The daily Republican., 1902-12-12
CHURCHES DYING
ON THE DISTRICT.
Presiding Elder Watt Makes
Prediction that Inactive
Churches Will Vanish.
HAD SMALL CONVENTION.
Presiding Officer Said Dele
gates Gould Not be Expect
ed When the Pastors
Did Not Attend.

churches on the Wilmington Dis
trict dying! They will be dead in
ten years as sure as Gods sun is
trying to shine to-day were the
words uttered by Presiding Elder
Watt at the Young Peoples Mission
ary Convention in Nazareth NJ. E.
Church here yesterday afternoon.
DR.. Watt discussed missions after
three addresses had been made The
words of prediction fell on the con-
vention like thunder from a clear
sky. Continuing DR.. Watt said,
Every church that has members
who are approaching their pastor
and Presiding Elder to cut down
their appointment, who think they
are doing too much is gradually
drifting to the undertakers to be
buried.
Later when the Rev. William
G. Koons remarked in assigning
homes to delegates that he had done
everything in his power to have
the churches in rural New Castle
county represented, Dr. Watt said,
The fault lies not altogether with
the societies. The pastors are not
here. At the convention at Elkton
yesterday every church was repre-
sented and one church which we
had not included on the pro
gramme."
The Rev. c, w. Prettyman, d. D.
presided, and the Rev. W. &. koons
welcomed the delegates and Presid-
ing Elder Watt responded.
The Rev. F. McKinsey offered
prayer and the first address was by
the Rev. w. O. Hurst on the sub
ject What can the Epworth
League do for Nlissions:" He said
in part that noble woman had said
to graduating class of young wom-
en- that i'll selecting yoursvocation
go where others are not willing to
go. Let us look at these noble won
en- going forth in their missions Of
love. Out Of all wickedness has come
the effects of the gospel of Jesus
Christ. Great work has already /
been ,done. Before Bishop Taylor
and others went forth there We're
others who lived and died with |
prayer. Devoted parents haVc sent
out their loved souS as missionaries,
Before Christ's great work on Cal
vary there was the prayer i'll the
garden Shall we be left out in THIS
great crusade. We can have Il pas
sion for truth and a passion for souls
If every member Of the Epworth
League will come forward and
arouse from our lethar&y then
surely we will become missionaries
for the sake Of Christ"
The Rev. J. D. Riggs spoke on the +
subject "Motholis'n and Missions.
He said that when pastors take up
collections for Missions there is
grumbling heard about what has to
be raised for home work. In the !
Wilmington District last year W"
gave GO cents for each mcmhcr and .
probationcr and %lG.O1 for each
person in home work.
Now put pin in that for refer
ence. Here in New Castle there
was sent away a sum cquallng %
cents q member. We are giving
from ten to twenty times as much
for home work as we give for foreign
missions.
Does it Pay was the subject Of
a ten minutes address by the Rev.
j. w. Easlcy. He said in part. that
truly in the work we are called 10 do !
we must cast aside all ambitions.
1t is said of Him who established
His church that He was rich but be
came poor in order that by folio W
ing His footsteps we might become
rich. We are to bridge over the
CULTS that separate us from the
bread Of life.
The wealth of what we see here
is but an indication of what we shall
see everywhere. AS we take the
ore from the lands and convert 1t !
into steel, so must we take up TIE
mission work and convert 1t INTO
practical christianity.
Yes. l say, it pays to disseminate
the word of the Gospel. 1t is more
blessed to give than to receive. We
must 20 to Il Mary Mugdalen and
ask if it pays to pour that box OF
ointment on her Christ. Turn to
the Church of the living God and |
ask if it pays to carry the word OF |
the Gospel to all people. That is
an unworthy question. Get behind
me Satan.
sour work in China" was the
Of an eloquent address by
Mrs. +. D. GamewelI who said tha
success must be perfect aud therefore
there are no greater hearts than the
voluntary people in far OF lands.
Every member must be missionary
then the missionaries would be
everywhere. What not are our church
possibilities if our members would
do what they could. Mrs. Gamewell
told that at her entrance lntoMIssion
work thirly.one years ago there
was one man of the Methodist church
in North China. The missionaries
then began to lcarn the language.
Sc huo's were opened and finally we
llada afeat system Of schools for
BOYS and girls before the great break
Dame III. Z: Ihen preaching began IN
cha pes and districts. and we were
followed by the prayers Of the faith
that sent US.
Mrs. Gamewell demonstrated by II
tapes how money is expended.
There is spent in America an.
nualiy fourteen hundred millions for
liquor, eight hundred millions for
tobacco, seven hundred millions for
ie welrv, four hundred millions for Il
yuod lime. one hundred millions for