The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-03-31
AN EXCELLENT SHOWING.
Annual Report OF Ofpresiding Elder Waters
to the Delaware Conference.

At tho session Of the Delaware Confer
ence OF tho Methodist Episcopal Church
held at Orange, N. j., the following report
was presented by Presiding Elder Waters
of this city. Again the wheel Of time rolls
around, and we meet on the threshold of
another conference year, bringing with us
this, our fifth annual report of tho Will
mington District. Through the nercies of
a loving Father, we hapo been permitted
to hold every Quarterly Conference, with
few exceptions, on tho District. A rich en-
dowment Of health has been granted to the
pastors, but nevertheless, we mourn the
loss of Rev. j. B. Lewis. stationed at Mt
JOY, Wilmington, Delaware,
He entered the pastorate under very en-
barassing circumstances but soon man.
aged to win the hearts of the people, both
home and abroad Success was crowning
every effort, until stricken with typhoid
fever, by the hand of an all.wlse Provi-
dence, and slopt the sleep Of the Just ON
the 2lst day OF October 1851 Rcv. NJ. IL.
Horspy will read paper on bis useful life
and triumphant death. Again, the silent
messenger visited the homo of Rev. j. H.
Mason, pastor at Smyrna. and transplant
ed to the realms above, q loving vile and
kind and tender mother. Sister Eme-
line Mason was good Christian woman.
She went to her reward on tho 18th day Of
August 1897. Rev. j. II. Winters will
. read suitable memoir. The District as q
year ago believe that tho pastors and
people have done the hest they could.
Wherever there Is II failure, In every In
stance 1t can be traced to u lack of faith In
the only source from whence cometh all Of
our help.
have learned from experience as we'll
as by observation. that when the question
of money raising. is tho one chief object of
pastor and people, failure Ia Gas csrtaiu as
goes to his charge with the idea In his
mind that II he eau get his people to look
up to God and put forth IN effort to that
end, success will invariably follow. We
must reInembnr the words of the blessed
Master, Seek ye first thu Kingdom of
Heaven and all things shai! bs added"
The one great secret of succ0ss in the
work Of the church ia to keep the fire on
the altar aglow, and II there be any money
it will oone into tho treasury Of the
Lords house.
The Sunday schools and Epworth
Leagues IN the city charges are doing
noble work, hut those In the country have
not succeeded as we'll, because of the So
journ of both church and pastor in the
woods from June to October, to- engage in
what they call Camp Meetings. Nothing
uooo Hluip w VIZ anu SplElU.
ual welfare Of theyounR people, as those
so called camps. For they look not upon
them as q help to tho Christian life, but
us q place for amusement and pleasure
We are laboring hard to modify them and
thank God We have hope of u better oou-
dition of things along this line During
the whole time between tho months OF
June and October, the greater number Of
the Sabbath schools are closed altogether
fN hnn lnn - pt,,t h.ln fn.,,
the woods 1t is then too cold Z nd damp
for the little children
The Presiding Elders of the A. M, Z.
Church met the Presiding Elders OF our
Conference, at Dover, Dec. Sth, 1897. and
carefully and prayerfuly discussed this
question. drafting a SGT OF resolutions and
number of rules to govern the meetings.
We have pledged ourselves to SEQ that
these rules arc strictly observed; that this
wholesale desecration Of the Sabbath may
be oblterated. The rules adopted by tho
joint meetings Of Presiding Elders bave
been unanimously endorsed by every Quar-.
terly Conference on the District.
In the twenty-five charges in tho Dis
triot, we have eighteen Epworth League
Chapters and these are doing an excellent
work, especially in the city and larger
towns Our Sunday Schools in tho same
locality were never better The same
for the camp meeting evil.
While this year will not be especially
noted for rcvivals yet many Of the churches
have hesn greatly revived and n consider
able number have been added to the church
which will be seen in the reports Of tho
pastors. There has not been great deal
of building and improving parsonage
owing largely to the fact that
during the hard times the past few yoars
nearly all of the churches have run be- |
hind in currontexpenses, so that the pas
tors and people have had to turn tleir at.
tention in that direction.
EDUCATION. -
The education facilities in the%Stute Of |
Delaware are very poor. The State Coll
ege for colored students near Dover af-
lords the most favorable opportunity for
5he education Of our people. President
W. G. Jason is doing II graud'good work
'or the college and for the race. Through
lis efforts an adjoining farm was pur-
,hased and divided into more than two
hundred lots, which were sold to our poo
Die. To further the interest of this plan
he owners have organized and incornor.
tied under the name of the College Settle
nent Company. This farm being con-
located on the Pennsylvania
Delaware division, will become
boom to the industry aud thrift Of the