for 1889, i36.
Swedish Mission, report for 1888,
probatloners and IS full members; total,
SO, report for 1889 is 80 full members;
loss, .. Five probationers are reported
for 1889.
Union reported for 1888, rs probation. |
ers and 565 members; total $40. She |
now reports 593 members; loss, AZ; SO |
probationers are reported for 1889.
Wesley reported for 1888, 103 proba- |
TONERS and 20 full members; total 173. |
She now reports 170 full members; loss, |
3; probati0uers reported for 1889, 76.
This includes all the Methodist churches |
In Wilmington, as Kingswood belongs to |
St. PauPs, Silverbrook and Goodman to |
Asbury and East Lake Park to Brandy |
wine
A recapitulation shows that for 1883 !
there were in Wilmington 584 proba- |
TONERS and 3,36S full members and in |
1889 there are reported $50 probationers
and 3,505 full members, an increase of |
39l probationers and 1888 full members.
Discouraging as the foregoing statistics
for Wilmington city appear, il Is still |
more discouraging when the whole of |
Wilmington district is included and the
small gain Of 1873 members In the city is |
increased TO only 269 in the whole district, |
In Wilmington District there were re-
ported In 1888, probAtioners 1891, full |
members 6S98; in 1889, probationsrs
l445, full members 7l61, sho wing an In.
crease of 81 pTobationers and 800 full |
members.
In the Easton Dlstrlct there were re.
ported for 1888, probAtloners 1897, full
members 0059; for 1889, probatIoners
1887, fu 1 members 6166, showing an in
crease OF 440 proeationers and 81 full |
members.
In the Dover District there were re-
ported in 1888, probatloners 1448, full
members TAFT: for 1899 nrobatIoners