Smyrna times., 1890-03-26
Bethel Church Affairs "A Misstate,
ment.

CHEsWOLD. DEL, MAR. 2lst. 80.
EDITOR OF SMYRNA TIMES:
Dear Str:-As some prominence has
been given lately to certain improve.
ments at Bethel NJ. +. church. 1 ask
space IN your columns to make a state
ment of facts concerning the inception
of the plan and the progress of the
work to its completion in placing the
horse sheds" on the ground, aud to
correct false inferences sought to be
made at the close of "Stella's" efusion
in last weeks TIMES.
Soon after Rev. r. K. Stephenson
came TO this charge, a year ago, he
suggested to the Trustees the import
ance of providing shelter for teams.
assuring us that if such accOmmOda.
ton were provided, he would not fail
us at any time when not too stormy
to than out, The matter was Sc
riously considered, and, when Brother
stephenson proved himself a man
not only fully up to all his promises of
work, bat far transcending, then it
was determined to remove the last
obstacle and build sheds. A glorious
revival of religion attended the earnest
faithful preaching of The Word, and
house TO house visiting and personal
appeals, and in ansV er to prayer more
than a hundred souls were converted.
Under the inspiration of such divine
recognition Of oar humble efforts to
serve Him, it was an easy matter at
our trustee meeting, late in the fall, to
lay plans to further prosper Gods
cause by providing the necessary shell
ter for teams.
A committee of five enterprising
men was appointed to canvass for sub
scriptiOns, and at later meeting they
reported over 500 subscribed. The
same committee was directed by a
large majority vote of the board to
proceed at once and build.
take this public method of com
mending the committee for their well
done work; aud other projectors of the
enterprise and friends who have
shown their energy, self-sacrifce and
Literally" in lending a helping hand
giving material and contributing of
their means to its accomplishment.
For ''Stella's" information, The NAV
be ignOrant) | can assure him that "a
record of events" has been kept, and
will be kept, and, judging the future
by the past, "the projectors will ex-
hibit the same energy, selfsacriflce
and liberality." not only Tin making
up the minister's salary" but contrib
uting early in the Conference year to
his support. All the reference in this
weeks TIMES to minister's salary and
new dispensatiOn" is an evident at
tempt to mislead the readers and Sian
der the good name of Bethel church
for prOmptness and liberality, to sus-
tain which / can call to witness all the
ministers who have served Smyrna
Circuit for the past twenty years. Who
"Stella" is, so far as it concerns the
public, makes but little difference ;
why he has sharpened his pen to cut
at some of the best members of Bethel
Church and dipped it in gall to embit-
ter feelings in a society as eminentlv
noted for its mutual love and abiding
peace as for its prOmptness and liberal.
itY, leave him to answer, not to the
public, but to his own conscience. This
much feel it my duty to say in vindica-
tiOn OF Old Bethel which has sheltered
me for nearly thirty years, and still
holds out her sheltering arms to all
who wilt come and abide with us.
R. M COOpER