Evening journal., 1919-03-27
stan Correspondent.


Vaughan S. Collins, superintendent OF
Salisbury district. read his annual re-
port at the session OF Wilmington NJ. L.
Conference today. lIo told Of remark
able accomplishments on that district
OF vast area and also Of some Of the
difficulties besettlng church work. In
part no said:
AT the last meeting Of the Bishop
Cabinet one year ago in answer 20 the
query, Is there any change in the list
OF appointments as now arranged that
would be for the glory Of God or for
The good OF The churches or the pas
tOrsY ! answered None, Bishop, so
far as Salisbury District is concerned.
] believed 10 then; and the results OF
this years labor together have proven
10 me beyond all question that our God
still sits enthroned IN the midst Of the
wheels Permit me TO bear this word
OF testimony: Let those who will call
the Methodist Episcopal method Of
making appointments The Great Iron
Wheel ] have sat but I'm one cabinet
session. There arose situations which
none OF us sitting about the council
table were able 20 control a power
other and above the five Of us sitting
about the table seemed 90 be shaping
The situation; until at last The Bishop
would say, 1t looks TO me that under
the circumstances / must DO so and
So" the final result being different from
what any OF US had advised or expected
In the beginning. And so far as Sails
bury District is concerned every case
nj this sort, where the pastor went 20
D. "a frnf 20 Nnf hna
Of it, has proven beyond all question
that God had a hand in the making OF
the appointment. Let us therefore rev
erently pray that the appearance ot
the likeness Of the glory Of the Lord
may shine forth in the making Of the
appointments this year also.
Dr. Collins gave the following word
picture Of one Of the difficulties OF
church work on his district.
Hollands Island, a little emerald
nesting so sNeetly on the bosom Of
the Chesapeake Bay, was visited in
August last by a wind storm that car
rled destruction in its wake. our
sturdy little church was moved bodily
seven inches on ifs foundations. which
crushed under the severe pressure, and
the land on which the parsonage stood
was washed away clear up tO the un-
derpinning Of the kitchen. In order to
save the property ] took a hOusemOver
and his tackle from Salisbury, Md, at
a cost Of si2 per day and expenses and
went TO the island 90 jack up the
church and 90 move the parsonage TO
safer ground. Finding no response on
the part Of the islanders themselves TO
help save their own property, only
the pastor, the Rev. :. n. llOrseman,
being willing to assist in the work, the
writer donned thigh boots and Overalls,
manned the Jacks and went TO work.
We succeeded i'm getting the church
lacked back into place, but did not
touch the parsonage, that being too Dig
a lob for one mechanic and two
preachers to tackle. The church needs
10 be fitted with new underpinnings,
and this will be done as soon as / can
get the islanders 10 place the neces-
earv sand at the church 20 make the
mortar. Later I sold the parsonage Tor
ei25. as by that time the waters had
washed the ground away as Tar as the
lining room. The island is now de-
serted. an Of the inhabitants having
left for the winter except one family.
doubtless many OF them will return
Tor The summer grabbing season, so we
wiIl retain the church. and attempt 10
hold services for about 1--WE months a
wear. while the crabbers are about.
There has been no service held since
last October"
difficulties Of Work.
.The work OF the churches has been
prosecuted this year under a chain or
f..a uH "a
f,iih and courage than Methodist
preachers might have given up IN
despair.
steady stream OF emigration Fom
salisbury district 10 the more popuious
centres and munitUn plants because Oh
fhe high wages offered. scores OF
houses stand vacant today in such
sections as Fairmouni. Deals Island,
Nenton. NanticOke, Tangicr, elc., mute
witnesses 10 the extent Of this great
exodus. However. this great immigra-
tlon has not been a total loss to God
and Methodism as largely what we nave
lost has been garnered in Wilmington,
baltimore. Washington, Norfolk ana
Newport News, the points TO which
most Of our people have gone.
.The second difficulty arose in the
shane OF a smallpox scarce in lower
Sussex county. Delaware. A whole tier
of churches I'm that county was closed
ND for weeks by orders Of the Board
Of Health
scarcely was the smallpox scarce
over before the round of campmeetlngs
began: and certain 10 is that nowadays
campmcetings interfere disastrously 10
fhe regular services OF every church
within reaching distance OF the camp;
and I'm this day OF automobiles ana
Fords the radius OF deleierious inilu-
once is largely increased
$50 far as reported TO me the camps
held on Salisbury district resulted as
follows Deals Island, no converts, made
$3.50 clear: Hebron, no converts, clear
I'd Si.iOO; Willards, one convert. clear
cd siOO; Sloan, one convert cleared
$50; Sound, three converts, cleared
1868.
Hits at Campmeetings.
"In The light Of this statement Of facts
it seems TO me well worth our care
ful thought whether Methodist preach
ers should be expected to lead in the
conduct or camps where evidently the
prime object Of the meeting is not the
conversion Of men TO Christi | believe
that camps could be wisely and pro-
ntably utilized by introducing new fea-
tures-uslng stereopticons and lectures
90 bring together an educational pro-
gram on missions. or temperance or
sunday school work, or home and per-
sonal hygiene; all perfectly legitimate.
and well worth any church's while. but
] very much doubt the wisdom Of at
Lnmnllnr 10 rlIn communicating. ON the