Smyrna times., 1917-03-28
METHODISTS' EYES TURNED
TO SEAFORO CONFERENCE
BIG VANGUARD ARRIVED YESTER-
DAY READY FOR THE OPENING

Bishop Mcdowell in Charge and an In
teresting Program Has Been Ar
ranged-Cook Trial Feature
The forty-ninth annual session of
the Wilmington Confere nee of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, convened
at St. Johns Methodist Episcopal
Church, Seaford, this morning. 1t
will continue until Monday, April 2.
The program arranged is one of the
most interesting in the Conference
history. 1t will include many of the |
most prominent figures in Church |
work of the present day. The sub
iects will cover a wide territory rof
much interest to Methodists. Formal
opening of the session will be made
at z. so O'Clock Tuesday night. there
will be three sessions on Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The
morning session will begin at $50;
afternoon, g. 80, and evening, 7.30.
On Sunday, April l, the program will
be of unusual interest. The first SER
vice will be at 9 am, a Conference
Love Feast with the Rev. R. K. Ste
phenson, leader. At 1870 am.
preaching service, with the sermon,
by Bishop William F. Mcdowell. At
2 p.m., there will be memorial SER
vice; 3. 30p. m., ordination of Elders
and Deacons by the Bishop, and at
7.30 p.m., anniversaries of the Board
of Sunday Schools and of the Freed
mans Aid Society. st. Johns M.
E. Church, at Seaford, in point Of age
outranks many others on the Peninsula.
1t is remarkable in its strength and
activity, and during the last decade
has grown remarkably in its strength
and activity, and during the last de-
cade has made a remarkable growth
in membership. Several Of the most
prominent ministers of the Whining
ton Conference have served as pastor.
Prior to the formation of the Will
mington Conference it's welfare was
looked after by men Of equal prom
inence in Methodism on the PENN
sula.
Methodist Laymen to Meet Friday.
The seventh session of the Lay
mems Association. which meets every
year except that in which the Lay
Electoral Conference convenes, will
be held on Friday, March Both. This
will be the first session of the Laymen' 8
Association since 1915, as the Lay
Electoral Conference met last year.
The Annual Conference, a ministerial
body, will sit in the Methodist Epis-
copal Church, and the Laymen's As
sociation will meet in the Methodist
Protestant Church, but there will be
a brief joint session, the laymen visit
ing the ministers in the afternoon.
Each church in the conference is en-
titled to send one delegate to the
meeting of the Laymen's s Association,
and a large attendance is expected.
Walter o. Hoffecker, Of Smyrna, i:
president of the association, and Pro
fessor Clarence A. Shorts, of Newark,
secretary. The laymen will gather
at 9 o'clock in the morning, and soor
after the opening of the session there
will be love feast, in charge of Jas
M. Wise, of New Castle. Officers fol
the ensuing year will be elected in tn,
afternoon, when other important bust
ness will be transacted. including tn
adoption of resolutions. Should tn
program be prolonged the laymen ma
reassemble in the evening.
Reports of General Conference
Various matters pertaining to tn
Methodist Episcopal Church will b
considered, but interest will centre i
the reports of the lay delegates fror
the Wilmington Conference to th
General Conference and the lay men
bers of the Conference Claimant
Endowment Fund Commission. Sue
reports have not been made to the lay
men heretofore, but the Lay Electors
Conference of 1916 ordered that the
be submitted this year Reports col
CeEOluR IuS 0CLCLdA OOu4CEcnCc a.
expected from Melville Gambrill, Ma
tin B. Burris, T. H. Book and E
Winder and, relative to the Confe
ence Claimants Endowment Fund, fro
Governor John G. Townsend, Jr
Caleb E. Burchinal, Melville Gar
brill, Walter o. Hoffecker, C.
Jefferson, Henry P. Cannon, Albe
w. Sisk, W. ]. Downing, L. E.
Dennis, Thomas N. Rawlins, Orlan
Harrison, William P. Jackson, '
Atwood Weldin and DR.. Lay ton Grie
or from as many of these gentlem
as shall be present.