Smyrna times., 1898-03-23
Making total membership Of 700
Dnrincr tho cnnnn 1nnrinl thn nLr,,.nh

Received since then, by letter62,
from probation, 79-tOtal. l... 141
Making total membership Of. ... 700
During the same period the church
lost as follows;
By removals by letters. ...... 11S
By removal without letter. .... GS
By death. Observation-Disclosures. A
BY Withdrawals. ls............ s
By disclaiming membership. u
4Oldl' S0U
Leaving a present membership of $50.
The loss of $50 members within the
short period of five years is extraordi-
nary. And the reduction of our mem
bership from $50 to 4j0 would imply a
failure unless explained by some I'M
usual facts. How then is this loss to
be accounted for? What are the facts
by which it is explained? There are
at least two general causes for it.
In the first place it is due principally
to the setting apart of Jerman Chapel
and Smyrna Landing Chapel from
this church. At the Conference in
March 1898, these two chapels, which
had been established by this church,
and for some years identified with it,
and whose members were reckOned
among the $50 reported for SMYRNA
that year, were made appointments on
Smyrna Circuit and Appoquinimink
Circuit respectively. This resulted in
the loss to this church of large num-
Der of members as we'll as two
Sabbath Schools and considerable f.
nancial support. Here then is the
principal cause for thereductiOn in our
membership.
A second cause is found in the fact
that the severest financial depression
that ever swept over this fair land of
ours, prevailed within the limits of the
present pastOrate. There came a per-
iod during these years when wheat
sold at 4Scts per bushel, corn for 20cts,
and potatoes for 25cts,, while the lus-
clOus peach, once the source of i'm
mense revenue, dwindled away until
it is little more than precious mem
ory of other days. Among the disas-
trOus results attending this trying per-
iod, were stagnation in business, COM
mercial failures and bankruptcies and
the removal of many from our town to
seek the improvement of their fortunes
in other fields of toll and enterprise.
Thus our church not only suffered the
loss of numerous contributors, but
even many of those whoremained with
us were so crippled financially. that
they cannot measure up to the gener-
Osity that characterized them in other
years.
In addition to the foregoing causes
we may name the grim harvester,
Death, whose active, keen edged wea-
pom, garnered nearly a half hundred
numbering among them some of our
best and ablest members. And while
we would not begrudge the Joy and
felicity upon which they have entered,
we cannot otherwise than mourn our
loss and deplore the fact that others
have not stepped in to fill the broken
ranks.
Here then is the cause of the expla-
nation of the comparatively large re-
ductiOn in our membership. But to
the credit of this church it should be
said, that notwithstanding the great
losses sustained and the prevailing
financial depression, she never lowered
her standard. When other churches
were reducing their salaries, already
much lower than yours, you never
even debated the reduction of your
pastors salary. In view of all the
circumstances, expected it and was
fully prepared for it and would cheer
fully have acquiesced in it. But YOU
kept the salary up to the generous
amount which you had paid in more
prosperous times, and you have
paid your pastor in full. And in
addition to this you have conferred
upon him substantial and valuable. as
well as generous tokens of your esteem.
whose intrinsic value | assure Won. he
does not appreciate more than he does
your warm hearts which PROMPTED
these noble gifts.
Furthermore, despite your losses,
you have kept your church well
TO the front IN your offerings
to the various benevolent enter
prlses OF our common Methodism. And
when the higher powers reduced vour
strength and financial re-
sources, but made no reduction in
your apportiOnments, you loyalty sub
mltted and cheerfully did your part
And while there has been decrease in
the aggregate contributions, vet when
all things are duly considered it will
be found that you were more liberal
last year. when you gave the lowest
amount, than you gave five years ago.
when you gave the largest. For ONLY
voice a universal sentiment when I saw
that. you could have paid $1,000 then
much more easily than $500 at the lat
ter time.
And still there is another fact 70
YOU, credit which should be empha-
sized. Five years ago nearly every
department of this church was more or
less IN debt, incident to the improve
ments that had recently been made in
the church editice and its furnisbing
The Mite Society still owed LARGO
balance of the $1,000 subseription for
sald improvements, besides numerous
Ollls Tor Parsonage furnishings. in all
about $3.50. The Sabbath
school owed something over S400 for
seating the Lecture room and for SIM
lay School supplies. ''D
The Trustees, however. wera tho
most heavily burdened with dabt
Jne OF our banks held their note for
s0OO, on which discounts have accrno-
hated to the amount of $3.50 az. and |
'ney also owed several smaller bills he |
ldes. The whole Indebtedness of tbo
trustees probably aggregated abont |
SgOO, so that the whole indebtedness
u the church was about $3.50.
But during the five years now clos.
ng' the Mite Society collected Si9S5
ND paid off all of its indebtedness ana
besides put nearly 800 worth of inn inn
'rovement in and upon the Parsonoaa 90
making it one of the most comforta61s,
ND desirable in the Wilmington Coz CO..
erenee; h. And the society still has
,oont ,Oos SlOO in its treasury for furtbnr
', Inc Sunday School too; aided bvtba
Endeavor Society wbose os
members are part of the school hos
'ald of all of its old debts and once nco
aore breathes freely. And if the nres. aso
nt era OF prosperity continues. If will
Don have a handsome surplus in its
Inc Board of Trustees also is in
ecldedly better condition than Il n hos
'een at any time since the churcb inn
rovements were made. The old bond
or $500 with its accumulated dis