Evening journal., 1914-04-01
NETRODISTS Of
THE peninsula
IN Conference
Body is Saddened by News
of Death OF H. S. Thomp-
son, Veteran
BISHOP CRANSTON refers
TO The MERCER plan
By a sax Correspondent.

BY Staff Correspondent
BERLIN, Nd, April 1.-Amid a
drizzling rain the Wilmington Metho-
dist Conference opened its forty-sixth
annual session in the new church of
which the Rev. T. r. Van Dyke is
pastor, at o'clock this morning. The
church was crowded to capacity.
Bishop Earl Cranston is presiding.
The Sacrament of the Lords Supper
was administered by the Bishop, as
sisted by the District Superintend-
ents as a preliminary to the business
organization of the Conference which
comprises the territory of Delaware.
the Eastern Shore of Maryland and
two counties in Virginia - the Del
marira Peninsula.
In his address, following the Sac
1 rament of the Lords Supper, Bishop
Cranston remarked that among the
subjects to be debated at this session
of the conference is the proposed
merger of the Wilmington Confer
ence with the Philadelphia Confer
ence.
Organization of the session was
then effected, roll call showing near
ly every minister of the Wilmington
/ Conference present. Three members
were detained by funerals, at which
they we're to officiate. Rev II. G..
Budd, who has served as treasurer
OF the conference for eleven years,
created much surprise when he an
nounced that he believed he had
served a sufficiently long time in that
office. He is principal of the Con-
ference Academy at Dover. He re-
quested the Conference to relieve him
Of further service as treasurer by
electing someone else. He then placed
in nomination the name of Rev G. c..
Williams. Mr.. Williams declined
the nomination and offered in nomi-
nation the name of James W. Colona.
Mr. Colona nominated G. w. Pretty
man, who was an assistant TO Mr..
Budd.
The nomination closed on these two
names. The election resulted in Mr..
Prettyman receiving so votes and Mr..
Colona SO votes. DR.. Col was
declared elected A total OF 1856 votes
were cast, three being defective.
The Rev. w A. Wise was again
elected Conference Secretary for the
tenth consecutive time. and named
as his assistants the Revs. W. R.
| Mowbray, w. E. Greenfield, Luther E.
Poole and ID. w. Jacobs.
The Rev. H. A. c. Westerfeld was
elected statistical secretary for the
tenth consecutive year and named
as his assistants the Revs. J. H.
Geoghegan. w. NJ. Mccain, G. r.
Ellis G. S. Thomas. w. E. Gumby,
]. r. Bicking, H. c. Shipley, I. S. Whit
taker, l.. B. Morgan, A. w. Goodhand.
II. B. KelsO, T. ]. Sard, j. NJ Kelso
and A. r. Brown
The newly elected treasurer, Dr.
Colona, appointed as his assistants
the Revs. W. r. MOwbray, T. r. Van
dyke Diston w. Jacobs, r. w. Nc
Dowell, w. II. Reyelle, B. F. Latshaw,
G.. W. Williams, V Z. Hills, c. S.
Jones and J. T Richardson
The rules of order of the previous
session were adopted with a few
minor amendments One amendment,
adopted after considerable discussion,
extends the time to which a person
is limited to speak in debate from
10 minutes to 10 minutes.
The Rev. J. W. Easley informed the
Conference that a new organization
has been formed known as the Meth
odist Brotherhood, and upon his mo-
tion, it was decided to appoint a COM
mittee consisting of one member
from each district to be known as the
permanent committee of Methodist
Brotherhood.
DR.. W. S. Bovard, d. D., of New
York. secretary Of the Methodist
Brotherhood, was given the floor and
expressed his pleasure at the action
of the conference in deciding to ap-
point the committee. DR.. Bovard
then gave a lengthy description of
the good work being done by the
brotherhood. He urged all the mem
bers to get together in common
brotherhood"
Rev. II. s. Thompson Dead.
In the middle of the session a tele-
gram was received by DIR. c. w.
Prettyman announcing the death of
Rev II S. Thompson, of Smyrna, Del,
this morning. Mr.. Thompson was a
veteran of 90 years active service in
the ministry and was greatly beloved.
Expressions of deep regret were
duululG mdut Ou ali oluto VI lhN
church room. and the entire confer
ence sang BLESSED Be The Tie That
Binds" with great feeling.
The Rev. T. E. Martindale offered
prayers for the departed minister. A
resolution was adopted to the effect
that a committee be appointed to draft
resolutions of respect to be adopted by
the conference and sent to the family
of the deceased.
Several of the members spoke with
deep feeling Of DR.. Thompson and at
the conclusion there was hardly a
dry eye in the church.
The conference sang I'VE Shall
Meet on That Beautiful Shore"
A resolution was adopted to ex-
tend greetings to the Maryland NJ.
p. Conference at Milford. Baltimore
Conference at Cumberland, Nd and
Delaware Conference at Wilmington.
The following board of conference
stewards was appointed: George w.
Townsend, Wilmington district; W. G..
Rooms. Dover district; c. w. Pretty
man, Easton district; W. o. Hurst,
Salisbury district.
DR.. J. o. Spencer, president of Nor
gan College addressed the conference,
Continued on Page Two)