The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1889-03-08
Jersey VI. y. Conference.

The ffty-third session of the New Jersey
Methodist Episcopal fannuaD Conference
convened in the First Church, Salem, Oh
Wednesday morning, with a large attend
ance OF clergy and laity, Bishop Bowman
presiding.
The opening sermon of the Conference
was preached on Tuesday night by Rev.
William E. Perry, d. d.
The Conference was called to order at 8
o'clock by Bishop Thomas Bowman, ID. D.,
Ii. d., who made a brief address prior to
the administration of the Holy Sacrament.
Rev. S. L. Post made the opening prayer,
and Presiding Elders Milton ReIyea, J. B..
Graw, George L. Dobbins and James Moore
assisted the Bishop in administering the
Sacrament.
Rev. George B. Wight, OF Trenton, was
reelected Secretary, with the following as
sistants: Rev. j. L. Roe, G. C. Stanger, j.
II. Payran, George b. Haines. Rev. Dan
lei B. Harris was also reelected Statistical
Secretary. AT the close of the roll call, at
the noon adjournment, 172 clergymen had
answered to their names.
The monn apportioned to the Confer
enee to be raised for the Freemen's Aid
Society was announced as So. 900
Rev. Thomas ~lianlon, ID. d., presented
a report of Pennington Seminary, in which
it was stated that the seminary was ia Il
nourishing condition, r~eligiously, financial
ly and in a scholarship point of view.
The Bishop announced that the appor-
ton nent from the Methodist Book Concern
for the support of WORKOUT aad slperan-
nuated preachers in the Conference was
$3.50. SO.
Rev. George l.. Dobbins, Presiding Ell
der of the Bridgeton District, presented his
annual report Of the district. The report
stated thai nc deaths of ministers had oe-
Cured during the year; the claims had all
been presented, but the collections in some
instances would show a slight decrease.
The missionary collections amounted to
$1,000, a slight decrease from last year. 4
number Of missionary meetings had been
held Within the district during the year, and
several societies had been organized. Three
camp meetings were held during the year,
with gratifying results. The Presiding
Elder, in his report, said: while the laws
affecting the liquor ira ffic are better than
what they were, yet they are far from what
we want
New churches were reported at Bridge
ton, Haines' Neck, Salem, and improve
ments and additions were made to the
churches at Alloway, Vineland, Green
Creek, Fishing Creek, Melville, Cedar
| vile, baskerville. Salem, Olivet, South
Yineland, Sea Isle City, Deerfield, Asbury
| and Woodstown. Gratifying REVEALS of
religion were reported in many Of the
churches throughout the district, and ever
1900 persons professed conversion.
At the close of the above report Rev.
Jefferson Lewis, one of The oldest members
of the Conference, made a brief address,
referring to his connection with the First
Church ofSalem Gin which the Conference
is now in session. in 1887, and contrasting
the condition of the church at that day
with the present fine ediice recently dedi-
Gated.
DIS. NJ. Hunt, Secretary of the Ameri-
can Bible Society, was introduced to the
Conference aud made an interesting i'd
dress, giving a glowing account of the
work OF the society, the immense o~ircula-
ton of the Holy Bible in this and foreign
countries and the many different languages
in which the Bible is now being printed.
The ministers of the Bridgeton District
in their turn announced the missionary
collections for the year, and their charac-
ters were passed without exception, aud
they were continued as effective elders.
The session closed with the benediction
by DIR. Hunt.
Rev. Socrates Townsend preached a ser
mon in the afternoon at the Broadway
church, and Rev. De. Hanlon preached in
the evening in the same church.
The anniversary of the Church Exten-
sion Society was held in the First Church
in the evening.
The bounds of the New Jersey Confer
ence include all that part ofthe State south
of New Brunswick, embracing the Dis
tricts Of New Brunswick, Trenton, Cam
den aud Bridgeton. There are on the Con
ference roll 204 Ministers. "a Local Elders,
SO Local Deaeons and 1870 Local Preachers.
In 1888 there were 1910 probationers and
40, 200 members in full connection. The
number of churches, in 1888, was 29S, with
a valuation of 81, $50. 200. The number of
parsonages was 1877, with a valuation of
$349, $50. The number of ministers who
have died within the bounds of the Con-
ference from 1887 until 1888 is given at
1913.