Evening journal., 1914-01-12
Editorial Opinion
OPPOSED TO CONFERENCE UNION

OPPOSED TO CONFERENCE UNION.
From the North East Cecil star.
Rev. Dr. T.. L. Hofiecker, -uperinten-
dent OF the Wilmington district, VIII
mington Conference. Methodist Episco-
pal Church. is advocating return TO
the union OF the Wilmington and Phil
adelphia Conferences. which relations
We're severed some forty-odd years ago.
We have not seen the full text OF the
paper advocating the reunion. which the
genial superintendent read at the Meth
odist Preachers meeting in Wilmington
last month. and there may be reasons
therein for the restoration on the union
other than the one which mas been given
prominence in the published reports of
his paper.
The reason, as we have seen IL stated.
Is that the present limited territory of
the Wilmington Conference. which en-
braces tho state OF Delaware. the East
crn Shore Of Mary land and the Eastern
Shore Of Virginia, does not present suf-
iicieni opportuute- for our preachers,
and that if more territory were covered.
better work could De done for the
Church
N by opportunities 10 It's preachers
is meant chance 20 get INTO the pull
pits of larger cities, we agree with our
ministerial friend but we take issue
with him as TO the thus implied mission
OF the Christian ministry Or ii it
means that this Peninsula does not offer
opportunities for work commensurate
with the highest abilities intellectual
on spiritual-Oi The ministry of The
Methodist Church. or of any other de-
domination of Christians we Likewise
take issue with him.
This fair and God-favorel Peninsula
mas boon under the teaching and train
ing OF the Church Toy nearly three zen
turies. No power has oecu accorded
more nntmmme lei opportunity to
make itself fell, aud no class of pro-
iessiunal men has been accorded greater
freedom IN the prosecution of its calling
than the preachers of the gospel; YET
with all these advantages plus the
many opportunities 10 accommodate
any variety OF ecclesiastical preference
10 tie peculaiities of the human mind,
more than half Of the people ON the
peninsula who have reached the age of
accountability are still unchurched
moro than two hundred thousand souls
oil the little over four hundred thousand.
here are the figures, to be exact; Popu-
laticn OF the territory within the
( bounds of the Wilmington Conference,
4O2 .4gs; members of churches IN all de-
nominations, 1873 dGS Ii this i- not a
challenge to the best brain and most
( consecrated efforts of the Methodist
ministry yea. 10 the preachers in all
I Christian denominations ON this PENN
sula we arc at loss to understand its
Significance.
AZ layman OF the denomination in
which our learned friend holds high Of
/ licial position. We can see no adequate
reason FOR the restoration of condi
tion that the ecclesiastical wisdom OF
nearly hall a century ago believed to
/ be n handicap to the progress of the
church In this territory. And ~ the
! membership OF this denomination has
outstripped numerically all other dcnom-
nations on the peninsula. il would seem
that the creation OF the Wilmington
Conference has been fully justified. Ia.
stead Of marching backward into Che
J old single conference relations. would
| IL not be the wiser course, if there be
iany need ui changed relations. TO di-
vide the present conference territory,
and thereby hiring about conditions of
concentration that would he more etree-
tive in reaching the people? The pres
ent Wilmington Conference has grown
so large in the number OF It's preachers,
that difficulty has arisen In late years
of finding place for its entertainment.
A smaller conference could meet in the,
smaller communities OF the territory
and leave with such lts impress foi
good
Certainly we can see no beneficial
result that would come TO the people OF
this territory by having the identity ri
the Wilmington Conference lost in tn,
larger territory. And it is the besi
welfare of the people that should hay,
FIRST consideration