Bridgeton pioneer., 1889-03-14
THE M, E. CONFERENCE.
THE EIETY-THIRD SESSION OF
THE NJ. Il. CONFERENCE.
Special to PIONEER.

Special to PIONEER.
SALEM, n j., March 6.-The fifty
third session of the New Jersey Epis-
copal {annuaD Conference convened in
the First Church, Rev. G. F. Downs,
pastor, this city, this morning, with
large attendance of clergy and laity,
Bishop Bowman presiding.
The opening sermon of the Confer
ence was preached last night by Rev.
VIM. E. Perry, D. d.
The Conference was called to order
at o'clock by Bishop Thomas Bow
man, d. d. LII. D., who made a brief
address prior to the administration of
the Holy Sacrament. Rev. s, E. Post
made the opening prayer, and presid-
ing Elders Milton Relyea, J. b. Graw,
Geo. L. Dobbins, and James Moore as
sisted the Bishop in administering the
Sacrament.
Rev. Geo. B. Wright, OF Trenton,
was reelected Secretary. with the fol
lowing assistants: Rev. j. L. Roe, j.
H. Payran, G.. C. Stanger, George
Reed and John B. Haines. Rev. Dan1.
B. Harris was also reelected Sratisti-
cal Secretary. At the close OF the roll
call, at the noon adjournment, 172
clergymen had answered to their
names.
All,the Committees were appointed,
the only Bridgetonian securing an ap.
pointment being Rev. John Handley,
who was placed on the Educational
Committee.
Rev. Thomas Hanlon, ID. D., pre-
sented a report of Pennington Sem
mary, in which it was stated that the
seminary was in a fiourishing condi-
tion, religiously, financially and in a
scholarship point of view. There has
been large attendance of students
during the year, numbering in all 296,
of whom 100 were young ladies, and 80
young men were reported by the min
istry.
Rev. George L. Dobbins, Presiding
Elder of the Bridgeton District, pre-
sented his annual report of the dis
trict. The report stated that no deaths
of ministers had occurred during the
year; the claims had all been presented,
but the collection in some instances
would show a slight decrease. The
Missionary collections amounted to
$1,000, a slight decrease from last year.
A number of missionary meetings had
been held within the district during
the year, with gratifying results. The
Presiding Elder, in his report, said:
While the laws affecting the liquor
question are better than what they
were, yet they are far from what we
want"
New churches were reported at
Bridgeton, Haines Neck. Salem, and
improvements and additions were
made to the churches at Alloway,
Vineland, Green Creek, Fishing Creek,
Millville, Cedarville, baskerville, Sa-
lem, Olivet, South Vineland, Sea Isle
City, Deerfield, Asbury and Woods
town. Gratifying revivals of religion
were reported in many of the churches
throughout the district, and over 1400
persons professed conversion.
The bounds of the New Jersey Con-
ference include all that part of the
State south of New Brunswick, en-
bracing the Districts of New Bruins
wick, Trenton, Camden and Bridge
ton. There are On the Conference roll
204 Ministers, "a Local Elders, SO Local
Deacons, and 139 Local Preachers. In
1888 there were 4,540 probationers, and
40,209 members in full connection.
The number of churches in 1888, was
29S, with valuation of 81, $50, 700. The
number of parsonages was 1877, with q
valuation of $349,050. The number of
ministers who have died within the
Conference from 1887 until 1888 is given
at 1903.
SALEM, March THE second days
session of the New Jersey Annual Con-
ference assembled this morning at 8
O'Clock, in the First Methodist Episco-
pal Church, this city, Bishop Bowman
presiding.
The devotional exercises were con-
Quoted by Rev. B. G. Lippincott, d.
ID. A resolution was read and unan-
imously passed by standing vote, the
Bishop voting with the conference,
petitioning the State Legislature not
to repeal the Local Option law, and
the resolution was ordered sent to the
Legislature.
Rev. w. A. Spencer, D. D., one of
the secretaries of the Church Extension