Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-03-26

! Pray for me- need your prayers
"This is but one of 80 letters of similar
| import, coming from all parts of our bis
| district Is it any wonder that at nigh
as | kneel to pray | am haunted by tn,
vision of these more than two score patient
toilers, ploughing through the mud goinf
! to far way,churches TO find only a few oil
none present; trying as best they can &c
win the erring back to God, and TO gather
| the Centenary and other offerings from
too often, most unwilling or Indifferent
/ giversp And all this for Il pittance of 6
salary that would make 'hod-carrier &c
on striker And is it any wonder that daily
l pour out my soul to God on behalf OF
! these men, that He may make them pa
| tient, and strong and brave, and Christ
like? i never cease to marvel at the cour-
age and devotion of the pastors on Sails
bury district.
CHARGES WITHOUT PASTORS.
''The charges left without pastors a
year ago were finally cared for as follows
"Annamessex to which two local
preachers were assigned and did not go,
at last found pastor in Rev j. ID. Reese,
one of the sanity retired men of our Con-
ference, who was appointed in November.
Brother Reese has done faithful work
during the five months he has been on the
charge. | regret, however, he has been
able To serve only one of the two churches,
viz: ST. Peters. Rehoboth Church, l3
miles away, clear across the whole terri
tory of Marion charge, has been cut off
from pastoral service for the whole year.
| do hope something can be done to help
revive this struggling charge.
Clarmont, halfway between Norfolk
apJ Rfcbynopl Va M the rtubt hank nj
the James river, was also left to be sup
Piled and in july, Rev. J. W. Fogle, n
supernumerary of our own Conference,
feeling sure he was strong enough to
undertake work, was appointed. In Just
three months he suffered breakdown,
and in October was compelled to go home.
So again Clarcmont was without pastor.
"ln November | undertook to complete
what | had in mind for two years, VIZ;
an exchange Of churches with the Mctho-
dist Episcopal Church, South. On my
first visit to Claremont three years ago,
plainly saw that the best interests OF the
Kingdom required that Claremont should
be served BY the Methodist Church,
South. We have no other church of our
denomination within IS miles, and only
one little church there, viz: Phnbus. The
consequence is that the young people of
the Epworth League and Sunday school
can never meet other young people OF
their own church in district or other gath
erings For them TO have attended the
district EpWorth League at Frultland Last
yeas would have required two-days trip.
a night spent at a hotel IN Norfolk, both
going and returning, and 4 total OF $50
miles travelled for the round trip. 30, Tor
two years have been trying To get Clare
mont to see it as ! saw 1t. and succeeded
so well, that April last the official board
formally voted to ask me to try 10 arrange
an exchange of churches, which ! gladly
did
Taking un the matter with DIR. Me-
Sparren Of the Eastern Shore district, in
which Bishopville is situated. and with
DR.. Colonna, of the st. Petersburg dis
trict, in which Claremont is situated, the
latter of whom was most cordially in favor
of II. | asked that the church South give us
Bishopville Church, in lieu of our entire
church and parsonage property at Clare
mont.
ITO consrmmate the exchange ] at
tended the session Of the Virginia Con-
ference, held in Richmond, November last
After waiting for three days, ] was at last
granted few minutes interview with the
presiding bishop, Bishop Hendrix. Repre-
senting the Methodist Episcopal Church,
offered to grant TO them our church at
Claremont, valued officially at 81 600
and worth twice that much; our parson-
age. valued at So 600. and worth double;
so full members. IL probatIoners and 40
nonresident members. an active Sunday
school with an enrolment of %, and
average attendance of "a, the charge
paving now. $50 per month for pastors
salary, and will pay $1,000 this next
wear, and more than 500 annually for
benevolent offerings.
"Dr McSparran. representing the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South, said,
Our church at Bishopville is not worth
much we have an active membership of
about 20. good bad and distant a total OF
about 80 members: our Sunday school Is
not much and they only pay S220 on
pastoral support, mostly paid by mem
bers who do not live in Bishopville. But
is not yet willing 10 make the
exchange he added in closing That
settles it. said the good bishop. Call the
next committee So the exchange did not
90 through.
This action served 10 put new spirit IN
our faithful members at Claremont.
! told them # they would pay the 81 900
promised, would add $500 from domestic
and try to secure them a good
man We found him IN Rev. W. A. Wright,
Of the Northern New York Conference, a
army chaplain. Brother Wright
seems a man of unusual ability; Clare
mont is, of course, delighted with him,
their one regret being as they say, We
know we will never be able to hold a man
81 Mr.. Wright's ability very long.
ha= al
ferred TO us.
AT last / secured the transfer of Rev
C. L. Knopp from the Erie Conference.
1t has been hard year for Brother Knopp,
coming down here among strangers, with
conditions so entirely different from what
he was accustomed to in the North. Then
about three weeks ago diphtheria started
N the neighborhood; somehow Brother
knopp's son contracted the disease, and
lied at 7 O'Clock Saturday morning last.
Brother Knopp is now at home, quaran-
tined, another of his children Is sick. and
he Is unable to make report to the con
erence of his work or his collections. No
wonder Brother knopp asks for a change
If appointment, as TO return would be a
constant reminder of his boy.
cat the last session of the Conference,
Rev. d. B. PrettyInan, local preacher,
vas appointed to supply to Pocomoke
Circuit. He came to the work, preached
,wo sermons, and went home. Sometime
afterward he wrote me why he had left
PocomoNe Circuit, and asked for work;
md ] appointed him to Annanlessex. He
lid not so. Later ON he wrote me again
hat his affairs were then In such shape
le could 90 at once to Annamessex if the
was not supplied. Again |
appointed him, and urged him TO go i'm