, 1903-09-30
BIBLE CONFERENCE PLANS.
Large Tabernacle to be Erected
for the purpose of promoting
Study of the Scriptures.
MOVEMENT OF GREAT IMPORTANCE.

A movement is on foot to establish
on this island a Summer Bible Confer
ence similar to the famous Northfield
conference established by the late
Dwight L.. Moody. The first public
announcement in the matter was made
at the union prayer meeting last We'd
nesday evening at the Hollywood
NJ. f.. church.
The leader in the movement is Mr..
Thomas McCorkle, president of the
Wilmington Bible Union, of Whining
ton, Del, who has spent the summer
here and is planning to spend the COM
ing winter also. Mr.. McCorkle, who
came here on account of broken health
and who has been greatly benefited
since coming to the beach, believes that
he was led here providentially in order
to bring about the establishment of the
work proposed. The movement has
the hearty endorsement of the local
pastors, as is evidenced by the union
prayer meetings already begun, whose
purpose, in part at least, is for united
prayer concerning the bible conference
plans.
1t is proposed to build a tabernacle
on the beach front with a capacity ofat
least 900 people and to use this build
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SON., for meetings TO promote knowledge
of the word of God. Teachers of ma
tional and worldwide reputation will
be brought here TO give instruction and
the meetings will doubtless attract WIS.,
itors from the whole of the eastern part
of the country.
1t must not be understood that this
tabernacle is in any sense to take the
place of the churches already estab-
lished. 1t will be a decided benefit to
the churches rather than otherwise.
The tabernacle will not be another
church in addition to those already
here, but it will be a union meeting
house, a common rallying point for all
the churches, where an effort all along
the line can be made to reach the great
hosts who throng to the beach during
the heated term.
Besides Mr.. McCorkle, there are other
christian workers also interested in the
movement. Among these is Mr.. Chas.
l.. Huston, a large iron and steel man
ufacturer of Coatesville, Pa. Mr.. Hus-
ton is well known in Pennsylvania as
a christian worker of great power and
fruitfulness. He is chairman of the
Pennsylvania State committee of the
Young Mems Christian Association.
vi 10 bCiC Will LIE VII "
cupying the Reinhardt cottage on
Magnolia VEN
The teacher of the Wilmington Bible
Union is also here. He is William l..
P%ettingill, pastor of the North Baptist
church of Wilmington and a circuit
Bible teacher of considerable reputa-
ton. In the event of the proposed
Summer Bible Conference being estab-
lished, these gentlemen will doubtless
be associated with Mr.. McCorkle and
certain local workers in its manage
ment.
The exact location for the tabernacle
has not been selected. The promoters
of the enterprise desire to place the big
building at some central point on the
island, near the surf and facing the sea.
Those who are chiefly concerned in the
movement feel that the selection of a
site for the building is a matter of prime
importance, not to be decided with un-
due haste. Negotiations have been
quietly progressing for several weeks,
but no final decision has been arrived
at.