Evening journal., 1904-03-16
Much of the Morning
Session Is Spent in
Hearing Reports of
Presiding Elders Watt
and Rooms
Standing Committees AP-
(. pointed for This Ses-
sion-Paper on Amuse-
1uent Question Read by
DR.. Baker

staff Correspondent Evening Journal.
Dover. March 1.-THE attitude of the
Methodist Church upon the campmeeting
question Of late has been matter Of
conjecture. 1t has ranked only second to
uhat OF changing the amusement clause in
the church Discipline. while that of the
restoration of the time limit is Of secon-
dary consideration.
Some preachers are heartily in favor Of
the good old time campmeetings. while
Others do not hesitate to denounce them
as sources of evil, and compare them to
summer resorts"
others there are who claim that inter-
est ir these gatherings is dying out. BE
that as It may. Brandywine Summit and
other famous camps are held year after
year and the attendance is something for
people Of other determinations 10 marvel
at
Salisbury district Is considered the ban
ner one for The holding Of camps. there
being fifteen there last season, irrespective
Of the colored camps. so the views of the
REV. Adam stingle, presiding elder OF
that district are worth knowing.
In his report and in this relation Mr..
stinsle said:
Complicated Problem.
.campmeetings on this district present
a very serious and complicated problem.
and public sentiment is much divided con-
corning them. That evil abounds in con-
nection with them all will admit and that
good is done none can deny.
They once were a necessity because
they are not so now. Yet they may. 4
properly conducted, stili be means OF
grace to the community AMI furnish an
opportunity for preaching the gospel to
many who will not attend our churches.
1T is true that in some cases they arc
little more than summer resorts but such
a resort is not necessarily IN evil MOI
viii It hurt our people to keep these re-
sorts under religious influence
I'm many cases the churches own The
ground and have leased it for long term
Of years and have erected costly tents and
other buildings. So It IS safe to assume
that campmeetings will be held and II we
refuse to assume that campmeetings viii
be held and If we refuse 10 hold them
others are more than ready to accept the
responsibility and so inhict upon us the
evils without the compensation Of such
meetings.
1T seems to me. therefore inadvisablS
to assume an attitude of unqualihed hos.
tilty to all such meetings and 20 withhold
our support from them.
'But where we cannot discourage oui
people from holding them wesshould seel
10 control the situation so as to preven
or eliminate the evil features and to mui
tiply the good"
Or. Bakers Report.
Dr. Baker was the first presiding ell.
der called upon to give his report. Here
are brief extracts:
There has been but one minister tC
die during the year, the Rev. Jonathan
S. Willis, Of Milford. other changes
We're made by the relief OF the Rev
Hubbard. from Little Creek. and the
withdrawal Of Z. B. Taylor, an or.
dained minister. DIR. Baker referred tc
the explosion at Greenwood and the
$1,000 damage which it did to the Meth.
O dist Church and parsonage there
Church debts have been paid amount.
ing to $4,000 and $500 was raised fol
Improvements. The missionary collec.
tions are $50 ahead of last year. Church
improvements amounting to $l6,00l
have been made and there have beer
total Of 500 conversions.
Standing Committee Reported.
The following standing committees
We're appointed;
Educatfon-J. A. Brewington, w. o
Hurst, c. T. Wyatt G. E. Wood.
Bible-O. e. Jones. j. W. Prettyman
IL
Sunday Schools and Tracts-F. S
Beauchamp. j. II. Gooden. ~ b. Guth
rie. w. p. Taylor.