Evening journal., 1900-03-20

OPEN CONFERENCE WITH A
SERMON AT EPwoRTH-ELEC-
TIoN OF DELEGATES TO GEN
ERAL CONFERENCE THE MOST
INTERESTING FEATURE.
The thirty-second annual session of the
Methodist Episcopal Conference will
open with a missionary meeting in Ep-
worth M. E. Church tonight Rev. R..
T. Coursey will preside.
This session brings TO the city the
largest religious gathering since 1892,
when the great factional Wilson fight
took place in Grace Church. Four hun
dred and thirty-fiye persons-175 mem
bers who are in the active ministry, II
supernumeraries, 10 superannuates, IL
candidates for admission, 175 lay dele
gates, and 46 official visitors the last
mentioned representing various Metho-
dist interests-will be present.
Usually when a double conference
assemblies 1t is in this city, owing to
greater facilities for the accommoda-
tion of the delegates. In 1896, however,
it was held in Dover. Consequently
Wilmington will extend a warm well
come to the. conference after an eight
years absence.
During the year death has claimed
five members of the conference-E. II.
Hynson, a supernumerary, and Henry
Sanderson, w. e. England, T. S. Will
liams and A. ID. Davis, superannuates.
The conference includes all the
churches Of Methodist denomination in
Delaware and the Eastern Shore Of
Maryland.
The last report of the conference
shows that Wilmington district has 81
churches, valued at 753,070; 33 parson-
ages, valued at $90,65O; claims on
church property amounting to sS6,10S;
1892 church members, 43 local preach
ers and II Sunday schools, with 1904
officers and teachers and 1877 schol-
ars The district last conference year
paid out, for pastors support, s40,858;
$1,974 for presiding elders support and
$451 for Episcopal support
The Easton district has SO churches,
valued at S2f7,300 32 parsonages, val
ued at S57 600; claims on church prop
erty amounting to SO .569. 1870 church
members. 10 local preachers, IS Sunday
oinOJAcf WIN AfANo bnlAtAc anu ACdNuNA =
and 7,T57 scholars. The district last
year paid out in support Of ministers
the sum of S2S.274, 81 .634 for presiding
elders support and S29S for Episcopal
support.
The Salisbury district has 112
churches, valued at s256, ZOO; Al par
sonages. valued at s5S,3OO; claims on
church property amounting to 1852,
1908 church members, 23 local preach
ers, ia Sunday schools, with 1, 1,479 Off
GERS and teachers and 1906 scholars.
For pastors support the district last
year paid out s33,6S1, $1,812 for sup
port Of presiding elder, S349 for Episco-
pal support.
Dover district has 131 churches, val
ued at $294,4 81 parsonages, valued
at $50 100; claims ON church property
amounting to s12,23S; 11,O77 church
members, 35 local preachers, 126 Sun
day schools. with IL, ,169 scholars. For
support of ministers the district paid
out last year S31S4S, S1,734 for presid-
ing elders support and 1888 for Episco-
pal support
The total for the four districts is:
Churches, 1886, valued at S1,541 ,470; 14s
parsonages, valued at S265650; claims
on church property amounting to 1926.
or, 40,S62 church members, 119 local
preachers, 1896 Sunday schools. with s.
S66 officers and teachers. with 43.24S
scholars; s134,659 paid out for pastors
support, S7.154 for presiding elders sup
port and 81 All for Episcopal support.
Rev. Benjamin F. Price, of Elkton
Md. who entered the ministry in 1886
and George A. Phoebus. Of Brooklyn
for many years stationed at Elkton
will attend the conference.
But few changes in the pastoratel
are expected. The congregations of 81
of the 46 churches in the Wilmington
district have invited their pastors L
return for another year. Thirty-fou
of the "A pastors in the Dover distric
have been invited to return, 80 Of thl
40 in the Easton district and 2S of tn
As pastors in the Salisbury district
The conference will be in session
daily from $50 o'clock until noon, be
ginning tomorrow. The afternoons an
evenings will be devoted to celebrating
the anniversaries Of conference societie
as follows:
Wednesday afternoon. Historical So
ciety; evening" Rev. F. B. Shorts re
ception on behalf of Epworth Church
Thursday afternoon, Women's HON
Missionary Society; evening, veterans
anniversary. Friday afternoon, VIC
mems Foreign Missionary Society
evening, Church Extension Societ,
Saturday afternoon Epworth Leagu
convention: evening, temperance ann
versary. Sunday morning sermon b
Bishop Andrews at Epworth Churc
and admission of candidates, elders an
deacons; evening, missionary rail-,
Monday evening, Freedman's Aid 81
ciety.
The pastoral appointments and II
election of delegates to the Gener,
Conference will be the most interestir
features Of the coming session. tt
General Conference will convene in Ch
eago next May. It's last session. in 1Sg
was held in Cleveland, o. The gre.
question before the body at that tin
was the eligibility of women to sit
delegates. and the matter was dismis
ed to the care of a special committe
and eventually 10 the annual confe