Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-07-05

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ception is made and they may be
ordained at once, under what Is
termed THE. Missionary Rule. :"
Preachers are also received from
other denominations. The ordina-
ton papers of those who are in ord
ers in Evangelical churches are rec
ognized by US and upon assent, in
open conference, to the doctrines
and discipline of the Methodist Epis-
copal church, they are admitted to
full membership by vote of the Con-
ference. There has been some talk
in recent years about admitting lay
men to the Annual Conference, but
up to the present time nothing has
been accomplished and at this time
it does not appear what good pur-
pose their admission could serve.
1t was with many misgivings that
l entered upon my second year at
Summer Hill. My first year had not
been very satisfactory, and certainly
the charge was an exceedingly diff
cult one to serve. think it was
looked upon as one of the least de-
sirable in the Conference. Most of
the preachers would have felt it a
hardship had they been sent there.
1t was scattered over so much terri
tory, in a rough, hilly country and
the homes of the members were dis
tant from each other, rendering 1t
extremely difficult to do pastoral
visitation.
At one point there were several
feuds among the members. some of
them of long standing, which had
brought the cause of Christ into dis
repute. In not few instances these
dissensions were caused by intense
partisanship in politics, while in
others that prolific mischief maker
in country precincts, the line fence,
was responsible for our troubles.
With regard to politics may say
that the neighborhood had been
largely democratic during the war
and the people were outspoken in
the expression of their prejudices.
The democrats were still called cop
perheads'' and the republicans mig
ger worshippers, and other pet
names In vogue in war times; these
things In addition to the fact that
there was not single church build
ing on the whole charge. the salary
of the preacher SO meager that
he could not have supported his fam.
lily had 1t not been for the donations
he received in firewood. edibles, ETC..
tended to discourage young,
inexperienced preacher and make the
circuit undesirable. Donations were
not to be depended upon, for If the
preacher, likewise Mrs. preacher
happened to take WE'LL" very gen.
erous donations were made, but If
it chanced that either of them were
not we'll liked, donations were light
and airy. They were an uncertain
quantity, and no dependence could
be placed on them, still it was quite
the custom on country charges to fix
the salary at given figure with the
understanding that donation would
be added, the size of which when
1t came off. depended on conditions,
over which the Quarterly Conference
had no jurisdiction. 1t was our GUS
tom on those first fields of labor to
keep two or three pigs and lot OF
chickens which added materially to
our income, and at Summer Hill
there was nothing to prevent our
doing 80. When we were away from
home a neighbor, who lived just
across the road was engaged to look
after our live stock, so we were nev-
er uneasy about them. We could
leave home with the comfortable
feeling that everything on the farm
would be cared for in our absence.
I do not remember that we ever lost
anything except on one occasion
when rats, or weasels. or some other
marauding little beasts made raid
on our chickens and destroyed every
one Of them, nearly one hundred in
all.
AS already stated, we entered up
on the second year of our ministry
with fear and trembling on my part.
l was worried over what regarded
as a want of success the year before,
and began to be troubled with SER
ious doubts about the genuineness
of my call to the ministry. Had
and my friends been mistaken about
my ''call?" Had l been listening TO
the wrong voice? l thought about
1t day and night: l prayed over It,
but said nothing to anyone about IT,
1t was a long time before the matter
was solved to my satisfaction. How
ever, when conclusion was fipail!
reached, 1t settled the question for
ever. / resolved that unless tha
year was productive Of results II
the way of conversions. ! should as
sumo that had mistaken my call