Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-03-26
WILMlNGTONN.E. CONFERENCE
Twenty-eighth Annual Session
Held at Dover.
REPORTS OF PRESIDING ELDERS
The Splendid Record of VIII
mIngton District.

Presiding Elder Bnrrntt's Report Great as
Much Enthusiasm-cOiiee for Mis-
sious and Conference Ciaimants-M Much
Other Interesting business Transacted by
tho nierence-Delegates to the General
Conference.
STAFF Correspondence OF Gazette and Journal.
Dover, March 19.--The 2sth annual
session Of tho Wilmington Conference Of
the Methodist Episcopal Church began
yesterday morning. The attendance
/ was large and the utmost unanimity
prevailed Tho fear that the session
might be turbulent one was greatly
allayod by the harmony that marked
b the first days proceedings and also by
b the pleasant address which Bishop War
# ren made at the opening OF Conference.
The following standing committees
were elected:
Public worship-R. II. Albums, W.
4 u. s. Murray, |. G. Fosnocht, i. Y.
Smoot and Charles |. Stengle.
Education-G. w. Townsend, John
d. d. Hanna, Frank F. Carpenter and
j. ID. Kemp.
Bible Socioty-A. p. Prettyman, e.
S. Mace. J. p. Outtcn and ID. r. Mac
Faull.
Sunday school and tract - Albert
Chandler, w. L. White, G. +. Hopkins
and G. W. Strickland.
Temperance-C. W. Prettyman, @. T.
Wyatt. Merritt Hulburd and W. L.
Compton.
Woman's Foreign Missionary Society
j. S. Wickline, 9. II. Williams,
George W. Burke and G. r. Neese.
Woman's Home Missionary Society
Thomas f. Terry, W. Il. Avery, ID. +.
Waddell and James Carroll.
- Freedman's Aid and Southern Edu.
cation-,. p. Otis, w. T. Valiant, L.
A. II. O'Brien and o. S. Walton.
Local preachers, postoliice and mis-
II. McFarane, G. Il. WOOD, W. p.
Taylor j. II. Wilson, O.W De Venish
and II. S. Dulaney
Sabbath observance @. Mac
nichol, Julius Dodd, Edward Davis
and j. Il. Graham.
Periodicals Du Halfway, Isaac
i. Wood, G. w. Bowman and M. ID.
Nutter.
Epworth League-H. G. Turner, r..
X. Stephenson, Vaughn S. Collins
and W. o. Hurst
Stewards endowment-J. A. Arters,
Robert Watt, G. A. Grise, g. p. Swain,
W. p. Taylor, w. II. jackson, II. S.
Goldey, Joseph Smithers Isaac II.
- Wright, W. I. Causey and @. A.
Mckinney.
Ministerial qualifications G. At
kins, j. B. Quigg, John France j. w.
Easley, f. II. Nelson, q. S. Baker, ii.
S. Thompson and G. w. Prettyman.
Auditlng-J. o. Sypberd, j. +. An
derson, Il. S. Williams and j. NJ.
Mitchell.
Announcement was made that the
following had been transferred to Will
mingtun Conference: NJ. l.. Gates, from
Newark Conference; Frank Soderman,
from New York East Conference: Willis
ID. West, from Blue Ridge Conference.
The proper officers were directed to
draft on the chartered fund for $22 and
ON the book concern for 81, $50.
The adoption of the resolution pro-
viding for the appointment of com
mittee to 60 to Washington for the pur-
pose of laying before Congress peti-
tion from the conference respecting the
insertion of the words "Trusting in
Almighty God" in the preamble of tho
Constitution of United States was
preceded by an address by DIR. Cald-
we'll, who presented the resolution. He
was voted thanks for his admirable
speech and also for having prepared the
petition. When he finished speaking
the conference sang "America. " The
petition, when laid before the confer.
ence, contained the signatures of about
90 ministers. After the adoption ol
the resolution all the members of the
conference we're authorized to sign the
petition. Amended as suggested the
preamble would read
"We, the people of the United States,
in order to form mpre perfect union,
establish Justice, insure domestic tran
IL. .l.
fence, promote tine general welfare ant
secure the blessings of liberty TO our
solves and our posterity, trusting il
Almighty God, do ordain and establish
this Constitution for the United Statei
of America.
Presiding Elder Barrett's report o
the work on Wilmington district wa
enthusiastically applauded. He an
nounced the death of two ministers
James Il. Bryan and j. D. Locates
and feelingly referred to the death o
Joseph Pylo and others prominent il
Methodism. He stated that Il. d
Hunter is too Ill to attend conference
He spoke of the good resulting iron
tho union services held in GracI
Church, Wilmington, and reported con
versions as follows: Asbury and Union
each more than 100; Brandywine. 100
Wesley, 92; Kingswood, rs; Mt. Salem
GO; Christiana, 81; Northeast, 63
Perryvlle, l3. There also were man.
conversions at other charges. The au
ditorium of Kingswoud Church wa
dedicated last October, on which occa
sion 81, 600 was raised. The corner
stone OF church at Perryville was lai'
during October. Considerable none
was spent for improvements to churche
and parsonages Many churches re
duced their debts. Substantial prog
ress was made in the effort to reduc
the debt of Epworth Church, whic
amounts to $50, COO. AS result of thi
effort nearly S. 900 Of tho debt ha
been paid The district met the re
quirement on missions and other benC
volonces and stands near the million
and-a-half line. The sum of 4l6, "a
was paid for church improvements an
the sum Of IS, 9j3 on church indebted
ness.
Presiding Elder Smiths report {
the work on Easton district ais
created enthusiasm. He stated tht
death had not broken the minister's
ranks during the year. In many II
spects the year was remarkable. Finar
cial conditions, which had previousl
been hard, were still harder With ii
failure of peaches and the low price
wheat and corn agricultural interes
were depressed almost to the point
despair Salaries we're paid with grei
difficulty and in some instances the