Evening journal., 1914-03-24
DR.. MORGAN URGES
AGAINST MERCER
Mt. Salem Pastor, Unable to
Attend Conference, Issues
Letter to Ministers
UNIT ADVANTAGES
ARE POINTED OUT

the Rev. DR.. 5. NJ. Morgan, of Mt.
Salem Church, has issued an open
letter to ministers OF the Conference
opposing the merger proposed with
the Philadelphia Conference. DR..
Morgan says he is opposed to the
merger because the Wilmington Con-
ference territory is unit geo.
graphically; because the population
is unit in the excellent type of its
people and in the distinctiveness Of
its Methodism; because a merger
would limit the entertainment Of Con-
ference in this territory to Whining
ton; because the merger would result
in neglect of the work IN remote sec
tions of the Conference territory; and
because the laity is almost unani-
mously against it. DR.. Morgans LETT
ter is as follows:
To My Breathren of the Wilmington
Conference:
Until three weeks ago / expected to
be present and take nv usual part in
the deliberations of the approaching ses-
sion of our conference at Berlin. A mod
flied recurrence of my misfortune of last
summer resulting from an X-ray burn
makes il important that | should stay
near my physician, and this precmdes
my attending the conference session at
all.
! would have to be reconstructed in
every fibre Of my nature did ] not feel
a vital interest in every item of bust
ness related TO the work of the church
to be transacted in that session. No
part of the business, perhaps all the
business of the conference together that
shall be transacted will not be more inn
portant nor will more concern the church
in every section of our conference ter
rtory than the decision to be reached
on the proposed consoidation of this and
the Philadelphia conference.
I | have very positive convictions on
this as on all questions Of church and
human interests and since / will not
be present to advocate them on the con
ference floor | will address this open let
ter TO you, my brethren and co-workers
in the great enterprise of our holy cr-
rand.
Opposes Consolidation.
am opposed to such consolidation
and solemnly avow that in my godly
Judgment there is no one thing think
able for our church in this territory 10
do that would be a greater mistake than
for that proposition to receive sanction
by all the authorities involved in our
church government to make it law.
AS briefly as I may I am going tC
give here some of the reasons
that lie in the conditions existing in
the territory for this avowed convic
tion of mine.
/. This territory of ours is uni
! territory in itself. geographically
4 frr1.t a..
Il so when He bounded IL by tn,
great ocean. and by the two bays ly
ing on opposite sides. We are con
tiguous and convenient every por
tion to all the other portions Of Oul
geographical extent and more or lesl
remote and inconvenient to the othel
] sections of the territory lying out
side of our boundaries This Of itsel
would operate to our detriment as {
church, as il did formerly, were W.
only "A part of a much larger anC
wider range of territory, lying be
yond this long and narrow Peninsula
?. We are a unit population, no
mogeneOus and harmonious, in tn,
matter OF both the excellent type o
our people and of the distinctivenes
Of our Methodist faith and worship
This is true of both of our laity ant
of our ministry. The population ol
this Peninsula Is largely Methods
and largely, too, the direct descend
ants of the virile original Methods
stock Of the pioneer days. / mysel
am in direct line from the convert
of the pioneers of Asbury's day, fou
generations back. bear the honor
ed name, and my sainted father be
fore me, of one of those pioneers VIII
travelled this territory and who wa
again and again entertained in m
great grandfather's home in the earl
years of the last century, Stephe
Martindale. He travelled in my ma
! tive (SusseX) county in 1909. More
over, you brethren are of like favor
ed Methodist stock and for the mos
part natives of this classic soil, an
are for that reason among others tn
I more successful as church leader
among our people. II is no dispal
agement of the other ranks from ou
4 side sections to say that as a rul
4 they do better work with us whe
4 they come among us young and TAX
4 time and pains TO grow up and b,
4 come adjusted TO our Peninsula way
If we we're to be made a part onl
of the Philadelphia Conference
4 long. narrow strip of terrtory-ther
q is reason to fear that the exodus frOr
4 US of our native pastors and the sub
= stitution for them of strangers to on
4 people whatever its results to then
h would be - numerous and TO sudde
s 10 work we'll for our churches an
q our people here.
i 3. As some other writer on thi
d subject has recently said. such con
\ sOlidation would limit the entertain
q ment OF the conference sessions
this territory TO the city OF Wilmine
ton. This city even is too remot
8 from many points on the Peninsul
4 for very many of our people and eve
J of some of our pastors 10 come her
for the Conference sessions withoJ
an expense that imposes a hardship
y and much more this unnecessary bul
q den when the majority Of the session
A of the proposed new Conference ol
4 ganization FIVE hundred and fift
q members strong and double th;
number in General Conference yea
4 to begin with, would be held thirt
& to a hundred miles north of Wi
& mington.
But, besides this the rank and fl
of our people would never agai
& either those now living or their POI
q terity, see a conference in session an
& they would thus lose the profit an
Il pleasure of IL, distributed as the COZ
ference sessions have been and wi
be otherwise. in the different centre
q of our population.
NJ 4. This proposed plan would r.
a suit in neglect and loss of our wor
q in the remote sections of our COZ
ference territory. With the wi'