Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-03-30

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visited Madeley during the winter. In
the estimation Of conservative men, ST. |
Paul's, under the ministry of the Rev. |
W. L. S. Murray, d. D., is experiencing |
its red-letter days. spirit Of de- |
lightful harmony pervades the entire |
church. Its policy is both progressive |
and aggressive. Scott keeps we'll in |
the fore front. Silverbrook considers |
itself greatly favored in having as its |
pastor the Rev. Z. e. White. The |
church has made substantial progress
in all respects, and freed itself OF debt.
In the near future, it is destined to be
one of the most desirable appointments
in Wilmington. DR.. Watt paid COM
pliments 10 other churches.
During the year, tho churches Of the
Wilmington district spent 81, S40 on
improvements and debts.
Cambridge, Md, March 24.-At yes
terday's session Of Wilmington Confer
ence the reports of presiding elders,
which were read, contained much in
teresting information.
PRESIDING ELDER coRKRAH's REPORT.
The Rev. W. F. Corkran, d. D.,
presiding elder of the Easton district,
read his report The following is
synopsis:
There have been three changes in
the pastoral appointments announced
one year ago. A few days after the
last session, the Rev. Frank Fletcher
was transferred to the New York Con-
ferenc, and the Rev. j. /. Nelson of
that conference was transferred to
Trappe. The Rev. j. W. Prettyman
returned to Drew Seminary, and
Crumpton was supplied by the Rev.
John Jones. The Rev. NJ. ID. Nutter
secured transfer to the West Virginia
Conference, and the Rev. Daniel Wilson
was assigned TO Marydel. The utmost
harmony has prevailed in every charge,
but the weather and financial con-
ditions under which tho work has been
prosecuted have been the hardest ever
known. Stormy Sundays and roads
made impossible by snowdrifts and
mud closed many country churches for
| from four to six weeks at a time and
greatly depleted the congregations in
the towns, thus paralyzing every form
| of church work, while the extreme
scarcity Of money made it exceedingly
difficult To gather funds for debts, i'm
provements and benevolences.
A church has been built in Pea
Neck, st. Michael's charge A chapel
has boen built at Jumptown. A
church, which will cost 81, 500, is
being built at Blackbird. parsonage
has been built at Clayton. The Easton
Church has been remodelled at cost
Of -, 600. The next thing in order for
Easton is conference session. Mid
dletown has bought pipe organ. at
a cost of 5l.2J0, and paid an old debt
of $3.50. The Bolingbrooke Church has
been remodelled at cost of $500.
Chestertown has expended 5000 in i'm
proving church and parsonage. Ridgely
has paid debt of $1,000.
Methodism cannot retain her prestige
on this soil unless she shall keep her
strongest and most cultured sons in
her pulpits, and this can only be done
by offering Il support equal to that
offered by other fields. AS the matter
now stands, all that member of the
Wilmington Conference can hope for is
meagre subsistence. without the
means 10 purchase the facilities for
the highest measure Of usefulness,
until his head begins to frost, when he
is relocated to the rear by the demand
for young men; little later, to the
retired ranks, with the beggar's pit
tance, or. if he shall die, positive want
awaits his family. No few of the
brethren, the most efficient and the
most in demand, are in positive dis
tress year after year, because their
salaries are inadequate to meet tbs
needs of their families and carry q
small life insurance policy to keel
their loved ones ont of beggars' alley,
if they should die. To see minister
of Jesus Christ, who has given 30, Il
or 30 years in devoted, tireless energ,
to the church, the supreme factor il
the creation of wealth, who has liter
ally burned himself up to warm tn,
: hearts and light the paths of tn,
thousands, compelled in old age anC
! feeblenoss to turn 10 the carpenter;
! bench, or to die at the gate of tn
wealthy church Of which he was tn,
master builder, or to beg for crumbs tt
keep himself and his loved ones from
hunger, pauper in his own kingdom
, is sight to make an angel weep and
devil smile. Yet" DIR. Corkral
, said, "mine eyes and yours are accus
!. toned to such a sight " Multitude
Of men in other pursuits, with nj
. more ability and less toll, lay up al
= abundance for sickness and old age
but not Methodist preacher, sine
! the organization OF the church, by tn
savings of his salary, il he has fur
nished himself with the necessary i'm
plements of success, has accumulate
enough for the comfort of himself an
: family for long evening of life; an
:, if this has not been done where tn
support is more, much less has it hee
done where the support is less. Neve
. have We retired a member of out cor
= ference whose sole dependence was hi
:, salary that we did not have to put hin
u at once upon the pension list, 'Thi
u condition of things" DIR. Corkran sale
"has burned itself into my bont
= during these eight years of my oliici;
:, position, and l have tried TO obviat
= 1t by urging better support for tn
Z pastors, and yet | am pained that /
y little has been accomplished. Aft,
!, two years. effort, | have seen the ave
/ age salary OF the Easton district az
- vanced only SO. This year, the aC
!, vances aggregated sl,22o. ! fear ii
- deficiency column will make ba
" showing, owing to the neglect
~ stewards early in the year and Il
f. many hindrances to the success
. their work later
10 Some of the brethren took their CO
. lections early, and in every case the
y advanced. If all had been thus wis
y, we should have been hundreds
~ dollars ahead of last year.
u Special evangelistic services ha
y. been held in all the churches, but ii
'h health and weather conditions cor
VI bined made it very difficult to pros
~ cute this kind of work. The total nuI
W Der Of conversions is about Ta5
- An earnest effort was made by a fe