Evening journal., 1907-03-20
speoIal 10 Ths EvenInE Iournal.

nltNNaA 10 Inc Evening doNfnAlt
SMYRNA March 2O-'Calls don't go.
said Bishop Berry IN commenting to-
day before the wilmington M. Il. Con-
ference on the many calls that had
been extended to the pastors to he re-
turned to their charges another year.
The Bishop characterized this as an
Innovation I'm Methodlsm and said he
liked preference" rather than 'icalls."
He aroused much interest by saying
that he did not believe secrecy should
surround the cabinet sessions and said
the ministers should know as soon as
possible where they are to be assigned.
The Rev. W. A. Wise. of Seaford. was
elected conference secretary His as
sistants are tho Revs. l.. 10. Poole, W.
T. Greenfield and w. r. Mowbray. The
Rev. A. G.. Westerhold. Of Asbury, VIII
mlngton. was elected slatistical secre-
tary and the Rev. Henry G.. Budd,
treasurer. The Rev. J. X. Prouse was
elected conference postmaster.
There was vigorous discussion over
a resolution offered by the Revs. Dr.
ID M. Morgan. Robert Watt and G.. y.
Jones' which commended United states
Senators n. "A. DUPONT and II. A.
Richardson for giving dry dinners" in
Dover recently. and dcnouncing Con-
gressman Burton Tor his alleged "sav-
age attack upon local option legisla-
ton. Several ministers spoke ,H be-
half OF the resolution and the Rev. g.
A. II. O'Brien charged that Dr. Burton
was under a "rum influence"
Ashury Church. Wilmington, viii In
vite the conference TO meet there neNl
year.
The reports Of the Presiding Elders
were called for the Rev A. S. Now
bray reporting as follows;
Wilmington District
Wilmington District, the coveted
~higher ground" Of our conference, ly
ing between the Mason and Dixon linz
on the north. and the Delaware an'
Chesapeake canal on the SOUTH an'
having for eastern and western bound
aries the Delaware and Susquehanni
rivers. respectively, Is IN geographica
area. as we'll as In number of churches
the small district In the conference
lIt has nfty appointments or whic
thirty are so called stations" hav
ling one church, thirteen are circuits
two churches one a circuit OF thre
land one OF four churches. In area Oh
ldistrict Is less than half the size q
tho next smallest.
In number Of churches II has twent
less than Easton, forty-eight less tina
Salisbury and hfty-sevon less tina
Dover district; being only a little owe
lhaIf the number OF the latter district
Quite a number Of the appointment
OF this district are small and veal
properly coming under the head
missionary work The entire work O
wilmington district rs so located a
to come into the sharpest compet~
with that OF other denominauoni
Where the work is new or weak.
lis usually handsomely subsidized b
some fostering board, but not one q
our struggling enterprises, either ash
or receives any aid from the mission
ary society. our churches have ais
10 struggle with the problems due
rapidly shifting populations, and TO "a
most persistent and fascinating form
lof sin and worldlinoss as presented
and about the great centers OF popui3
ltion. DESPITE these and other manifei
> disadvantages, Wilmington district hi
made a good record, as compared VIII
lother parts OF our territory In n
item of contributions to missions. WI
mington district leads by about titee
= hundred dollars and in the amour
paid for pastoral support It Is seVe
/, thousand dollars In advance OF n
q next best. It Is earnestly desired thi
q these comparisons should not bear an
@ of the odium usually attributed TO sue
e things. They are made solely for q
e purpose Of showing something OF q
e sacrifice OF the good people composif
this division OF the Lords army.
Another sort Of a comparison ma
tion. while the other has been hand
and sacrifices Of this people. The
has been an apparent huctuation
the contributions 70 missions. IN
needs 10 be received in the light
two facts. /. The division Of the mis-
sionary contributors among several Sc
. cieties. The two womens societies q
the wilmington district gave near
four thousand dollars last year, viii
/, in the other three districts combine
they gave only half that amount
the combined missionary gifts were II
ported It would be immensely to OF
. advantage.
2. II a few years ago two church'
. contributed about half the missionai
Offering of the district In one ca
the church had been almost strand'