Evening journal., 1914-03-18
M. P. CHURCH
CONFERENCE
NEXT MONTH
Ministers Of Denomination
Getting Anxious Over Their
Next appointments
MILFORD TO Be
THE MEETING PLACE

on April 1, with great expectations and
anticipations. Unless all signs fail,
and thpy sometimes do, it Will be one
Of the most interesting sessions held
In years. The much-talked of union
with the United Brethren Church is
bound to. come up, and as this con-
ference Is known 10 be divided on the
matter, notwithstanding the fact that
with but one exception all the other
conferences of the denomination
throughout the East and South have
voted In favor of the union. lively de-
batting will be heard when the matter
is formally presented to the body for
settlement.
In view of the few changes that
were made among the ministers at
the last session of the conference,
which was held at Lynchburg, Va,
Il is surmised that the same will not
be the case this year. Some of the
pastorates have already extended
over periods ranging from three to
twelve years and IL would not be at
all surprising to see some of the
largest churches Of that denomina-
tion with new pastors at the close Of
the conference. There is little doubt
that President John S. Bowers will
be reelected. He has served three
years, but the rule of the conference
is that the president shall have FIVE
year tenure and this rule has been
closely adhered to. DR.. Bowers has
made many friends during his in
cumbency and is considered one of
the best disciplinarians on the floor
of the conference. He is well versed
In. ussIi frtss
trouble in maintaining the dignity OF
his office or in keeping the routine
work Of the body moving along at
a good clip.
A Number Of Changes.
On account of several Of the min
listers outside of Baltimore, who, it Is
learned on good authority, will ask to
be left without an appointment for a
year at least to recuperate their
health, a number of vacancies will
occur and this alone will necessitate
a number of changes. The Rev. w.
B. Judefind and the Rev. Dorsey
Blake are among these. The Rev. j.
l.. Mills. one of the oldest of the ac-
tive ministers Will, It is learned, ask
for the superannuated relation. The
Rev. II. l.. Schlincke, who left Belair,
Md, and was sent to Georgetown, at
the last session, isolated TO make an
other change this year, according to
rumor.
Milford. where the conference is
TO be held this year, is far down the
Delaware peninsula. about 75 miles
south OF Wilmington. on a branch of
the Philadelphia, Baltimore and
Washington Railroad about Is miles
south of Harrington. IL has a popu-
lation Of at least 1000. There is
woven around the meeting Of the con-
ference at this place a most inter-
esting bit of church zeal and energy
and while It reads almost like fic-
tion, il Is an absolute fact and attest
ed by the pastor OF the Methodist
Protestant Church at Milford, Rev.
Louis A. Bennett.
IL was in the spring Of 1910 that
Rev. Mr.. Bennett was serving as pas
tor of the Methodist Protestant
Church at Harrington, Del. With an
eye always open to the advancement
of his church, he was quick to OBJ
serve that at Milford there was tho
nucleus for a fine congregation and
church. In the fall of that year a
tent was erected and the first ser
vices we're held with the assistance
Of Rev. J. l.. Nichols. one of the
young ministers of the conference. A
series Of revival meetings was start
ed and within a short time resulted
in about so conversions and additions
J to the church roll, and on October g.
/ 1910, the First Methodist Protestant
! Church of Milford was organ zed.
There was no abatement in the re-
vival interest and soon the congre-
cation grew too large for the tent
and It was necessary to erect a tenn
porary tabernacle at a cost of $500.
/ The revivals continued throughout
| the winter and well up into the
spring of 1911. covering period of
over seven months, and resulted in
the conversion of over 500 souls, an
unprecedented record in the history
OF that denomination and probably
any other Methodist denomination In
/ Maryland or Delaware.
Great Work Of Pastor.
In order to give the work at Mil
ford his entire time and energy. Rev.
DR.. Bennett was released from the
Harrington charge by the Rev. DR..
]. Nj. Sheridan, who was president of
the conference at that time. Mr..
Bennett moved to Milford at once and
since that time there has risen at
that place one of the most attractive
church properties within the confines
of the Maryland Conference of the
Methodist Protestant Church. With a
membership of nearly 1000. It was
necessary to further enlarge the
church and within two years from
the time he preached his first SER
mon there, a $4,000 church of gran
ite has been erected. besides a hand
some parsonage which cost nearly 49,
600. The church was dedicated on
May II. 1912. and at the time OF the
dedication nearly all the money had
been raised for II. II was a great
day for Milford and many of the most
prominent ministers of the confer
ence were present and took an active
part in the services.
Rev. Mr. Bennett has acquired the
distinction of being one of the bes,
church-builders In the conference
He was born at Mardena Springs
Nd, educated in the high school OF
that place and later received his
theological education at Western
Maryland College He was admitted
TO the conference In 1892. Since that
time he has built churches at the
following charges which he was serv-
ing: Georgetown, Del: Chrisheld
Nd: Fawn Grove. Pa: Selbyville.
Nd, and the one at Milford He has
also done a great evangelistic work
work during his ministry and when