Evening journal., 1910-05-23
PORTRAYS THE GROWTH OF
PENINSULA METHODISM

ber Of communicates it is only about
he same as forty years ago. Every
Methodist pastor on the peninsula has
an average membership about the
same as forty years ago while each
to-day has average of % more members
to care for than twenty years ago, in
1889, when the average membership for
each pastor was lowest, or 1S6 members
per pastor.
20. 1t should also be REMEMBERED that
the duties Of a pastor to-day are more
than double those of forty years ago.
Epworth Leagues. and Ladies' Aids,
and Missionary Societies and social
duties as we have them to-day were
unknown.
''No part Of this study is more i'm
portant than tha which concerns the
city Of Wilmington. Here it is that
Methodism is meeting the foreign prob
lem. Here 1t is that the Italians and
Polanders, and other nationalities of
Eastern Europe and different faith
Cmostly Catholic) are coming by the
thousand. Perhaps thirty thousand
foreigners Of all nationalities have come
20 Wilmington within the past forty
years. Hitherto Methodism has met
this problem in the regular way of
church work. This year the regular
church work will be reinforced by the
City Missionary Society to deal speci-
ally with this problem.
''1f the census of this year gives Will
mington 10000 as expected. we see a
city which has multiplied itself by three
since the Wilmington Conference be-
came a separate body. OF this sixty
thousand persons perhaps at least
thirty thousand came from foreign
countries and with Catholic Church
association. How has Methodism met
this difficult problem? In 1869 Meth
odism had the following churches and
membership at each: Asbury. 572: ST.
Paul's, 244; Union, 294; Scott, 106:
Grace, 2S5; Epworth counted with
Grace as a mission; Brandywine, 202;
Mt. Salem, 1856. Total membership,
1859 members in the year 1869.
'The number Of full members at each
decade. beginning with 1859. has been:
1859, 2754; s5O7; 465s: 5s12 How does
this compare with the population? A
little mathematics will show that in
1859 there was one Methodist Church
member in full for every 16.7 census
population of 1870. In 1879 the popu-
lation had gained on church member
ship so that there was only one mem
ber for each 17.3 population. In 1888
there was another gain and the figure
was 1 to 17.5. In 1899 Methodism had
regained all losses and as compared
with the last census (1900) had a larger
membership in proportion to the popu-
lation Of the city than ever in the
history Of the conference, having one
member for every 1914 inhabitants as
compared with one for every 167 in 1859
Notwithstanding the thrush Of i'm.
migrants to our city, Wilmington Meth.
odism had gained on the population
during the history of the conference.
Notwithstanding the small increase
Of population in our territory outsid,
of Wilmington. Methodism in Whining
ton Conference more than doubled III
membership, and made a greater gail
during the past fory years than durinl
its previous history of over one hun
dred years before 1859
"The moral and religious standard
Of the church have not been lowered I
accomplish this increase in numbers.
In 1859 there were 1859 conversions a
4 her altars. Forty years later, in 190l
! "Of the 81 ministers who compose
, the first session Of our conference onl
! five, Rev. II. S. Thompson. of st. Mich
aePs, Md; Rev. DR. T. f. Martindale
Of Salisbury; Rev. f. e. White. Of OK
? ford, Md; Rev. c. w. Prettyman. o
} Snow Hill, and Rev. 7. G. Fosnocht, o
! Clayton, are now I'm the active work.
3 TN these forty years rs minister
5 have been raised up to take the place o
q those who have gone to receive thei
crown 80 others to increase their mum
Der and are still working; "a others VIII,
? have Joined the conference since il
organization but died, and more thar
a score of others who have been trans
D ferred to leading churches in the coun
, try outside Of our conference. Thi
J makes grand total of over 225 en-
! tirely new ministers the Wilmington
Conference has produced in its histor-
r Of forty years and Of this number
p 1s4 are still actively working in IL
{ borders.
During all this time not a singl
d church decided in accordance with tn
> Methodist discipline has failed (fnanci
e slly) or repudiated or failed to meet it
. obligations"