Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-03-29


nearly SG,000 all Of which has been paid.
At the first quarterly meeting in this
church there was a remarkable revival.
at which peuitents fairly fell over each
other in their haste to reach the altar. The
other new church is at Betterton, on Still
Pond charge, and is under the pastoral
care OF the Rev. j. d. KempI It cost
about 81 800, all of which has been paid.
The society at Betterton is weak aud small
and in that place this amount of money
means great deal. The debt on the
church at st. Michael's has been reduced
from $1,000 to 800. The long-standng
debt of $500 on the church at Cordova has
been wiped out. Extensive repairs have
been made to the churches ut Pomona,
Marydel Odessa, Massev's, Salem on
Church Hill circuit and Boingbrook on
Trappe circuit. Pianos have been put in
the Sunday-school rooms at Middletown
and Odessa. The parsonages at Green's
boro and Odessa and on Talbot circuit
have been considerably improved. Old
debts have been materially reduced on the
parsonages at Sudlersville, Talbot and
Ingleside and the debts on the parsOnuges
at Townsend aud Centreville have been
entirely paid off. The Rev. Frank
Fletcher has again distinguished himself
AS parsonage builder. At Kent Island
the old parsonage has been made new at n
cost of 81, 400. Great wisdom aud pru-
dcnce has been shown by the
brethren in nearly all theses enter
prises. From present indications the
salaries of the preachers will be more in
arrears than heretofore. This IS due no
doubt, in some measure, to the hard linan-
cial conditions under which we are labor.
ing, but more, | believe, to the lack of
business methods in the management of
church finances. In almost every case
where. brains and business have been put
into the finances the salaries are up in
spite of the hard times. point to Middle
town, Townsend and Greensboro as con-
spicuous examples Of this fact. Undoubt-
edly the reports will show that the bemevo-
lences in some places have suffered. This,
however, is not due to failure on the part
of the preachers to diligently and faithfully
push this matter. The preachers never
before worked so hard to get the benevo.
lences. Centreville. oxford, l'ighman's
Island. Cheswold Smyrna Circuit. Galena
and Middletown have exceeded their ap-
portionment for benevolences. Townsend,
Odessa. Marydel Smyrna. Cecilton. ST.
! Michaels, Still Pond Crumpton, Hills
boro, Easton, Talbot and Millington have
met their apportionment in full and Mary
del circuit is entitled to the credit of the
largest increase along all lines The in
crease for missions is 66 per cent over last
| year and the increase in other collections
is 100 per cent. The pastors who report a
shortage have made heroic efforts to come
up. About loo persons have professed
conversion and about 1000 have united
with the churches on probation.
Suddlersville, Queenstown, Hilsboro,
st. MichaePs, Cecilton, Tilghman's Island,
Centreville and Easton each report 80 or
more conversions. The Epworth League
is an increasingly helpful factor in the
work of the district. One league has been
organized during the year. The Rev. V. 5.
Collins is entitled to much credit for his
efforts in behalf of the Epworth League.
The WomAn's Home Missionary and
Woman's Foreign Missionary Societies are
doing good work. The cause of temperance
and prohibition has received ameasure OF
attention, but not as much as it deserves.
call attention to the urgent necessity for O
largely increased contribution to our
domestic missionary fund. IL is crying
shame that some of .our. .brethTen and their
families in the hard places must continue
TO be denied even the bare necessities OF
life.
The characters OF the pastors of the Eas-
ton. Dover and Salisbury districts was
| passed. and the ministers reported their
collections for missions and conference
claimants. The reading of the reports OF
Presiding Elders Corkran and Adams was
postponed until Friday.
The Rev. Adam Stengle invited confer.
ence to meet at Smyrna next year.
Drafts as follows were ordered to be
drawn: On the Book Concern for 81, ,0S5
on the chartered fund for S25.
The veterans anniversary was held last
night and was largely attended L. ii
Williams presided. The Rev. ]. Benson
Hamilton, ID. D., made an earnest appeal
for the conference claimants. Joseph Pyle
volunteered to be one of 10 men to con
tribute 500 each. but there was moi
present anybody who was willing to imi
tate his generosity. A collection amount
ing to about $50 was taken.
The memorial service began at II O'Clock
and continued nearly an hour.
A memoir of the Rev. George Bartint
was read by the Rev. w. G. England. Re
marks were made by the Revs. ]. B
Quigg, George A. Phnbus, b. +. Price ant
Henry Sanderson.
The character of the superanuated
preachers was passed and their relations
continued.
The Rev. 7. II. Haynes pronounced the
benediction.
SALISBURY, ND, March 22.-Wil
mington M. Il. Conference had bus,
: session this morning. In the absenc
of Bishop Vincent the Rev. N. NJ
Browne presided. Roll call showed tn
attendance of 20 members who were no
3 esentyesterday.
Presiding Elder Barrett's report wa
. lengthy but interesting. Following is
synopsis;
: The year has been remarkable for il
difficulties and for its triumphs. Althoug
we have not reached the advanced positio
we expected and hoped for ut the begin
ming Of the year yet believe God and th
!, church will say to these devoted, cons,
5 Grated workers on the Wilmington distril
: "Well DONE good and faithful servants" !"
None of the preachers have died durin
the year but atliiction and bereavemei
n have entered some of the parsonnges.
/ The pastors of Wilmington report MOI
L than 1000 conversions and the pastor
: elsewhere on tho district report nearly 7U
/ Never i'll the history of our conferenC
: has the Wilmington district been CON
PEELED to face such severe financial ditlicu
@ ties as have confronted it during the pas
g year. Notwithstanding all these adyerS
d circumstances and Surroundings on
| preachers and people have struggled to
> true to God and the great enterprises of til
e church and they are not ashamed of Ii
+ record they have made. 1t is not surprii
d ing that we fall behind the figures OF la
year. The surprise is that the deficit
A NOT greater. Every church has been mol
4 or less affected. Grace fails to come up
l. her usual standard for missions, althoug
v appurtonments are met on the otht
!. benevolences. st. Paul's does not reac
l. the mark Of last year but reaches The al
l. portionment on all the collections. AsbuI
o is compelled TO retreat below last year
l. figures yet nobly struggles up to her al
6. portionment for missions, Brandywine III
d done the best she could but is not up to IL
g marx she desired to reach. With remur
!. able heroisni Union, Madeley, Wesle
Scott and Cookman face the music al
reach the splendid showing of last yea
!, Mt. Salem, Kingswood and Epworth, wit