Arizona republican., 1913-10-20
CENTRAL HAS
 A GOOD YEAR
Pastor Thornton Leaves for Conference With Strong Endorsement for His Re turn With Most Success ful Year Behind Him

With the closing of the doors of the Central Methodist church last evening, closed also two years of pastoral service in the city of Rev William M Thornton, the popular pastor of that church. MT. Thorn ton leaves this evening for Santa Ana, Cal, to attend the sessions of the Los Angeles conference of his church and to carry with him the report of his work during the past year. To say that it has been the most successful years work ever done for old Central church hardly expresses the idea correctly. It has been a prosperous year for Central and it's members, and Pastor Thorn ton carries with him the unanimous endorsement of the official boards or the church and the membership with a strong request for his return for another year.
 In the two years that Dr. Thornton has been laboring with Central he has increased the membership near ly double what it was when he found it. He had a273 members left him by his predecessor and now he has 443. Two years ago the pastor received but $1,20O per year, but now he receives $1,80O, and instead of the salary being in arrears it is paid up.
 The conference assessments have also increased in proportion to the membership. Nearly twice what was paid on these claims two years ago will be paid this year. The Sunday school has doubled it's mem bership, and there has been organ ized a flourishing Epworth league with some forty-five members. While doing all this Pastor Thorn ton has found time to condhct 50 funerals, make more than HOO pas toral visits, and he has married 40 couples. The last series of figures belong to the work of the present year.
 There has been raised for all purposes this year $4,579, and a movement has a strong backing now to enlarge the church plant for something more modern, more up- to-date and more in keeping with the demands that are constantly made upon it.
 Pastor Thornton's popularity and worth have been recognized by the lawmakers of Arizona to suTh an ex- tent that four times he was chosen as chaplain to the house of repre- sentatives in the four sessions held since Arizona became a state. To- gether with his wife and charming daughters and bright sons he has also carved a place for himself in Phoenix
 Bethel in Vanguard. Rev J. Coy Williams of Bethel church, who also leaves to attend the sessions of the conference. which opens Wednesday morning. has a good report to render of his stew ardship. He found Bethel strug- gling charge and in two years has lifted it to self supporting congre- gation with 137 members and a new church on the way. His net in crease in membership for the past year has been forty members He had added forty-one by profession of faith, seventeen by certificate and has had eighteen withdrawals by let ter. His Sunday school is thriving with 150 members, and his Epworth | league numbers forty five members. The pastors salary of $1.000 has i been raised in full; the presiding l elders. allowance of $144 paid, and in all nearly s2,OOO has been raised l by the church.
 l MT. Williams is a young man, but ! he has been a success in Bethel.