The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1909-07-09
ocALA DISTRICT NOTES

! PAOoSneI VINO serves the Ocala
district ought to be a happy man, for
he has plenty of work, in a fine coun-
try among a most excellent people.
The second round of quarterly meet
lngs Is nearly finished, and am get
ing somewhat acquainted with the
field and the workers.
The Country
The district embraces all or a part
OF the counties of Marion, Alachua.
Putnam, Bradford, Citrus, Levy, Sum-
ter and Lake. Some of the best farm
Ing lands are in this section. The
crops this year are very good. Large
quantities of cabbage, lettuce, water
melons and other vegetables have
been shipped, and brought good pric-
es. never saw finer fields of corn
than are now growing throughout this
section. Many beautiful orange groves
are seen around the numerous lakes
and the yield of golden fruit is con-
stantly increasing.
Our Church
We have in the district 25 pastors,
81 churches, SO Sunday schools, IS
Epworth Leagues and $500 church
members. What a golden opportuni-
ty is ours to work for the moral and
religious welfare of the people. Our
preachers are doing faithful work,
while many noble laymen and godly
women are doing their part.
ReVivals
There have been no widespread re-
vivals this year, but nearly every pas
tor has had some additions on pro-
fession of faith, either in protracted
meetings or in regular service.
Our Young People
Every intelligent Christian must
know that our greatest field of labor
is among the children and young peo-
pie. Perhaps the best Sunday school
in the district is at Ocala Dr. Izlar
is a wide-awake. progressive superin-
tendent, and the pastor. Rev. R. H.
Barnett, keeps in close touch with
the school. The Junior League here,
under the management of Mrs. n III.
Little, is one of the very best. Other
schools and leagues are doing good
work, but these are worthy of piuch
praise.
The Laymen's Movement
Brother VIM. Hines of Bushnell
was elected district leader at Mican-
Opy. We are expecting great things
of him in this Office for he is one of
our very best laymen. A list of lead
ers will be sent to Brother Hines as
soon as they can be elected. If the
laymen raise that thousand dollars
for West Tampa Cuban Mission they
will have to bestir themselves. I'll
can be done, and l hope they will
push it to success.
Conference Collections
Most of our pastors are making
good progress on the collections and
will get the full assessments. A few
of them may fail for lack of the faith
that starts early and works by love.
A preacher once told me that the first
thing he did in order TO raise his col
lections was to get religion. When
| hear a preacher lamenting over his
ability to get up his collections l Won
der how much he has prayed over the |
matter Thomas Edison has said that |
genius was one part inspiration and |
nine parts perspiration. That is what |
il requires TO raise these collections. |
The latter part of last year a good
" number of the people at Reddick |
began to 1.-THE their income in the |
good old-fashioned way, and it has al |
ready done marvellous things for the |
church there. They paid their mis- |
siOnary assessments in full before the |
first quarterly meeting, and paid more !
on pastors support in three months |
than they had paid the whole year
DeiOEc lucH UCSdn W NANAO' NJ 'AOO 4
BILE about finances when We follow
Gods plan of supporting the church.
One of the best things done at our
district conference was the decision
to buy a gospel tent for mission work
in the district. 1t will cost $3.50, and |
We have $50 contributed. Wha will
help us buy it? We need it now to
hold meetings in this summer. Send |
your dollar or five dollars to Rev. R.
H. Barnett.
One of my happiest hours this year
was when l read in the last Advocate
about the dedication of the new
church at Baracoa, Cuba. Bro. Riera,
the consecrated pastor, is the mission
airy supported by our district. What
a blessed privilege it is to have part
in such a work.-T. ]. Nixon, in Flor
ida Christian Advocate.
!