The evening Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1902-1902, 1902-05-19
BIG DAY At
..~@ CONFERENCE.

.:.'.." CONFERENCE.
Il was big Sunday at the A. M. E.
Conference IN Bethel Church yester-
day. Out Of town visitors were here In
large numbers.
The majority o! the Philadelphia
visitors, the number Of which was
large, came. by boats of the Whining.
ton Steamboat Company, the
steamb boats Brandywine and City
OF Chester brought standing loads.
A special excursion from Smyrna on
the steamer Brady. arrived at the
King street wharf shortly before
noon. While the crowd was Of vast
proportions it was orderly in the ex-
IRENE, and g ave the police 40 trouble
whatever,
The greater part Of the crowd re-
manned on the East Side during the
morning hours, but In the afternoon
Market street was crowded and
throngs stood on each side Of the
street in front Of the Opera House,
where the afternoon service washed.
Religious services were held at
Bethel Church beginning at 6. 3Oa. m.
with a praise service, conducted by
Rev. J. Harris Accoe, the sweet
singing evangelist and a member OF
the New York conference. He led
the congregation in the afternoon,
also at the Opera House. Conference
lovefeast was conducted by the Rev.
Theodore Gould; Sunday Schoo! at
23O p. m. by Rev. J. Il. Warner;
6 D. m. Christian Eudeavor, by Rev.
W. B. Williams. In the evening the
sermon " as delivered by Rev. DR.. H.
b. Parks, Of New York, secretary OF
missions. He reviewed the work Of
the department Of the church which
had to with the Home and Foreign
Missions, oper ated at present at an
annual expenditure Of upwards OF
! Is, 600, which lie said was inadequate
to pursue the work as it should be.
The IT. Rev. Bishop William B.
Derrick, D. u. delivered an eloquent
discourse at ST. Paul's Methodist
Episcopal Church at TO- q. m.
The attendance was unusually
large. The Rev. DR.. J. B. Stansberry
and the Rev. Dr. M. w. Morton, as.
sisted the pastor Of the church, the
Rev. W. L. S. Murray, in the de-
votional exercises.
At the conclusion, Rev. DR.. Muir
ray in introducing Bishop Derrick in
a most f1attering speech, said; In the
United States there are seventeen
branches of Methodists. Metho'
distism Is wonderful move ment
called Christianity in earnest. ut
is not" SAID he, ~ am glad to say,
confined to one class or race of people
There are 500. 900, 900 communicates
in the seventeen branches OF the
great Methodist family
IL am glad continued DR.. Muir
ray, Ito introduce to this magnificent
congregation the representative OF
one of the seventeen branches of our
famiiy--Bishop W. B. Derrick OF the
African Methodist Epis copal Church
This the daughter, which was born
when the mother was but nine years
olo. Is doing a great work. They are
strong, vigorous and enterprising.
This aggressive and earnest church
represents a membershi p of 100, 000
and has 6, 900 ministers OF the Gospel
with equally as many churches. y
Bishop Derrick, who was born
under tile English flag, is here to-day
but to cement the bonds Of fellow
ship more firmly between the two
great English-speaking nations
Bishop Derrick selected as his
subject "The Adversaries that
Confront Church and State ore
/ the Adyersar,es that Confront the
Nation,'' based upon the text,
First Corinthians, 'l6. SO.
Bishop Derrick said in Fart: "ln
this the most Christian nation in
the world, We are confronted with
problems that are bane to our
great American republic, ignor-
ance, intemperance and the spirit
of lawlessness. BY ignorance l
do not mean it as related to the
understanding Of mere letters, but
as 1t relates to our duty to the
government. our church and nation.
We stand in the forefront Tor an
educated Christian ministry through
whose efforts we believe the work
is to be accomplished. The time
is rapidly approaching and, might
add, is here. believe that when
men and women will allow the love
Of Jesus Christ to reign supreme 10
their hearts, and it will be then
that iutemperance and !awlessness
will be discontinued Give us the
love Of God and the Bible 10 every
home aud we will see the desired.
Intemperance is threatening us in
this country, the liquor traffic is a
menace to our best interest in this
country; it's insidious influence is
sapping the very vitals of our best
man and wUmanhood. The very
flowers of our youth are being de-
stroyed. '~
There is another evil desire to
call attention to, the too great and
ardent desire to become rich in the
worlds goods. Many are resorting
to any means to become rich, which
is leading to mistrust and loss of
confidence. The spirit of lawless-
ness is growing, which is leading to
mistrust and loss Of confidence.
The spirit of lawlessness is growing,
which means the destruction of the
stability of our government. Let