Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-03-17
THE CONFERENCE WRANGLE.
Presiding Elder Wilson Strikes
Back at His Opponents.
He Claims That the Opposite

| He Claims That the Opposite d.
ated by Jealousy on Accodnf Is
Unprecedented Success In ChuI, r.
--He Gives an Array of Figurcs.
Staff Correspondence of GazetteaudIu,; ~.
DOVER, March 14.--As conference ,lr;,gs
| near the interest grows as to what VIA be
| the result of the church trouble IN this
district. The anti-Wilson men have left
no stone unturned in their aggressive war
against Presiding Elder Wilson. They
have laid their grievances before Bishop
Andrews, who is TO preside over the com
ing conference. They have also notified
him that they would bring charges against
Presiding Elder Wilson, and had selected
man to represent them in the person of
John II. Bateman of this town. It is need.
less to say that the presiding elder has not
been idle al this time. A representative
of EVERY EVENING called upon him SMtur-
day night and inquired what was new in
the matter and what course he would
pursue. He replied 'These fellows lave
TURNED THE TIGER LOOSE
and must take the consequences. For
eight years / have been continualk
watched by them in every move and act.
The charges that they have made do not
amount to anything, and | should think
they had better sense than they have thus
far exhibited. Charges have been sprung
on me before, but | have defeated them
each time. ;f they can prove me bad
man. let them do so and turn me out. MY
record is the best proof of my success as a
presiding elder.
II notice that somesof the newspapers
and my enemies say that my only success
Is merely as money cStortioner Now,
let me prove that this is not so. Confer
ence organized in 1862 In the period of
II years, up to 1883, there was an increase
OF u churches. 32 parsonages, no increase
in Sunday-schools, 81 per cent increase in
collections; increase in full membership,
1000.
From 1883 to 1887, period of four
years, the Rev. Charles Hill was presiding
elder of Wilmington district and was
placed on Salisbury district. A new era
dawned upon Methodism on the Penin-
sula. The increase in parsonages was 81
II of them in my district increase OF
churches 25-13 of them in my district
one more than the rest of the conference
increase. of Sunday-schools, 40-2S of them
IN my district; increase in benevolent col
lections, 90 per cent, but in my district the
increase was 1872 per cent; increase of pro-
bationers, "a per cent, in my district it was
30 per cent; in full membership the increase
was per cent but in Salisbury district it
was 10 per cent; though 1000 names were
stricken off, yet these were supplied and
the average of conference doubled.
Bishop Warren transferred me to this
(Doyer) district and the same marvellous
results were attained, from 1887 to 1891, as
follows Increase in parsonaees y and
half of them in my district increase in
churches, 40, "a in my district, being twice
as many as in the whole conference in the
IA years from 1869 to 1888; increase in Sun.
day-schools, 2S in the whole of conference
and all of them but one in my district;
increase in ministerial support, IA per
cent in, my district it was 20 per cent; in
in hof n,,l1 e
ence, IL per cent and in my district it was
Il per cent; in full membership there was
an increase of ii per cent, and Is per cent
in this district though by careful pruning
of membership 800 names were stricken
from the rolls. These 500 vacancies have
been filled and the membership in
creased 2 per. cent more than the
average of the entire conference;
increase. of probationers, 30 per cent--in
Dover district it was 80 per cent. General
summary; The advance during the
period of contention has been remarkable
as contrasted with that of the previous IA
years; then 80 parsonages were built, but
in the last eight years 40 have been added;
while conference was IA years building 12
churches, it has built 65 additional ones in
8 years; in 1869 there were 1874 Sunday
schools. in the last eight years they were
increased 1872, while the ministerial sup
port has advanced 81 per cent and benevo-
ieiice on per Ctllb. ne membership mas
grown 16 per cent; average increase OF pro-
bationers, 1,220 per annum. which num-
bered for the 10 years $500 per year, and
500 for the past eight years. That is my
record and must say that 1t is an UMPIRE
cedented one in Methodism, and don't
see how they can turn me down. II is this
way: When one presiding elder works in
conference it makes all the rest of them
hustle and you may be sure the bishops
are aware of the fact.
Now for an illustration: will show
you that one of the ringleaders of my
opponents has twice been presiding
elder. On his first district he closed his
term with three churches less; increase of
parsonages, 2; increase of Sunday schools
2; increase of salaries, per cent; decrease
of per cent in benevolence; increase of
membership, 7per cent. The same man
tried another district with the following
result; Increase of parsOnages, 4; no in
crease of churches; decrease of 5 Sunday
schools; decrease of 10 per cent in support
of minister's falling OF of 10 per cent in
benevolent collections. | could give YOU
others, but | think this enough to prove
that my former success will have some
weight"