The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-11-13
OAKLAND DISTRICT.
Presiding Elder Roberts Report to the
Recent NJ. T.. Conference.

comprising the Oakland district were
supplied a year ago with conference
men, two local preachers, and one
charge, the Youghiogheny, was left
without pastor during the year.
The preachers were early on the
ground and performed faithful work.
Revivals occurred in most of the
charges. Glass meetings are kept up
in all the charges and most of the
preaching places, but the attendance
is comparatively small, and most of
the members are habitually absent
and only small percentage observe
family worship.
One or more Chapters of the Ep-
worth League are organized in TWEEN
ty-one charges, and seventeen Chap
tiers of the Junior Leagne. These are
helpful in the general work-the for
mer in training workers and the latter
especially in making it possible for
the quarterly conference question
touching the instruction of children
to be answered in the affirmative,
which consider long stride toward
saving our children to Methodism.
Our greatest difficulty in Junior work
is lack of efficient superintendent.
The Sunday School work is being
pushed at most of the preaching
places and general interest prevails.
At the District conference half day
was DEVOTED to Sunday School inter
ests proftably. a
District Conference was well atten-
ded and helpful. The District Ep-
worth League Convention was one of
the best.
am glad to report small increase
in pastors support, and that the
laity is becoming more and more in
terested in this claim and its payment
in full. We have trouble to carry out
the disciplinary plan. Where this is
done the salary comes.
The pastors gave attention early to
the benevolences, and some had COM
pleted their missionary collections at
Easter. All believe in the early pre-
sentation of these claims. Seventeen
charges increased their collections for
missions to the amount of 1854, two
charges gave the same as last year,
three charges show a decrease of 500,
leaving the net increase for the dis
trict $45.
The ten per cent. for Seminary en-
dowment has heen looked after by
the pastors and reports will show a
good collection, yet l fear there will
be small deficiency, which l hope
will be provided for soon after con-
ference.
Mrs. Hannah A. Bowman, of Noun
tain Lake Park, gave most excellent
nine room house with two roomy
porches, lot 75x125 feet to the Mission
airy Society, as a memorial of her
daughter. The property is worth
$1,000. Mother Bowman is not
woman of large means but she has
the Masters cause upon her heart and
wants to help.
Material Improvements as follows
have been made Four new churches
were dedicated during the year
Henry, on Bayard charge, Thayerville
and Armistead, on Swanton charge,
and Etam on the Etam charge. Oak
grove, on the GAINESVILLE charge, was
extensively repaired and re-opened.
Seven churches are in course of cree
ton, namely: Bray, on Swanton
charge, Dobbin, on Bayard charge,
West-End, on the Newburg charge,
Glade Valley, on Mountain Lake and
Deer Park charge, Hambleton, on the
Parsons charge, Thomas and Terra
Alta.
Improvements, more or less extern
sive, were made on the following
properties Parsons church and par
sonage, Oakland church and parson-
age, Aurora parsonage, as good as
new, Brandonville church and parson-
age, Sinclair churches, GAINESVILLE
churches, Etam parsonage in course
of erection, Evansville, new, hand
some siX-room parsonage ready for
occupancy. Horton aud Thomas par
sonages were freed from debt, not
without effort in each case also small
debt on Bayard parsonage and Cor
mania church, on Blaine charge, and
Davis paid their debt for improve
ments made last year.
Mountain Lake Park congregation,
by recent rally, reduced their church
debt almost one thousand dollars,
leaving debt of about $3.50.
The circulation of our church pa
pers, especially our Conference organ,
the Pittsburgh Adoocate, has received
careful attention.
The preachers have been kind and
considerate and helped me in every
way they could, for which | thank
them.
We have had good year.
Respectfully submitted,
L. w. ROBERTS, p. E.