Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-04-17
FAIR PLAY ASKED
FOR NJ. {. CON FERENCE
Some Comments on Methods of
Pastoral Appointments That
Have Come Into Vogue.

Editor Every Evening Ii Is with
some hesitation that venture criticism
upon the policy now being pursued IN The
Wilmington Conference of the Methodist
Episcopal Church But | feel that some
voice should make artlculatc the feelings
which arc surging IN the breasts OF my
brethren \ prominent and influential
minister Of the conference said 10 me
few davs ago that he was surprised that
no voice had been lifted up against tins
policy. II no one will protest against It,
will, and wish that an echo OF theTrotcst
might reach every charge within our
conference bounds
think Il is safe 10 say that II the
personnel Of conference IS 10 hc strong,
and tho churches arc to have highly et-
ticicnt leadership, that the men who have
united with tho conference. with the full
expectation Of remaining there per
manentlv. should bc encouraged and
made to feel that the best pulp,ts IN the
conference VIII bc open 50 them. he
late Rev. I. O. AvrcS SAID To some young
men who wcrc finishing their course at
the seminary that he did not want them
10 come to us unless they were willing
to go anvwhcrc and neither did nc want
them II thcy were willing 10 stay any
where
Nov. We arc 50 constituted that VIC
cannot give out the best there IS IN us
without adequate incentives. But YOU
NAV ask. Is not the privilege Of preach
ing the gospel, 10 man who feels called
10 the work Of the ministry. an adequate
incentive?
| answer. YES but | still insist that
the men who have laborcd for years IN .
conference and arc competent to I'LL lts
best pulpitS should have Il chance TO come
70 those pulplts IN the course Of wears. u
there are those who think our stock has
run down 50 low that We have no men
who are able to fill these pulpltS, l. with
a holy audacIty. insist that we have.
We all know that our conference has 'ts
limitations, There is only one city within
our bounds w have = number Of towns
from two 10 four thousand. and two towns
of about eight thousand each he
salaries have never been large with one
exception and no man 10 the manuer born
has scarcely dared 10 aspire 10 that pull
pit. however able nc might he But the
other churches have heretofore been
content 10 accept home talent
But what has come to pass
Well. il seems 10 be the order OF the
dav that if church decides To pay s. 600,
it Is necessary to import a new man
Imon. II Paul.s and Newark must be
supplied hv transfers And they arc
offering from $1,000 to $4,000 to men
who have not been receiving that much
in the big conferences to which they have
belonged
If any or our men want TO transfer to a
big conference. they are told that the
transfer must he on an equitable basis;
that Is. to a church % about the same
salary Unlcss the rights OF a conference
of our size are carefully Safcguarded, the
larger appointments Will be filled by
transfers and the men who have tolled
here through the years can take what Is
left
stand for al equitable transfer, and ]
do not wish 10 dispaTagc the brethren
who NAV come in but ! am not wiling
that our own peninsula men should hc
discredited and discounted because, per-
chance they joined the Wilmington
Conference some years ago. and that
premium should bc put upon men from
other conferences who are not superior IN
ability 10 many of cur o"n.
Why offer a minister OF large con-
ference 20 much more than he has been
getting III the conference where he has
been preaching? feel Inundated that a
policy Is beng pursued here which makes
Us the laughing-stock OF the Methodist
world.
am jealous OF the reputation OF the
conference. ! joined IN my youth and /
would like the high standard Of preaching
for which it has been noted III The past TO
be maintained IN the future
II this policy Of dlscounting our own
ministers however, IS continued. our
strong men, unless too old, will leave usi
and promising young men will not JON
the ranks Of the Wilmington Conference.
And who can blame them? II Is not a
pleasant ia ng for INC TO ammadvcrt on
the administration III our church au-
thoriticS But have we no rights? Can
Wc preserve our aelf-rcspcct a q CON
ference and submit to this policy with
out a protest? Is there anyone who be
licveS that the Baltimore and PhIIadel-
phia Conferences would mcckly submit o
t2 Neither should We
Now. whoever has any responsibility
for this policy, whether IL be official
boards, district aupcrintcndCnts or b~h-
ops, Is pursuing course winch IS most
diacouraging to the men who have been
toilng here on the peninsula Tor years.
content to take such salaries as our
people have felt able to pay; and II viii
cycntuate in filing the ranks Of our CON
ference with men Of the most mediocre
ability. such az cannot got into the large
conferences And "lchabOd viii be
written across the cscutchcon Of our
peninsula MethodIsm
Yours ID the interest Of justice and
fair play, Clinton j Wyatt.
Denton, Md, April Is, 1918.