Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1893-07-29
Tho Eastern shore Dls,r,e. Confer.

The Eastern Shore District Con-
ference of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, South, convened in annual
session in Belle Haven Methodist
Church, Tuesday, July 25th, at $50
o. H., with Bishop John G. Gran
berry, of Ashland, Va, in the Chair.
Rev. T. N. Potts, OF Salisbury, Md,
was elected secretary, and Rev. A. G.
Bergman. of Onancock, Va, was
made assistant secretary.
The conference completed it's or
ganization by appointing number
of committees to consider and report
on business ofthe conference.
After the organization the confer
ence was engaged in hearing reports
from the pastors and delegates of the
state of the work until the hour of
eleven. At II a. IN, business was
suspended to hear the opening SER
mon by Rev. H. C. Chatham, OF
Hampton.
The preacher announced for his
text the question which the Master
addressed to the Jews, "What think
We of Christ
Seldom has it been the pleasure of
an Eastern Shore audience to listen
to such preaching. The preacher set
Christ before his hearers in his per-
sonal life and character, in his teach
ings, in the declaration of angels, in
his works, in the writings of the
prophets. in the witness of the apos-
tl.s, in the testimony of our own ex-
perience. with such charming and
convincing effect that every one
seemed ready to express his convic-
tions in the grand words of the Ro
man centurion "Surely this was the
Son of God" The request by the
preacher that the congregation rise
and sing "All hail the power OF Jesus
name" to the tune of Coronation was
responded to with promptness and
emphasis that told that Il mighty
current of deep religious feeling had
been set in motion by the sermon.
In the afternoon session, which
lasted from to about $50 p. m, there
were further reports from the
charges, and an interesting discus
sion of Sunday school methods and
influence and the relation of the Sun
day school to the church. About460o of
the no conversions in the district
last year were from the ranks of the
Sunday school, The number of per-
sons in the Sunday schools of the
district is nearly equal to the aggre-
gated roll of members on the district.
Tuesday night there was n sermon
by Rev. S. W. Eason, the young pas
tor of the Cape Charles City Church.
The sermon gave evidence of well
traineI mind and the delivery indi-
Gated oratorical powers that Justify
the prediction that Mr. Eason will
likely attain to eminent rank in his
calling.
Wednesday morning the confer
ence was again at work at
$50. After o short time spent in
hearing reports from the pastors
the report on Christian Education
was presented. The principal speech,
and most able one it was. was by
Professor w. w. Smith. A. NJ, i. L.
d. president of the Randolph-Ma
cob colleges and schools. The Ran
dolph- Macon corporation, represent
ing the Methodists, South, in the
Virginia and Baltimore Conferences,
hold and operate the college at Ash
land, Va, one of the oldest colleges of
Methodism-th buildings and
grounds here represent value ap-
proximating one hundred thousand
dollars, and the invested endowment
considerably over one hun
dred thousand dollars; The
Woman's Randolph Macon Col
lege, at Lynchburg, just ready
for its first session-here the build
ings represent an expenditure OF sew.
enty thousand dollars and there is
an endowment of one hundred
thousand, yielding G per cent;
The Randolph Macon Academy. at
Bedford City, entering upon its
third year-the grounds and build
ings represent one hundred thousand
dollars; The Randolph Macon Acad-
envy. at Front Royal, Va.-buildings
and other things a duplicate of that
at Bedford City. In these academies
our Methodist people have given US
the best preparatory school ever at
attempted in Virginia and they are
not surpassed by any in the Union.
The colleges offer to male and female
the same curriculum and the same
degrees; and the degrees as broad
and ample culture, as like degrees in
the University of Virginia.
The sermon at IL a. IN. was preach:
ed by Bishop Cranberry. The text,
1.-The Joy of the Lord is your
Strength The Bishop is feeble
from the long and painful effects Of
disease of the jaw bone. which is yet
uncured and requires daily atten-
ton and necessitates the wearing of
bandages about his throat. But
there was no feebleness in the SER
mon. No outline could give an idea
OF the sermon. One must have heard
and seen and felt the flow of heaven
" joy that seemed to come with the