Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-05-03
Reports at District Conference
Held at Belle Plaine Are
Gratifying
THOUSAND CONVERSIONS
If Every District in the State Docs as
We'll the Acoessions to the Church
Will Aggregate 2s,ooo-An Interest
ing Session--M nisters' Salaries
Higher.
Special to Tlmes-Republican.

Special to Times Republican,.
Belle PLANE, May 3.-1The 18th semi
annual session OF the Murshalltowp
district conference of the Nj. Il. church
met here for two days session DUR
Ing the 1st and I'd instant. This Is
Is Of a literary and business character.
The literary part consists of addresses,
sermons, papers and discussions upon
topics Of interest to the churches. The
business had to do with relicenslng of
local preachers, and the general
interests of the district. The next ses-
sion will meet at Tama In November.
Literary Features.
The first evening the Rev. DIR. Pratt,
of Iowa Falls. who was u lawyer and
a member of congress when converted,
related by request his religious experi-
ence,. which was largely brought about
by the praying of his friends at home
while he was In Washington.
The second evening. Prof. Kirk w.
Robbins, of Cornell College. delivered
u magnificent address on the subject
The Greater God and the Greater
Man In Modern Thought" He Is a
thinker, reasoner, logician, and
rather oratorical In his delivery, and
held his audience we'll.
The other literary features were as
follows: Rev. G. A. Parkin. of Rein
beck, delivered an address on the ques-
.ttNhap
Am Not Able to Meet My Benevolent
Appointments?
Papers We're read as follows:
THE Class Meeting" j. d. Blue.
Belle Plaine.
THE Prayer Meeting" Rev. G. b.
Shoemaker, of Eldora.
The Sunday SchooF-Rev. O. NJ.
Sanford. of Rockwell
The Epworth League"--Rev. e. T..
Gruwell of Hampton
THE Sunday Evening Service" -
Rev. A. +. Foster, Union.
The Importance of these as devo-
tional agencies in the church was the
special point dwelt upon,
Business Meeting.
All the pastors of the district eX-
CcDl lOuI NSiC pISStlit. ttilN tilS tSPpi 20
of conversions were the most inspiring
ever listened to at a district conference.
The spiritual prosperity of the district
surpasses anything 1t has ever had be-
fore There has not been charge but
what reports conversions and addi-
tions to the church, all the way from
half dozen to more than a hundred,
the aggregate being 1,o25, and the ac-
cessions to the church almost thou
sand. II every district In Iowa does
as we'll this year, $4,000 members Will
be added to the church in this state.
and If all Methodlsm did as well, about
a million would be the additions this
year. While the reports were being
given in an old man who has been at
tending the district conferences for
fifty years said he had never heard
such good reports. Other kinds of
prosperity has struck the Marshalltown
district as WELL The salaries of the
pastors have been increased to the
extent of $1,400 and the outlook for
raising the benevolent apportionments
is very good. Surely DR.. Pitner ana
the pastors OF the Marshalltown dis
trict are to be congratulated. Bes1des
this. several churches have either
Inundated outstanding debts or re-
paired churches or parsonage property
Notably among these are Reinpeck
Tama and Belle Plaine.
Notes Of the Meeting.
The Central Congregational Assem-
bly in session at Marshalltown tele-
graphed greetings and referred to Pm
1.3-11 and the conference telegraphed
hack good wishes, and Eph. vi and 2
DR.. Fellows, of Iowa City, was pres
ent and presented the cause OF his
history of the Upper Iowa conference
that is in process of writing ana re-
ceived eighty-five Subscriptions lor
same.