Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-09-02
BEGIN
ANNUAL WORK
Methodist Conference Has
Laiety in Session That
Lasts for Two Days
BANQUET WILL BE
FEATURE TONIGHT

MT. Pleasant, Sept. 1.--(SpeciaD {:
Inc Laymen's association Of the M.
y. conference opened it's annual ses-
sion IN the Iowa Wesleyan college
chapel this morning with the presi-
dent, A. N. Jarvis of Burlington, pre-
siding. Over $50 lay delegates are
here for the meeting which will con-
tinue through Saturday.
All interest is now centering around
the Iowa Wesleyan banquet and edu-
cat1onal anniversary, which occurs
this evening. This Is always one Of
the big events of the conference. Cow
ers will be laid for three hundred
guests. President e. A. Schell will
preside, while DR.. A. w. Harris, Sec
retary of the board Of education and
FORMER president of Northwestern uni
versity, will make the address Of the
evening.
Following the devotional services of
Wednesday the regular business ses-
sion of the Iowa conference was re-
sumed Thursday at a. m. The
services Wednesday fere of most
Impressive character and attracted a
large audience of visitors and friends.
Rev. M. D. Cox of Agency presided
while the Rev. c. A. Field of Ottumwa
led in prayer. The address of the
evening was delivered by DR.. D. D.
Forsyth of New York, secretary of the
board Of home missions and church
extension. DR.. Forsythe IL one of the
best known churchmen in America.
A pleasing, powerful and forceful
speaker. His address, which was
along the grounds for home missions
dealt largely with the problems Of the
rural church. He urged that the young
pastors intending to go into the work
in a rural church should educate
themselves for that particular kind Of
service. He deplored the fact that 50
many pastors were anxious to secure
city appointments. The remedy for
this lies In the betterment of rural
conditions and the increasing Of pas.
tors salaries. The service was con.
cluded with the singing Of the Iowa
Wesleyan hymn. The first business
considered in the morning session was
the report Of President e. A. Schell of
Iowa Wesleyan college, This was
largely historical of the great endow.
ment campaign, congratulatory Of it's
success and appreciation of the sup
port Of the conference, both lay and
ministerial The necessity Of irnme-
diately raising the fifty thousand dol
lars underwritten by the Mt, Pleasant
Commercial club was also urged. The
reports Of the four district superin-
tendents we're then listened to and ap.
proved. The reports show that de.
spite the heavy drain in both time and
money of the recent college endow-
ment campaign that the charges in all
four districts have made marked ad-
vances in all departments of the work.
Nearly all apportionments were raised
in full. Pastors salaries were gener.
ally increased and the various benevo.
lence demands met. There has been
an unusually large amount of church
building and improvements, particu.
larly in the Oskaloosa district. In
addition to the regular demands Of the
church, the four districts subscribed in
round numbers the following amounts
to the recent Iowa Wesleyan college
campaign: Burlington district, includ
ing Henry county, $4,000; Musca.
tine district, $4,000: Oskaloosa dis.
trict, $4,000; Ottumwa district, $76,.
900. Following the report Of DR.. G.
L. Tenant, who concludes six years
service as superintendent Of the Bur
hngton district, Bishop Mcconnell
presented to him purse of $50 in gold
as testimonial Of the high esteem
and love in which he was held by the
members of the conference.
Make Transfers. ~
The following transfers were report.
ed: U. R. Kersey, from the Minnesota
to the Iowa conference; A. H. Lathrop,
from the Iowa to the Columbia River
conference; G. p. Pettitt, from the
Iowa to the Illinois conference; T. X.
Holiday to the Northwest Iowa; Will
liam Zabilka to the Colorado confer.
ence.
Continued on Page 81