Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-03-24
METHODIST
PROTESTANTS
Annual Conference Will Meet In BaIti-
more April 4--President r. +. Little
Will Preside. Conference Is Compos-
ed Of l34 Ministers Will Discuss
Church Union.

Considerable interest is being mani
festedby Methodist Protestants through
out the state in the coming session of
the Maryland Annual Conference of
that denomination. which meets at
West Baltimore Station, corner I.afay-
ette avenue and Gilmor street, Balti-
more beginning April 4.
Homes are now being secured for the
ministers and the lay delegates. the lat
ter having the same rights on the floor
of the Conference as the former, and
everyone will be provided for.
This body is composed of 1877 minis
ters and nearly an equal number Of lay
men. and is one of the ablest and most
influential conferences of that denomi-
nation.
Four ministers have died during the
year. These were Rev. w. S. Ham
mond, d. d.. Rev. George d. Edmon-
ston. Rev. William A. Grouse and Rev.
David Wilson, ID. u. DR. Wilson joined
the Conference in lSi5 and DR.. Ham
mond in 1851 and were two of the oldest
ministers in the Conference. their
names standing second and third. res
pectively, upon the official roll, the
name of Rev. Dr. s. b. Switzerland,
now venerable in years, standing at the
head of the list
The Conference sessions promise to be
very interesting, particularly upon the
afternoon of the first day. when the
election of president takes place. 1t is
not doubted, however but that Rev.
Dr. Little, the ncubent, who has SER
we'd the church so faithfully and well.
will be reelected for the fifth year
This latter is the disciplinary limit.
II is stated that there is growing feel
ing in the Conference to fall back upon
the unwrittcn law of three years. but
il is not likely that this will occur nj
the coming session. The question of
church union, which has been upon the
tables for several years, will also come
up for much discussion. when Rev. DR..
Thomas II. Lewis, who represented the
Conference at the Dayton co.. meeting
of the three churches in February last,
submits his report. 1t is impossible. of
forecast the result but there is every
reason to believe that the Conference
is favorable to the union The final re-
suit, however, will not be known until
the question is acted upon by the gen
eral or national bodies of the three
churches in a year or two, but undoubt-
edly the question of union is regarded
with much favor and unanimity and will
in the near future be practical finality
CHANGES OF PAsToRATEs.
1t is not supposed that there will be
many changes in the pastoral work this
year. There being no time limit. it is
not an easy matter to forecast change
of pastors.
In point of growth of church member
ship, of property, Sunday schools, inan-
ces, etc. the statistics show comfort
able advance. The following is the
report of the last Conference: Full
members, 2l.57l; probationers received.
l.564; Sunday schools. 272. with 25.sl3
scholars on the roll and 1853 officers
and teachers; also 4. 800 members of the
Christian Endeavor societies. There
are 29l churches and l05 parsonages,
with total value of $l.Sl2, 800. For
the benefit of the superannuates and
widows and orphans of deceased minis
ters there is an invested fund of about
$50, 000 the interest from which, to-
gether with the annual collections for
that purpose, are applied to the bene-
ficiaries.
A Guaranteed Cure For Piles
Itching. Blind. Bleeding. Proti uding
Piles. Druggists are authorized to re-
fund money If PAZO OINTMENT fails
to cure in g to Il days. soc.