Evening journal., 1907-03-04
READY FOR THE
M. E. CONFERENCE
Session Will Begin in Smyrna
Church on Wednesday,
March 20
200 PASTORAL CHARGES

special to The Evening Journal
DOVER, March 4.-The people of the
peninsula who are in any way afiliat-
ed with or interested in the great
Methodist Church. are now looking to-
ward Smyrna, where the session of the
Wilmington Annual Conference, Of the
Methodist Episcopal Church embrace
ing all the territory of the peninsula,
consisting Of the State Of Delaware
tbe nine counties of the Eastern Shore
Of MARYLAND. and the two counties Of
the Eastern shore Of Virginia, will be
held here this month. It will be the
most interesting conference 70 Method
lists and to people Of the entire penin-
sula yet he'd.
The conference has expanded, not in
territory but in the value Of its prop
ertv. the number of its members and
the roster Of its preachers. so that the
SMYRNA session this year will have to
accommodate more preachers than has
ever yet attended an annual session,
even more than have attended a quad
rennial lay conference, so far as the
ministers themselves are concerned.
200 Charges.
Just 200 pastoral charges are now
embraced in the Wilmington Confer
ence. There are 90 in Maryland, So in
Delaware. and 4 in Virginia. The min
isteriai membership Of the conference
consists of 100 men, % Of whom are on
the superannuated and supernumerary
Isis. The lay membership OF the con-
ference is 4f,S00 persons, distributed
among 394 congregations.
The 3s4 churches have an estimated
value of S2.611600 which, with new
reports of building operations and ac-
ouisitions this year win show an in
crease Of over 100000, including the
parsonaees. Of which there are now
14f with an estimated value Of S261-
sod. Including the splendid and con-
rtantly-improving Wilmington Con-
ference Academy property at Dover,
(Which has only this year been entirely
reed Of debt, the estimated value OF
zeal estate held by the conference is
sl.e75,4OO, valuing the big Methodls'
echool and surroundings at only $50
600. although real estate men have re-
Gently placed a value of 100000 upon
this property based on the value oi
the surrounding building lots IN the
centre Of Dover where it is situated
including this property, the real estate
holdings amount to S1,9754 400.
5o,o57 Sunday School Scholars.
There are, within the conference, 500
sunday schools with a membership OF
5o,O57. During the past year offerings
we're made greater along almost every
department than those Of the preced-
ing year which were as follows:
Maximum charitable and church Of
rerings. S295.1T9; pastoral support
s140 500: building and church improve
ments. and parsonages, S3s, raised
on old debts. ss9945; for Sunday
schools. s15,27s; for benevoienoes
ss73,ss5.
Asbury Church. Smyrna, which ha'
frequently before been the scene Of
the annual conferences. has been re-
modelled and almost rebuilt for this
session. under the supervision Of Pas
tor Robert Watt The program fol
he conference viii be very elaborate
Bishop Joseph II. Berry Of Buffalo, tn
man with the Christ-like face as
mas been termed and certainly one O
The most lovable Of the bishops an'
young man still. will preside Th'
preliminary sessions for examination
ell begin on Monday, March lS-
Dr. IA. c. Morrison. n celebrate'
Methodist evangelist OF the west an'
renowned Bible exposition has been Sc
tured to conduct evangelical meeting
Is a part OF the great business Of tn