The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-03-27
Scranton District Report.

In presenting the report of the
second years work on the Scranton
district, wish to record my gratitude
30 God for His sustaining grace and
constant help in all the trying expert
snces, through which His workers
have passed. These testing times
have been unusually numerous; but
He has been present in every trial,
and has afforded marvellous strength
and endurance. For our present
faith, health, and joy. we are indebt-
ed to Him, and unto Him be praise.
In the parsonage at Dalton, last
October, Mrs. William s. Crandall
after two weeks of serious illness,
leaving the circle of loving friends on
earth, went in triumph to the fellow
ship of friends in heaven.
" Mrs S. c. Simpkins, whose hus-
band Joined the ranks of the tri-
umphant last year, has gone to be
with Him.
William II. Hitler, who joined
the Wyoming Conference in 1861 and
served in the active ministry until
1902, with the exception of three
years, 1S62-3-4, which were spent as
q soldier in the United States army;
who had been honored and beloved
by his brethren in the ministry and
the churches which he served, and
whose life had been one of especial
efficiency, quietly folded his hands in
sleep Friday morning, February 16.
While none of our active minis
ters have died during the year, some
have been suffering from serious ill
ness. Rev. G.. G. Lyman has been
suffering almost constantly during
the year, but with heroic endeavor
has kept up his work, and the Trip
Park church to-day is in most
spiritual condition.
H. w. Hotter was overcome by
the heat last July, and has been able
since to attend to the work on only
part of the West Nicholson charge.
"On the evening of July 10, Wat
son B. Signor, with his wife and son,
Duane, came to Scranton. ostensibly
to attend an outing of the preachers
and their families the next day.
Leaving his family with trends, he
came to the central city, and since
that time none of his friends have
been able to locate him. Many clues
have been followed but all efforts to
fnd him thus far have been fruitless.
Samuel B. Murray, who was our
pastor at Waverly, Pa, returned his
parchments and withdrew from our
church and ministry last November.
He is now assisting the pastor of the
Second Presbyterian church, this
city. Less than a month later, j. ].
Neighbor withdrew from us to enter
the priesthood" of the Episcopal
church. These Withdrawals, together
with the readjustments caused by re-
movals and deaths in other districts,
have made necessary several pastoral
changes. David High, a local preach
or from the Philadelphia conference,
has been very acceptably supplying
the work at Orson. j. S. Custard has
had St. PauPs church added to the
Throop church, and has served these
fields most efficiently. When the
changes were made during the fall, as
q consequence of the death of DR..
Surdam, and the removal of DR.. Fer
ris, NJ. S. Godshall came to the AS
bury pastorate NJ. l.. Harding to the
church at Providence, and E. A.
Gillespie transferred from the Will
mington conference, went to New
Milford. All of these men have dem
onstrated their fitness for their new
fields of labor, and the people esteem
them most highly for their works
sake.
The ability of Methodism to ad-
just herself to unexpected conditions,
and the exceptional excellence OF hr
polity have been fully demonstrated
this year.
Evangelistic Work.
The true evangelistic note has
been sounded in every part Of the
district. Our pastors all feel that
the great work of Methodism is to
get people saved from sin and at
work in harmony with God. Nearly
every charge has made accessions
to its membership, and many have
been blessed with gracious revivals of
religion, in which old-time fervor
has been manifest. The statistics of
the work, that men might compile
are many times misleading, and by
far the greatest results of spiritual
forces are invisible, but more than
thousand have pTofessed CONVEX
sion during the year, and in some in
stances whole communities have
been quickened. However, the work
of evangelization is growing more
and more difficult, and the times call
for the most powerful and thorough
ly consecrated effort to win men
from worldliness and sin. From the
following charges, reports have
come of successful revivals: Ariel,
Beach Lake, Bethany, Brooklyn,
Carley Brook, Clifford Dalton, Da-
Heart Lake, Honesdale, Jermyn,
Lake Como, Nicholson, Peckville,
Pleasant Mount, Taylor, Thompson,
Thornhurst and White Mills.
Church and Parsonage Property.
Faithful attention has been Civ
en- to the condition of our church
and parsonage property. The pas
tors reports will show that there
has been a very material reduction
in the Indebtedness on a score OF
more of the charges. On New Years
eve, the congregation at Dalton
amid songs of rejoicing, burned the
mortgage that had been against
their church property for several
years. This people now is entirely
free from all Indebtedness. Simpson
church, through the heroic efforts OF
their pastor, has secured enough sub.
scribtions this year to pay off its