Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-04
PASTORS IN COUNCIL
Annual Conference of Baltimore
M. E. Church.
OPENED At CUMBERLAND
Bishop Mcdowell Presented With
Historic Gavel.
PURSE OF GOLD FOR REV. MAYOR
Interesting Report From the Presiding
Elder of Washington District
Memorials for the Dead.
OPENED At CUMBERLAND
PURSE OF GOLD FOR REV. MAYOR

| Special Dispatch to The Star.
| CUMBERLAND. Md, April 4-Rev. DR..
| H. R. Naylor, presiding elder Of the Wash
| ington district, Baltimore conference, was
presented with a purse of gold at the ses-
sion this morning by the ministers of his
district through Bishop Mcdowell as a
! token of their appreciation of his good
work and kind treatment. In his acknowl
| edgment DR.. Naylor facetiously remarked
| that it would pay his moving expenses to
| the west Baltimore circuit, where he ex-
poets to be transferred.
Holy communion was celebrated at the
! opening of the conference this morning,
Revs. w. P. Thirlkield and VIM. Ferguson
of Washington and j. st. Clair Neal of
Baltimore assisting the bishop The re-
ports of three presiding elders were read.
J. Fred Heisse, west Baltimore district;
J. C. Nicholson, Baltimore district, and M.
| F. B. Rice, Frederick district. In Frederick
district there has been improvement to
church property at many points, notably
Frostburg, where $1,000 was spent. OF
| 81 500 pledged to Woman's College, Balti-
more. $500 was paid. In the west Baltimore
| district 1858 was paid old church in
debtedness and $17,0S9 on improving prop
| erty.
The REVEALS in the district resulted in
1882 conversions. For missions So, 400 was
contributed, and $4,000 of the $4,000 pledg-
ed to Woman's College has been raised.
The report of the trustees of the education
| fund shows that of 81, $40. 05 received dur
ing the year $7,520.3o was paid to Dickins
College.
The appointment of the following as trus-
| tees of the Woman's College was approved:
Luther T. Waterman, Charles E. Hill, Hen
ry NJ Wilson, r. T. Miller, Benjamin F.
Bennett, Henry S. Dulaney, James N. Gam
BILE and Sarah E. Duyne.
The conference disapproved by emphatic
vote a motion to dismiss the standing COM
mittee on the Baltimore Methodist, the con-
ference publication, on the ground that 1t
was a stock concern and the conference had
no financial interest in it. The editor. ].
Fred Heisse, objected, although he received
no salary during eight years connection
and had spent personal funds for its sup
port. Rev. DR.. H. X. Carroll of New York.
assistant missionary secretary of the
church, made a plea for Chinese missions
April was set apart as rehabilitation
day." when collections will be taken up
for San Francisco churches. Rev. ]. o.
Spencer, president of Morgan College. Bal
timore. addressed the conference on behalf
of Howard University, Washington. was
introduced. and will later make an appeal
for the institution.
The Bishops Trite Remarks.
Brethren let us hope these few days that
we are together that we are literally in the
school of Jesus Christ" said Bishop VIM
Fraser Mcdowell as he concluded a brief
talk to the clergy assembled at the opening
| of the conference yesterday morning.
| Rev. George E. Madewell of Washington
| was reelected secretary OF the conference.
| His assistants are Revs. w. e. Herbert ii.
F. Downs and u 8. Wright.
Rev. L. Emory Bennett Of New Windsor
| Md. was elected statistical secretary, and
these assistants were named: +. r. Mar
shall, B. w. Meeks, l.. M. Ferguson, g
Hardecker. D. L. Ennis, Ralph Pearre, W.
| G.. McKenney, A. Hart Mckinley, II. w.
| Burgan and r. E. Benson.
| Rev F. r. Isaac of Martinsburg, w. Va.
| was reelected treasurer, with John T. En-
| sor, John r. Edwards. Vernon Ridgely, X
j. Nicholson and E. P. Fellenbaum as as
| sistants.
| cult was appointed conference postmaster.
Gavel From Historic Tree.
| Rev L. Emory Bennett of New Wind
sor presented Bishop Mcdowell with
| gavel from an oak under which Robert
Strawbridge preached. Within the bounds
| of Rev. Mr.. Benefits circuit is the site
| of the first Methodist church in America,
the Strawbridge Log Meeting House, on
| Sans creek, Carroll county, Md. Rev.
| Mr.. Bennett said:
Even in the light of the arguments
for the priority of the old John Street
| Church in New York city, we believe that
| we have good ground for claiming the
honor for Maryland's sturdy sons of erect
ing the first Methodist house of worship in
( America
Bishop Mcdowell, in accepting the gavel,
| said he had been put to the extremity of
borrowing gavels. He had been presented
| with three gavels. he said-the first from
| olive wood secured at Jerusalem, the sec
! ond from an old desk used by Abraham
| Lincoln and the third from the Strawbridge
| oak You see how these three tie me up,
he added. representing the beginning OF
Christianity, the dawn of civic freedom
| and the establishment of great religious
| principle in America. We should aim to
be faithful to all these great forces. SO
| that one should not be tyrannc, that he
| should not forget that he Is a servant. and
| with the fire and devotion of the fathers
| We should seek to be true ministers of
| Jesus Christ"
| Deaths Since Last Conference.
change was adopted in the matter of
| the roll call by resolution offered by Rev.
| William A. Koontz Of Keyser, w. Va.
| after some debate. The secretary omits the
| names of members Of the conference who
died during the year Upon. the conclusion
| of the roll call the names Of the following
were read:
| John M. Slarrow died at Baltimore. Md,
| June 6, 1905, after twenty years Of service
George II. Corey died at Washington, d.
| c., June %, 1906, after forty-three years of
| service.
James r. gladden. died at Arlington, Md,
| July ID, 1906, after fortynine years of
service.
Thomas Wood died on the Great Falls cir
| cult, Baltimore county, Md, August 10,
| 1906, after thirty-three years of service.
This rule, which will obtain in confer
| ences hereafter, will not preclude the hold
| ing of the regular memorial service later.
| The Washington District.
| Rev. DR.. H. R. Naylor, presiding elder of
Washington district, read his report. He is
| ending his term of six years and his sue
| cessor will be named at the present confer
/ ence. During his incumbency seven
| charges were received from the Virginia
| conference, with about 600 members and
church property valued at $4,000. During
his term five churches have been erected
at cost of $51 900. with 400 members. The
| Washington district now embraces AZ
| charges, 26 in the District of Columbia, 8
| in Maryland and in Virginia, making a
membership of 10000 without the additions
this year. which will doubtless bring the