Evening journal., 1915-03-25
Dr.. Wait Tells of Good Year
In the Face of Hard Times

That Easton district shares in the
benefits that come from a more ade-
quate support for It's ministers will be
seen in the subjoined summary. The
total salary and house rent in 1910 was
$4,000; in 1915, s3S,76O, an increase
of s3,S60. II is perfectly safe TO pre-
dict that with the new financial plan
in operation this amount made in my
last report, viz. "if the Wilmington
/ Conference expects TO retain the SER
vices of the men necessary 10 its fu-
/ ture development attention must be
paid to this matter OF the conference
will suffer loss in both prestige and
influence"
/ regret that we are not in a posi-
/ tion TO make the showing relative to
| tho Stewards Endowment Fund as
/ favorable as we had hoped to do. l
/ have felt for many years that our
conference should emulate the wisdom
of other conferences and commit this
special fund to one OF our own NUM-
ber who shall give all his time to its
development.
am profoundly convinced that an
! annual conference could not make
better use of a portion of the time
usually allotted to the transaction of
its business sessions than TO have the
men whom God has blessed with unus-
ual fruitage describe the plans and
methods that have been so honOTed
of God I'm the conversions Of souls.
Spirit OF Evangelism.
The spirit of genuine evangelism
has pervaded the district throughout
the year. do not believe there
was month when some faithful pas
tor was not engaged in evangelistic
effort. Never have l witnessed more
singular devotion TO the one supreme
mission of our church than that which
has characterized tile ministers with
whom Il has been 10y privilege to as
sociate in this r;oSt 'dsssed CT all
undertakings.
At some points eR tue district the
scenes Of the former days were wit
messed. There was an absence Of
Journalism Tilghmans Island was
the first 10 rally to the call OF her
spiritual leader. brother Iyanhoe VIII
lis. There were 100 conversions and
1877 accessions to the church. Next
comes Marydel Circuit, Rev. VIM. NJ.
McCann, pastor. who reports 1856 con-
versions
More than LOG conversions crowned
their united labors At Middletown..
where DIR. Wyatt, the pastor. had pour
ed out his very soul IN an agony of ap-
peal and labor, mighty work of grace
shook the town and tine church with
tremendous power, and there were 1874
conversions. Many Of the hardest drink
ers i'm the community were saved. ano
the keeper Of the leading hotel com
planned that that Methodist revival
was making his business dull"
AT no point on the district was
more faithful and discriminating work
done 10 stir the church to u realiza-
tion of its opportunity than al st.
Michaels. under the direction Of the
Rev. Leonard White. AS the direct
outcome of this work of grace there
were 1870 conversions. Asbury,
Smyrna, has been the recipient of one
Of the most marvellous spiritual awak-
enings in its history. In late Janu-
airy the Rev. 5. p. Con. of the Phila-
dclphia Conference came TO assist the
pastor. DR.. G. W. Prettyman, in re-
vival effort. The weather conditions
{ MNlA allnONl uuldNOTdUlN
There were nights when the altar an
front pews were crowded with seeking
souls. who came not only from the i'm
mediate vicinity, but from afar. IN
: conversions numbered 800.
Double Creek. on Crumpton oharg,
has been literally made over by the II
I viva that came to this feeble band Jas
{ fall. With The conversions at Unio
tlat ...t.f
e l03 for the charge. Cheering news come
also from Odessa. where under the sol
leadership OF the Rev. II. G. Shipley. tn
\ pastor, 40 souls were saved and 4
! united with the Odessa church. m
= heart of the Rev. W. II. Kenney wa
J. gladdcned at Cheswold with a gracot
l. revival resulting in 80 conversions.
, The total conversions for the yea
were 1400.
/. DulIneSs Not Psychological.
All things considered the year no'
!. closed has been exceptional for IN
y hardships it brought TO the men /
: the field have never know
', worse weather conditions. Wha
- With excessive rainfall. and the stu
- pidity OF road engineers. so-callel
a some OF the country churches weT
= closed for weeks at a time. In som
"a sections epideinics gripped the con
. munity. making open churches impol
y. sihle thus greatly interfering with III
= plans of the pastors But worst
= all has been the unusual depressio
N I'm money matters. The men alon
- the water courses have been we
nm nigh distracted by the demoralizatio
! caused by dun market and 10
an prices. This may have been a PSYCHE
To