Evening journal., 1917-03-29


city problem. Dr. Robert Watt dis-
trict superintendent Of Wilmington
district. read his annual report at inc
Wilmington NJ. y. Conference session
today. DR.. Watt reported about luVV
conversions on the district general
bctterment Of pastoral salaries ana
need of following tho disciplinary mn
ancial plan. In the course of his re-
port he sad.
Wilmington District.
..It has been memorable year. None
OF the workers have been mustered
out. the hand Of God has been over
rs for good.
After years OF intermittent weak
ness and strength. Rev. Stephen MAI
tindale Morgan heard the heaFeniy
call. and the brave struggle AGAINST
resistless odds came to an end, the
once strong form was laid low the
stalwart figure so familiar In our an
nual gatherings. has disappeared lie
was n good soldier of Jesus Christ a
brother beloved. a prince among men.
An appropriate memoir Will De reau
at the memorial session.
"A few changes have occurred IN
tho list OF appointments as printed ln
the wear book. The Rev 70. c. Cadle'
who was assigned to Elk Neck. left
early In the year. The Rev Oden N.
lanes has had charge OF the work
Brother James has given his undl-
vided time and attention to caring Tor
this difficult field. and his toll and
labor have not been In vain. In the
early fan Rev. S. e. Cadle was releas-
cd from the work at Christiana and
Rev. Harry d. West was put In
charge Brother West deserves com
mendation for his faithful and sue
oessful handling Of q delicate and cri-
tical problem
"The work OF the district has pre-
scented some problems that are tar
from simple To deal with them ade-
quately demands more than human
wisdom, and never In a ministry OF
nearly a generation have / felt so
keenly the needs Of the guiding OF His
presence as during the past year.
"On the human side the one factor
that has simpllfed the task. and made
IL lighter has been the perfectly beau
tiful loyalty OF my co-workers. No
man burdened with the care OF the
churches ever had loyalty more
steadfast and true than has been ac-
corded 20 mo during these trying
months.
Tide Toward City.
Among the problems that have
taxed ingenuity and faith alike Is the
problem of tho rural church. Time
was when our territory furnished
none of these problems, but that time
IS past We face a changed environ
ment. In those early days, tho day
Of the big circuit and the senior and
Junior preacher those pulpits were
supplied by the ablest and most OK
porienced ministers In tho Conference.
Tho ebb toward the city had not yet
assumed serious proportions. Tho
strong men remained I'm the, commu-
nifty and sons took the places made va
cant by their fathers. All this is
changed. The increasing set of the
tide toward the city, the demand for
stations. the disappearance of the
mnior preacher, the weakening of the
onco strong. commanding country
churches have brought the church face
TO face with the rural problom. Tho
most hopeful sign TO me as ] face this
problem Is that we are at last con-
finced that II rs a problem. and once
convinced, we seek at once for sano
solution.
Another problem. which, like the
poor we have with us always, is the
matter of church finance. After many
yoars Of experimenting. the church al
last sifted out the subsidiary and
unessential and placed before the peo-
pie what we are pleasedd to term
,9he new financial PLAN For simpli-
city and all round workableness; for
happy blending Of the spiritual and
the temporal. this plan is ideal. Its
most deadly foe is not stinginess, but
the specious plea. it will not work
with US This ancient mendicant has
so often smitten my ears with this
silly utterance that IL required an un-
usual supply of grace TO keep an ever
keel. lt will work anywhere, when Tho
people have a mind to work H. i
the limits Of this report permitted
could show you from actual trial oi
the wilmington district, that this il
true. For example, Mt Salem, in vii
mingtOn, and Mt Pleasant, in tn
country, have both worked this plar
Yet with these known examples of Oh
virtue and the value Of sane, work
able plan of church finance less tina
half OF the charges on the district hav
adopted il. We are hopeful, however
that in the coming year. creditabl
majority will adopt what viii surel
solve tho problem on the financial sid'
sqt is a cause for congratulatlon thi
Wilmington district has taken an az
vance step in a just recognition Of u
npostolic utterance that the laborer
worthy of his hire IL must ever be
reproach TO the church when she permit
her ministers to suffer needless worry o
account Of a proper provision Tor h
temporal needs.
"Twenty-seyen out of the ffty-thre
charges on the district have added I'll
following amounts TO the pastors sa
arv: Asbury. Wilmington. and New Ca
tie. $500 each; Scott Eastlake, Richard
son Park, Port Deposit, 5000 each; El
Mills Newport. Charlestown. Mort
East, Mt Pleasant, Chester Bethel. 1'riI
ity. slverbrook Mt Salem, iarriso
Street. Union and Stanton 500 each
Nineswood and Brack-EX. $50 each
Eoenezer, $50; Cherry Hill and S
Johns and Hillcrest S25 each: Tow
lo,nl, el9o making total Of ov,
s'oVV'N'llh good prospect for a great,
increase for the coming wear.
"it must be Kept steadily In min
that in order to obtain the best resul
the principles of Christian stewardsh
should be faithfully mculcated n
question: will a man rob Codg' is IN
As pertinent today a when ii was thu
dercd from the lips OF the accusi
prophet. Financial short cuts. and I