Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1907-12-05
OUTLINE $. b. MErHoDlsm.

. Ss'SS tWsat0ACop V0oS .boSQSQs NQn.
I tain Statement Of Yearly Growth
and Record OF Funde Devoted to
+ Education and Other Purposes by
/ That Church in the State.
The minutes Of the proceedings of
the Dakota conference Of the Metho.
dist Episcopal church have just been
issued in book form, showing what
was accomplished at the session held
at Vermillion Oct. 16 to 81. The SEES
sion was the most successful held in
the twenty-three years that the con.
ference was organized, the first meet
ing being held at Yankton in 1880,
when Bishop Warren presided. At
that time there were but 1880 mem
bers of the conference, and each year
there was gain in membership until
in 1889, when it was 1886. The year
following it fell off over 5000 and did
not get back to the 10000 mark until
1884. The next year the membership
dropped 500 and kept losing until
1896, when the number again went
to lO,429, since which year the men,
bers have been increasing steadily
every year until at the present time
the numbers reach 13,402, increasing
636 in the past year.
One of the, strong features of the
conference is the missionary work,
and the appropriations made for that
part of the religious work amounts
to $1,000. In giving to educational
projects the conference of ministers
and the lay delegates exhibited the
greatest amount of self-denial. When
the condition of Dakota Wesleyan
university was set before both branch
| es OF the conference showing that it
| was necessary to raise a certain
amount Of money in order to secure
the $4,000 that Andrew Carnegie had
offered as the last payment on the
100000 endowment fund, the giving
was exceedingly generous, the minis
ters pledging over $1,000 and the lay
delegates raising in their meeting
over $4,000, when the ambition OF
that institution was realized. AS a
further aid to Dakota Wesleyan, each
year each district contributes GER
tain amount toward the institution.
and in making his report for the col
lections Of 1906-19O7 President Mich
olson stated that for the five districts
and outside contributions this sum
amounted to $12,545.42
Is Tho cfaficfjoc ne tho ,b,,,,l 900 -,
teresting, and show splendid growth;
and development along all lines. The
grand total of members is 1854, with
lO9 probationers; there were 954 bap-
tisms; there are 242 Sunday schools,
with z.1S6 officers and teachers Of
1928 scholars; there are 1911 church.
es. an increase of II over last year,
he probable value of which is placed
At s621,325; there are ITO parsonages.
which are valued at s178,70O; for
building and improving churches and
parsonages $21,090 was paid and in
1ebtedness to the amount of $6,2S5.
The treasurer's report indicates
something of the big money transac-
lions that the conference carries on.
Missions and church extensions cost
Sl5650; board Of education, freed
mans aid and Sunday schools, s1,E54;
local educational interests, $4,463;
Woman's Foreign Missionary society,
s4013; other benevolent interests,
S6,9S7; general conference expenses,
s712; conference cllmahts, $1,e03;
Episcopal, 1919; Woman's Home Mis-
sionary society, s195; American BIZ
bic society. s187, making a total Of
s36,521.