Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-11-09
CONFERENCE ENDS

Attendance at the State Center Meet
ina Of the Marshaltown District
Methodist Conference Was Large
The Proceedings.
Special to Times Republican.
State Center. Nov. 9.-The seven
teenth semi-annual session of the Mar
shalltown district conference of the
Methodist Episcopal church met here
for a two days session Monday eve
ming. 1t was clever move on the
part of the program committee when
they put Rev. n. A. Mershon, of Tole-
do, on the program of the first even
ing. Mr.. Mershon spent four years in
the pastorate of the State Center
church and was loved by saint and
sinner alike. and his appearance on
the program at the first session started
1t out with bound About forty an.
swered to roll call, most of them being
ministers, but laymen We're present
from a few charges. Is
This is literary and business ses-
sion. The business to be transacted
was Of a general character consisting
Of reports Of the progress the various
charges. The presiding elder, Dr. W..
f. Pitner, reported that every charge.
in the district, is supplied with preach
ers, and he looks for a revival on every
charge. His plan for the employment
of district evangelist had received
the approval of the annual conference
and the presiding bishop and Mr. Van
Marter has been appointed and will
spend the entire year on the district
under the direction of DR.. PiCner. The
pastors reports consisted in giving a
resume of the spiritual ano material
condition of the various charges. The
work in general is very prosperous
and commendable progress Is being
made along all lines.
Rev. Van Marter led the opening de-
votional services of each session, and
preached last evening and will preach
again this evening. He has been well
received and all are expecting great
things from him.
A deep spiritual undertone pervaded
all the sessions and at timas rose to
the urface and became the controlling
feature OF the conference.
The next session was fixed for the
last of May and will be held at Belle
PLANE.
Rev. Mark Masterssof Moltour, was
elected Secretary and treasurer in the
place of Rev. NJ. N. Smith.
The following literary features of
the program are worthy of special no.
tice:
s .1The relative Importance Of All the
Benevolences''-By Rev. y. B. Jones.
OF Conrad.
"The Financial Obligation of the
Charge to the .Pastor'-By Mr.. j. y.
Blue, of Belle Plaine.
A symposium on revival work stirred
much interest.
"The Pastor and the Revival"-By
Rev. j. F. Black, of Grundy Center.
..The Laity and the Revival'-Chap-
lain Jesse Cole.
"The Holy Spirit and the Revival"
pr. H. o. Pratt, of Iowa Falls.
"The Care of Converts"-Rev A. I.
Bishop, Of Sheffield.
Rev. e. G.. Copeland, Of Ackley.
preached a sermon on 1.-The Supremacy
of Christ"
"The Relation of the Pastor to the
Station Plann was presented by DR.. II.
C. Mueller, of Ackley.
"Our Veterans and Their Care" was
presented by Rev. William Luse, Of
Rhodes.
"Evangelistic Work on the District"
was the subject of an animated but
~ cil frc
The educational address by Profess
sor Belts of Cornell College, closed the
afternoon session.
The following resolutions were
adopted:
"Resolved, That we recognize the
excellent executive ability Of our
presiding elder, DR.. w. F. Pitner In
carving on the work of the Mar
shalltown district: and that we are
in hearty sympathy with him IN ms
desire to make the district ring with
the evangelistic spirit That we APP
preciate the spirit of aggressive
evangelism that has characterized the
whole session of the district confer
ence. and that is prevalent on the dis
trict: that we hope that the most SAN
p,,ine hopes for the salvation of men
NAV be realized that we believe IN
the hand to hand work to reach the
people: and that we are in hearty ac-
cord with the district evangelist. Bro.
Van Marter, in his work for the re-
demption of men. His earnest spirit
is an inspiration to us all.
'That we thank the secretary for MS
faithful services, and that we express
our gratitude to those who came on
for their excellent produc-
tions. That we appreciate the hearty
greeting and hospitality that has been
extended to us by the pastor. DR.. w.
II. Clement, and his people, in so kind
Nv entertaining us in their homes; and
that we appreciate the courtesies that
have been extended to US by the cit
liens OF State Center.
"That it is the sense OF this district
conference that its members are as
much in duty bound to attend its ses-
sions as the meetings of the annual
conference, and that it is an act Of
to absent ourselves with
mt due notice. Respectfully,
&C. X. HUDSON.
"J. B. JONES.
&C. A. PARKIN &C. *. Hudson)
A Disastrous Calamity.