The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-09-21
M THODISM GROWS
IN THE SAVANNAH DISTRICT FOR A
YEAR INCREASED 500.
ALL ASSESSMENTS WERE PAID
FOR MISSION WORK, BOTH HOME
AND FOREIGN, BY MAY L.

Report of Presiding Elder Ellis VIII
show Tint Every Charge VIII
Have Paid in Full Allotted Amount
for support of Pastor and for Com.
ference-The Record Never Before
EqualIed in History of Methodist
Church SOuth-The Churches in
Savannah.
A gross increase of 500 members
during the year. the entire assessment
for both foreign and home missions
paid by May l, and the prospects for
the payment of every cent assessed
for the pastors support and the ex-
pense of the coming conference. is
the remarkable record made by the
Savannah district Methodist churches
during the year. Rev. DR.. T. D. Ellis,
the presiding elder of the districts very
much elated over this showing and
spoke enthusiastically about the out
look for the year to a Morning News
representative yesterday.
DR.. Ellis preached yesterday morn
ing at the Wesley Monumental Church
and in the evening at Grace Church.
He will leave during the early part
of the week for other charges in the
district, where he will hold the quar-
terly meetings preparatory to making
up his report to submit to the presid-
ing Bishop at the conference conVen-
ing on Nov. %. Dr. Ellis is confident
that the report of the Savannah dis
trict will not be equalled by any other
district in the South.
My report will SHOW" said Dr. Ellis,
that since the last session of the con-
ference the membership in the district
has made a gross increase of 500 men,
bers and a net increase of SIS This
is a record that has never been equall-
ed before in the history of the dis
trict, or at least not in a great many
years. Such an increase shows clear
~ that the interest in church work is
not dying out among the Methodsts,
and that a united effort has been made
by pastors and congregations to bring
the standard of the church up to a
high plane.
Financial Condition Excellent.
THE financial condition of the church
is always very good-in fact, the rec
ceeded by any district in Georgia, and
will probably be unequalled by any. l
doubt if an equal showing can be made
by any district in Southern Methodism.
THE assessments for the Home Mis-
sion Department of the church had
been received from every one of the
eighteen charges in the district by
March rs, and every assessment for the
Foreign Mission Department by May l.
This is six months earlier than any
other district In Georgia, a record
upon which any church may well pride
itself.
The Savannah churches are all in
tiourishing condition, and from the re-
ports given me by the pastors and the
trustees the past year has been the
best in their history. From the finan-
cial standpoint there is no ground for
complaint. The membership of every
church has shown a decided increase
as compared with past years. The at
tendance at the regular Sunday serv-
ices has been excellent and uniformly
large, and the prayer meetings and
class meetings have also been well at
tended. All departments have been car
ried forward with ZEAL and interest
has not been lost in any of them. Spir-
itually, too. the churches are all in
good condition.
Outlook Unusually Bright.
1.-The outlook is unusually bright from
every standpoint. The indications at
present strongly point to the fact that
every charge in the district will pay
its full assessments this year, both
for pastors support and also the con-
ference assessment This is a state
of affairs that has never existed be-
fore in the history of the Methodist
Church South and we have every rea-
son to be proud of the showing of the
Savannah district.
Our eighteen charges are scattered
considerably and some of them are in
the poor and sparsely settled portions
of the state. Some of the churches there
have had hard struggle and at times
the success of their establishment has
seemed almost to be a failure. But
this year there has been a decided
change and the remarkable showing
stated before will be made. Never be-
fore has any Southern Methodist dis
trict been able to report the full amount
of the assessments collected from
every charge and the Savannah dis
trict will therefore go on record in
the history of the church"
Many Plans for New Year.
Many plans are; on foot for the COM
ing year looking toward the increase
of membership in the churches and the
spreading of the principles of Metho-
dism everywhere. One of the chief of
these will be the united missionary eff
fort on the part of the Savannah Meth
odist churches, an effort designed to
spread Christianity into sections of the
city where ii has not heretofore been.
Already several of the churches have
begun the work of paving the way, and
the movement will be pushed rapidly to
its elimination after the sessions of
conference.
Rev. J. A. Smith, pastor of the Ep-
worth Church, is preaching a series of
sermons preparatory to this work. At
Trinity Church the weekly stereopticon
lectures have been recommended, and
are being well attended. At the Yves
ley Monumental Church the pastor.
Rev. II. c. Christian, has been holding
a series of special revival meetings
and delivering sermons especially to
the young people of the city. These
services. too. have been we'll attended.
At Grace Church active work will COM
mence almost Immediately. Rev Jack
son pushing the work since his return
from his vacation.