Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-09-22
UNUSUALLY LARGE NUMBER
LEAVE ACTIVE RANKS IN UP.
PER IOWA CONFERENCE.
CHURCHES MAY BE LEFT
WITHOUT ASSIGNMENTS
Address Of Bishop Medley Adversely
critieizsd-Rsports Of District Super.
intsndents Indicate Growth and Pros
perity Among Churches Of Northeast
Iowa,
cial to Times-Republican.

Upper Iowa conference yesterday re-
ministry. Among the number were
Rev. E. r. Leyman, or Maynard; E.
D. ChasselI. Of Bertram;. Edward Lee
of Bennett; J. F. Mitchell. of Crescoi
D. P. Cassidy, of Floyd; F. Y. Miller
of Waterloo; F. II. Wyrick, OF Bran
don; NJ A Goodell. of Mt. Auburn:
/ R. NJ. Wyant. Of Earlville: John Gam
mons. of Cresco; T. Z. Taylor. of In
! dependence: F. n. Dwello, OF State
Center and H. O. Pratt. Of Tama- This
| IS the largest number that have
stepped aside from the active ranks
OF the ministry in any one day of a
conference session in many years. II
| is rumored that some other members
of the conference will retire before the
end Of the week. This is making an
added scarcity OF men and it is prob
able that several of the appointments
of the conference will not be fortu-
nate enough to have a pastor when the
conference closes next Monday.
Bishops Address Criticized.
! Bishop Medley addressed the con-
ference yesterday on the subject The
Methodist Episcopal Church. -Altho
| 1t aroused a great deal Of favorable
criticism yet there We're large num-
Der of the men of the conference who
| took exception to what was said. He
said. I'VE are not the NJ. E. church
nor are we the Methodist Episcopal
Church South, but we are the Metho-
dist Episcopal church We are Epis-
copalians. Not Protestant Episco-
palians but Methodist Episcopalians. .
He asserted that the church should
be more concerned about where their
church edifice is situated rather than
the greatness of their building. He
urged the preachers to see to it that
their congregation be so seated that
should some newspaper reporter come
along and look in the door he would
be led to believe that a great congre-
CATION was present. In other words
seat the congregation so that three
people occupy the room Of six
Ditriet Report.
The remaining district reports were
read and show the work Of the Meth
odist Episcopal church of the north
eastern quarter of Iowa to be in a
| fiourfshing condition.
DR.. E. T. Gruwell, Of the Cedar
Rapids district. reported an increase in
/ the membership Of his district of 400:
! SIC, 900 spent in church Improvements:
the building OF 100000 ST Pauls
church of Cedar Rapids: FIVE new
Sunday schools, two new brotherhoods:
and q splendid advance in the Offer
tnes to the i,enevolences
DR.. y. A. Mersfan reported the De-
corah district. which report showed
$4,000 spent in improvements: $1,000
advanced in pastors salaries: 200 new
members: three new brctherhoods: and
a good advance in the benevolent COL
! lections.
The Dubuque district under the SUI
perintendency of DR.. A. N Billingsley.
reported $4,000 improvements; a $4,000
gift to the conference claimants fund !:
$3.50 increase for pastors salaries; 500
members received into the church and
the benevolent offerings increased.
Dr. W. w. Carlton, as superintendent
reported the Davenport district He
reported an advance of $1,000 in the
benevolences of the church: the building
of new church at De Witt at cost
of $4,000 and one at Olin a. cost
Of $4,000 and $500 Improvements
elsewhere in the district. The benevo-
lences OF his district as well as pastoral
support increased over last year.
Report Of MarshaIItown District.
Superintendent T. E. Fleming. OF the
Marshalltown district, in his annual
report said:
Special meetings were held at one
or more appointments in nineteen
| charges, lasting from two to six weeks.
At other charges some Of the pastors
joined in union meetings. While TO.
so great success has attended these
efforts this year az we had last year,
these meetings have resulted in CONVEX
sions, thus: Toledo circuit, Roscoe
Sires. pastor, 81 conversions: Mason
City. L. c. Clark As; Hampton, De-
Witt Clinton As; Beaman. A. L. Ruck-
| er a. Marshalltown, S. E. Ellis %:
Sheffield. Thomas Carson %; Clad
brook, T. M. Nelson 10: Rockwell, 3.
B. Keister IL: Geneva. J. B. Jones IL:
| Steamboat Rock, G. F. Kelley and
Union, c. A. Gilbert 4 each: State Cen
| ter. P. n. Dwello 9; Chelsea, o. D.
Elicit. Laurel, NJ. E. Levitt. Rhodes, J.
| B. Metcalf and Written, A N Conk-
lin each.
TWENTY-FIVE charges report 2so re-
ceived on probation. TWENTY-FIVE
charges report 262 received from pro-
baton. Revising the records OF
church membership. has been the or
der Of the day. in some charges. This
highly important and necessary has q
debilitating and. gsubduing effect or
statistical columns, when such work
has been neglected for years.
zone Of the best-planqed and neatest
churches In the conference was dedi-
Gated on Jan. 8 by the district super
intendent at Written. This church /.
an exhibit OF the pastor, A.. y. Con.
klfn's' energy In pushing for Improve.
ments. The church Is frame struc-
ture on cement block foundation-ths
extreme dimensions being 4sxs6. Tit
auditorium is 32x4s: on the west q
wing houses platform for choir and
pulpit, as well ~ the pastors study
and the choir-room; on the east {
wing with octagonal end makes q ver1
neat league-room and furnishes auxfl
larry seating space for the auditorium
The basement. with cloal-room, par
Tor, (not yet completely. dining-roon
and kitchen may be surpassed In tn
conference but chiefly IN the matter o
Size The building has furnace heat
land acetylene light.
AT Bradford, = new town on tn,
"short Line" has been In church III,
and services have mafeYialized In tn,
lerection Of . frame church 23xle, Will