The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-03-15
CONFERENCE
DISCUSSIONS.
Election of Delegates to
Conference and DR..
Hanna's Work the
Principal Ones.

| As tie time of the meeting Of the Wils
| mingJon NJ. T. Conference approaches, in.
| teresp 10 the numerous matters which will
come before the Conference for considera-
tion Increases. Among the most impor-
tant matters before the assembly will DO
the election of two delegates to the Gen.
eral Conference, which Twill meet in Chi
cago during Muy, and consideration OF the
Twentieth Century Thank Offering
movement us ii applies to this Conference.
Abou5 the election Of delegates 10 the
General Conference possibly the greater
interest centres Rev, DR.. Robert e. Watt
presiding elder OF the Wilmington district
and Rev. I. II, Mar indale presiding elder
Of the Salisbury district have already been
named for election, but some opposition Is
spriDging up against them.
| comes from Rev. Wilbor L. Corkran,
pre- siding elder of tho Eas on district aud
Rev. {. s. Baker, presiding elder OF ths
Dover district These ministers are said
to Represent the Wilson party" Of tho
conference and their opposition against
the election Of Drs. Watt and hartiudaie
may be somewhat determined. But men,
bcrs of the conference in this section ssy
they anticipate no such opposition against
DrA. Watt and Martindale as will bar
them from the Chicago Conference. Tha
Wilmington Conference has always beon
ably represented at the General Confer
enco and ths members propose that 1t
shall be at tie coming session.
Consideration of tho Twentieth Cen
tury Fuud'subject will be interesting to
every member of the church, II the oppo-
sition now outlined against 1t is carried
out. At the last session of conference
Rev. John d. G. Hanna was appointed
general secretary of the work here. The
object Of the movement is we'll known to
6vory Methodist layman, 1t having been
explained in every church by DR.. Hanna
during the year. His efforts have been
successful and he will therefore go co con-
ference with big report, report that
will be too big in fact from q financial
standpoint to please the ministers Of the
conference.
This will be so because DR.. Hanna, the
ministers say, will claim the honor Of
having raised all the money the churches
havo raised toward their indebtedness
during the year. For instance he will
claim the honor OF having raised the
$4,000 which the members of Gracs
Church have contributed toward their
church debt; the $1,000 which Rev. +. b.
Short collected for Epworth Church; $1,000
which Rev CA. Grisa has devoted toward
liquidating the debt Of Union Church.
and other sums raised by kngswood.
Scott and dozen other churches of the
conference.
The members of the conference do not
object to the embodiment in Mr.. Hanna's
report of the moncy he raised for the sup.
port of the Conference Academy ut Dover
and for tho worn out ministers fund, he
having been especially delegated to that
work. but they will enter vigorous pro-
test against him claiming in any way the
credit thai ID due those ministers who by
persistent effort have succeeded in reduc-
ing the indeb edness against their
churches.
Tho proposed action Of Mr.. Hanna Is be-
ing openly cond .mnou and it will work to
his disadvantage in many ways. IL Ia
said that he will not permit his name to
bo offered for reappointment to the secre-
aryship OF the fund, but whether he will
insist in this particular will not be posi-
lively known until conference meets.
Wilmington preachers believe that Mr..
Hanna will not accept raappointment.
in which event there will bo n change in
tho church pastorates which is now un-
planned. 1t has been said that Rev. Dr.
W. L. 5. Murray would be relieved Of the
st. Pauls pulpit and that possibly DR..
Hanna would be appointed his successor
but one minister who is in posltion to
know said yes erduy that DR.. Murray
paul's people for four years, has been in
vited to return II the influence of the ma
jOrity members of tho conference has any
weight with the presiding bishop, he will
be.
Another matter Of importance the
conference will be called upon to consider
is the manner Of electlng church trustees.
OF courso the conference can only place
itself on record q, being against the pre-
sent manner OF election and urge that the
General Assembly, at its coming session
repeal the law. This will b, done. Grace.
Asbury and st. Paurs Churches will
father tho movement.
The reports to bs presented to the con-
ference will probably show no marked In
crease in membership or in the number OF
preachers. The leading ministers of the
conforeDce have become aroused at the
falling off in the number Of probatlonors
md the apparent general decline OF spirit
lality, but as one minister put 1t yOstsr.
lay, this section has kept up remarkably
we'll as compared with other conferences.
The program of conference and the list
>f homes for the ministers and lay delG-
gates have appeared i'll these columns.