Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-07-18
GREAT NAR|N ME|HOD|SM

members are specially Inter
ested in the Session of the
Wilmington Annual Con
ference.
Next year will be important TO the
Methodist Episcopal Church. Local
Methodists are specially interested in the
Both session of the Wilmington Annual
Conference, which will be held in Yves.
ley Church. Dover, in March, and Meth
odism throughout the world is looking
forward to the quadrennial session of the
General Conference which will convene
in Los Angeles. Cal. in May. The Viii
mington Conference will continue in
session week, and the General Confer
ence month. The date for the assem-
bling Of the Wilmington Conference will
be fixed and the bishop who is to preside
will be assigned next autumn by the
Board of Bishops.
The appointment of successors to Rev.
Robert Watt, d. d., presiding elder of
the Wilmington district. and Rev. 9. S.
Baker, d. ID. presiding elder of the Dover
district, who are finishing six year terms,
and the election of delegates TO the Gen.
eral Conference will be the most inter
esting features of the session of the Will
mington Conference. The election of
daIaUatac RI tha Gaoar.1 Co,ro,o,,or, .,.;l
necessitate the converting of the Lay
Electoral Conference, which meets
quadrennially and to which each charge
in the Wilmington Conference will send
representative, and consequently Dow.
er Will have to provide entertainment
for twice the usual number of visitors
Fortunately the town has ample hotel
| facilities, and the Wilmington Confer.
ence Academy can entertain many lay.
men. The two bodies will meet separ-
ately the ministers occupying the church
auditorium and the laymen assembling
IN the basement Conference sessions
are seldom discussed so soon, but the in.
teresting features of the next session of
the Wilmington Conference are already
eliciting speculation.
A presiding elder cannot serve dis.
trict more than six consecutive years
Therefore Drs. Watt and Baker, who
were appointed presiding elders in 1898,
must retire from their positions To
continue in the presiding eldership DIR
Watt. 1t seems, would have to be trans
ferred to the Dover district, and DR..
Baker. 1t also seems. would have to be
transferred to the Wilmington district
to keep him i'll that Office, but these are
| remote possibilities. 1t is also improb-
able that either Will be transferred to
the presiding eldership of the Easton or
Salisbury districts, to which Revs. w.
q. Rooms and Adam Stengle, respective
ly, We're appointed last March. Indica-
tions now point to the appointment of
either Rev. A. S. Mowbray, d. D., pas
tor of Tome Memorial Church. Port
Deposit, since March 1899, and secretary
of the Wilmington Conference since
March, 1892. or Rev. J. w. Easley, pas
tor of Harrison Street Church, Whining
ton, since March, 1902. as presiding elder
of the Wilmington district. 1t IS said
DIR. Mowbray can obtain the position if
he wishes it, but it is believed that Tome
Church, to whose pastorate he was in.
vited this week to return for the sixth
consecutive year, would object to his de.
parture from Port Deposit Rev S. NJ.
Morgan, ID. ID stationed at Milford since
March, 1902. and Rev E q. Macnichol,
ID. D., stationed at Cambridge, since
March, 1898, are mentioned for the Dow
er district presiding eldership.
Interest in the election of delegates to
the General Conference will equal, if
not eclipse. the interest in the appoint
ment of presiding elders To serve as a
delegate to that august body is consid-
cred high honor, and besides there is.
in this intance, delightful trip to the