Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1912-03-21
N. (. CONFERENCE

The annual NJ. E. Conference adj
| journed on Tuesday, the last act be-
in the announcement of appointments.
Monday afternoon the statistical re-
port was made, showing a decrease. of
| ATT in the number of probationers
during the year. Other items of in
terest contained in the report gave the
total membership of the conference
| sc, 269, decrease of 1000, local
preachers, 267-decrease of So; deaths
l851; children baptised, 2,182; increase
of 1872; adults baptised, 719-decrease
of As; Sunday schools, 1853; officers
and teachers in Sunday schools, s.
S89 decrease of 1872; members of the
schools, BOT; Epworth League Chap
ters, 213-decrease of 10; members
of leagues, ,539-decrease of 4O5;
Junior League Chapters, 176; mem
bers, 9,452-decrease of 1928; churches
349-increase of 5; property value,
81, 555 ,650-increase of 1882, 450; paid
for pastoral support, $317,39S; for
janitors and fuel and light, $146,659.
The Preachers Aid Society elected
the following officers: President, Rev.
j. Ward Gamble, Seabright; vice
president, Rev. Samuel Sargent, Pal
myra; secretary, Rev. Alfonzo Dare,
Long Branch; treasurer, Rev. DR.. S.
H. Ham, Camden.
Meets Next Year in Atlantic City.
The conference will be held in At
lantic City next year, a week earlier
than usual. Invitation to Atlantic
City was extended by Ulysses G. Hag-
erman, of the First Church there, who
said, Atlantic City is not the shame
full city of a few years ago. 1t is a
clean city now and the active work
of the Methodist ministers has helped
bring this condition about. The boss
of Atlantic City, whose very name has
been a stencil in the nostrils, is now
awaiting prison" Rev. David H.
Shoch will preach the pre-conference
sermon at Atlantic City.
At the suggestion of Rev. DR.. Hen
ny A. Butts, president of Drew Theo-
ogical Seminary, the word ''wornout,"
as applied to superannuated ministers,
will disappear from the conference
minutes and records, in favor of the
word retire"
Hereafter the ministers of the con-
ference will occupy the pulpits of
their old charges on the Sunday fol-
lowing the conference. This action
was taken because under the present
arrangement ministers who are trans
ferred have to hurry to get moved.
The railroad committee of the con-
ference is going to watch Chairman
De Unger, of the Committee on Rail
roads and Canals, of the Assembly
Mr.. De Unger and his views on minis
terial privileges and churches were
f,r J;co fr>IJ Ia r,,.t
by Rev J Ward Gamble, of Sea-
bright, who said that De Unger OPP
posed half-rate railroad fares for
ministers and eyn went so far as to
tell him (Gamble) that if he had his
way churches would be taxed. Rev
Mr.. Clair, chairman of the conference
railroad committee, said that it was
personal matter with Mr.. DeUnger
and that the ministers would watch
him hereafter.
Rev. DR.. S. H, Ham was reappoint-
ed the conferences temperance agent.
He has held the position since 1900
Rev. J e. Swan, of Erma, was plac
ed on the superannuary list. Rev. j.
E. Shaw, of Collingswood, was trans
ferred to the Newark conference.
The conference went on record
against Sabbath travel by vote of
104 to As A resolution was offered
recommending a change in the time
for the opening of the general confer
ence from the first Wednesday in May
to the first secular day. Opponents
of the resolution argued that if the
first secular day should fall ION Mon
day delegates would likely be fore
ed to travel on Sunday, which is
against the doctrine of the church.
This argument was branded as abb
surd by some of the liberal ministers,
but the resolution, nevertheless, was
defeated by a heavy vote.
Rev. E. NJ Randall addressed the
conference for five minutes on the Ep-
worth League. He said: "A steam
roller-out to be used on some of the
old cranks and old maids who are try
ing to run the Epworth League to the
exclusion of the young people would
be good thing"
Pastoral appointments for 1912
were read at the closing meeting on
Tuesday of the seventy-sixth session
of the New Jersey Annual Conference
of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Among the most important changes
are the following:
The Rev. Alfred Wagg, District SUI
perintendent of the Trenton District,
while having year of his term still
to serve was returned to pastoral
duties and sent to the church at Col
lingswood, at. the earnest request of
the people there.
The Rev. T.. W Marshall was taken
from the First Church, New Bruins
wick, and placed over the Trenton
District.
The Rev. H. J.. Zelley, of the Ham
ilton Avenue Church, Trenton, was
named to succeed the Rev. Homer j.
Wright, District Superintendent of
the Bridgeton District, whose term ex-
pired.
The Rev. Charles H. Elder was re-
turned to Trinity Church, Trenton for
the thirteenth term, which is the Con-