USA > Michigan > Jackson County > Jackson > Minutes of the Michigan Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 1918 > Part 6
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Our Deaconess Home has housed our Deaconesses the past year whenever they have come in for rest and recreation from outside the city tasks, and has furnished a good home for the resident Deaconesses working in the city. Miss Clark, the Superintendent, is a women of fine spirit and poise, and has proved herself compe- tent for her work, heartily co-operating with the Board.
The Clark Memorial Home has had the best and most harmonious year of its history, whether we speak of the members of the "Family" there, or of the pleasant relations of the Board of Trustees who have lahored together this year in utmost harmony and delighted fellowship-counting it joy thus to labor for a nohle philan- thropy. We have had peace and happiness the year through.
There is no sufficient accommodation for the Superintendent and his family in the Home building-which now is becoming over-crowded hy the old people resi- dents, and the contract has heen let for the building of a new home for the Superin- tendent, to cost about $5,000 and the work now is well under way. By using sal- vage from the old building occupied by the Superintendent the past year, and be- cause of certain donations of material and cash secured by Brother Freeman, this $5,000 building completed is assured to us at a cost to our Board of hut little if any more than $2,500.
The long awaited Supreme Court decision relative to the appeal from the decree of Judge Brown of the Circuit Court has come in an opinion set forth by Justice Ostrander which reverses the findings of the lower Court, and apparently sustains the claims of the appellant, so that the reversionary clause is restored to the deed conveying to our Conference the twenty acre piece of property on which the Home is situated.
When the Conference received this Trust, it did not know of the reversionary clause, but supposed that the property was conveyed in fee simple.
The Board of Trustees will of sourse accept the decree of the Supreme Court without demur, and govern themselves accordingly. We may hope and pray that there will be unbroken peace and prosperity continued to this worthy philanthropy throughout the future days.
GRAND TRAVERSE DISTRICT.
R. E. Meader, Superintendent.
The achievements on the Grand Traverse District are to he credited to those pastors who have given themselves wholeheartedly and wisely to their work. Im- proved leadership will yield increased results. This two-fold problem of leader- ship and support is becoming increasingly difficult because of the demands of the war for both men and money.
Brutus will' he attached to Peilston, Alanson with Levering. Resort will he served from Petoskey and Horton's Bay from Boyne City. Clarion and Walloon will he attached to Boyne Falls. Ellsworth will be the head of a new circuit with Atwood and Norwood. Barnard will be attached to Charlevoix giving the pastor at Charlevoix at least $2,200 and a house. Jennings will he attached to Lake City and the pastor will receive a thousand dollars.
When conference closed a year ago, Clarion, Empire and Fourteenth Street and Bear Lake were without pastors. Claude Greenman, a local preacher at East
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Jordon, supplied Clarion for a few weeks and later in the year A. F. Collins, who is living at Petoskey, was appointed pastor. E. A. C. Allen of Copemish was ap- pointed pastor at Bear Lake. Rev. L. M. Whittemore, a local preacher in Central Church, was appointed as pastor of Fourteenth Street.
Empire desired very much to have W. E. Ragan for their pastor at the advanced salary of one thousand dollars and house. In the early spring Roscoe Smith, our pastor at Grawn, was taken with LaGrippe and after an illness which finally ter- minated in tuberculosis he passed on to his reward. Evangelist O. A. Miller con- ducted special meetings at Monroe Center and Grawn during Bro. Smith's illness and Amos. Bogart, a local preacher from Matchet, has supplied the circuit since Bro. Smith's death June 29th. Reuhen C. Parshall enlisted in the medical department of the army in April. W. J. Cross, N. F. Jenkins, Arlie Krussell and Dr. Stewart supplied the work a few Sundays after which Evangelist H. W. Kerr was secured for the remainder of the conference year.
Bishop Henderson and his staff held two Area District Conferences in December, one at Petoskey and one at Traverse City. In May a Sunday School Institute was held in Central Church, Traverse City, under the management of the Board of Sunday Schools. The Epworth League Institutes for the district was held at East Jordan in June. C. J. Kruse is the president of the district.
Dr. and Mrs. Peter F. Stair conducted a successful camp for boys and girls at Fife Lake August 5th to 19th and demonstrated with twenty-five boys and girls the kingdom building possibilities of such an institution. Every boy and girl who attended went away insisting the time must he longer next year and thoroughly com- mitted themselves to Christ and His service. The business men of Fife Lake co- operated heartily financially and every way and all financial obligations were pro- vided for with a small halance in the treasury.
Dr. W. F. Stewart, of Boston, was appointed by Bishop Henderson as District Evangelist. He held meetings at Boyne City, Manistee, Levering, Pellston, Kingsley, Fife Lake, Northport, Mesick and delivered various addresses and messages in nearly every church on the district. The proceeds of the Darr estate were applied on the support of this work. To this was added the offerings from the churches where he lahored.
John W. Erskine did a little work on the district assisting one or two pastors with special meetings. H. W. Kerr assisted Bro. Exner at Pleasant Valley where the work resulted in organizing a Methodist class with 54 preparatory members.
The district Superintendent assisted in meetings at Antrim, Bellaire, Messick, Bear Lake, Central Lake, and Alden.
During the summer A. M. Oviatt held a special series of meetings at Miner School house which resulted in organizing a class of twenty-five members. Plans are being made to combine with Bagnall and move the church building at the latter place to a more convenient location for the combined classes.
W. P. Mosher was assisted hy Miss Fern Wheeler in evangelistic work and a considerable number of decisions were secured.
Ladies' Aid Socicties report $6,364 raised. Central Church leads with $1,373.
Twenty-three charges report increased offerings for benevolences amounting to $1,662 ; ten report the same as last year; twelve will give less by a total of $185: three pastors failed to report or did not know. The gain for the district appears to he ahout thirteen hundred dollars. Special gifts are many and large, over $2,000 was subscribed on the Emergency War Fund, hesides what was given for the Orphan's Home at Detroit, and for Camp Custer, the Red Cross, the District Missionary and the Y. M. C. A. war work.
The total expenditure for improvements to church property reported by the pastors is $2,306.
Quarterly 'conferences increased pastoral claims a total of $3,775.
Four charges decreased pastoral claims a total of $365, leaving a net increase of $3,410. The indications are that deficits will he less than last year. The chief reasons for deficits are lack of system, failure to organize and carry through an every 'memher canvass and in some instance an exodus of paying members and the drough and grass-hoppers together with a low price for potatoes. In a few instances our
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people have allowed Red Cross and other war interests to become an excuse for failing to pay the church obligations. I think it is conservative to say that the pastors will receive at least $3,300 more this year than last.
Only the most rigid economy enahles many of our pastors to meet their financial obligations. How some of the men on the smaller charges manage to make ends meet is a miracle. Increased appropriations from the Board of Home Missions have helped and the Woman's Home Missionary Society has come to the rescue with boxes of clothing and some money. Without this assistance some of the pastors could not have remained at work. Let it be said in highest appreciation of the heroism and devotion of these men that not one of them has forsaken his field. It is as much credit for A. H. Gery, E. M. Koons, C. N. Babcock, E. F. Vane, Amos Wag- ley and Henry Rubingh and A. F. Jenne to have remained on their fields while their people were moving away and failing to bring in the small amounts estimated for their claims as for some other brethren to come up to conference with everything paid in full.
The work among the Indians procceds as usual at Northport, Charlevoix and Kewadin. They will make offerings for the benevolences for the first time in years. E. M. Koons has been preaching to some Indians near Brethren and Amos Wagley has held some meetings with Indians at Star City. He also preached in the Indian language which he speaks fluently at the Northport camp mecting. George Allen, a worker among the Indians, has been killed in action in France.
A. F. Jenne, pastor at Sherman, has been very ill and is not yet recovered. His son Theron supplied the work for a time.
Ray Merrill and a part of his family have been in an automobile accident which resulted in a serious fracture of one of Mrs. Merrill's limbs.
Mrs. Wagley, wife of our Stittsville pastor has been obliged to go to the hospital at Petoskey where she remained for some time and is now on the road to recovery.
Oatley on the Sherman charge pays every obligation in full each quarterly set- tlement day. One of the members supports a special missionary assignment at fifty dollars a year.
The district has given one pastor and seven ministers' sons for war service. R. C. Parshall is the pastor and those who have given sons are, George Carter, C. W. Chase, A. M. Oviatt, Quinton Walker, D. A. Rood, W. P. Mosher and W. E. Ragan. L. M. Whittemore leaves next Saturday for war Y. M. C. A. work. Many others have gone from our Methodist homes into the service of their country and humanity. Our pastors have rendered faithful service in arousing patriotism and in the drives for Liberty Loans, Red Cross and Y. M. C. A., while our members have contributed generously to these funds.
KALAMAZOO DISTRICT.
J. R. T. Lathrop, Superintendent.
Four open doors of opportunity, occasioned by the War: The Army, Navy, Y. M. C. A. and Chaplaincy have claimed a number of our Ministers. Lester Ragan a Probationer, Burr Berry who was to have been admitted on trial at this Conference, are at the Great Lakes. Roy Hover is at Chickamaugua. A few days before Con- ference, Guy W. Hawley, of Allegan, accepted the secretaryship of the Men's and Boys' work of Allegan County. Earl Cook who was on Probation, early in the year accepted a call to the Baptist Ministry, and in the month of August W. E. Goltz left us for the Congregational church.
In the series of Fourth Quarterly Conference just closed the Boards voluntarily increased the salaries for next year. In this list are Allegan, Alamo, Athens, Upton Ave., Galesburg, Simpson, Stockbridge, Mendon, Plainwell, Penfield, Urbandale and
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Vicksburg. Some of the charges will be readjusted so that the support will be adequate for these times.
Providence has dealt kindly with the parsonage families. Only one, the three and a half year-old hoy of Brother and Sister C. J. Kendal, Charles Jason, a child much beloved by the community, after a prolonged struggle with pneumonia, went from earth, to be forever with the Father of all little children.
Patriotism has run high. Hundreds of our young men, whose going to the front, is symbolized hy Service Flags, have created a deep sense of God. Our people are more prayerful, the Gospel means more to them, and a world vision is com- ing to the churches. The law of personal sacrifice is becoming regnant. The great forward movements have received quick response, as have all government calls, and communities have vied with each other to go over the top.
The District Area Conference in December, with Bishop Henderson in charge, with his staff, proved a creative agency in the years program. In May the Board of Sunday Schools under the direction of Dr. Wilson, held a Sunday School Institute with over four hundred delegates present. District itineraries, in company with the District Superintendent acting as chauffeur were made hy Drs. Musser, Diehl, Durgin and Stair. These men spoke at banquets, in high schools, and churches and the result shows in all the departments which they represent.
Regular Benevolences will be about the same as last year. The churches, however, have all given largely to all the philanthropic and patriotic calls. . .
Improvements to the amount of $10,000 have been made. South Haven. in the splendid improvement of its parsonage-Hopkins, Alamo and Kendal, and East Ave., deserve special mention. There has been a creditable reduction of old debts.
THE WAR ZONE ACTIVITIES.
The program for the soldiers has been enthusiastically promoted. All pastors have gone into the camp, speaking, holding private, interviews, baptizing soldiers. The soldiers have responded with delightful appreciation to all our ministrations. The great camp, with 50,000 men spells out an overwhelming task for the Church of Christ.
The great Sunday evening supper occasions at First Church, Battle Creek, have become centers of spiritual profit. This church has just closed one of the finest years in its history. All benevolences are in full, $500 paid on mortgage. debt, $1,400 on improvements and crowded services.
The outstanding task in the War Zone is at Augusta. W. H. Smith has lead in this unique enterprise, which is, in a word, the enlargement and readjustment of our entire church life to the welfare of the soldier and the community. The old parsonage was sold and a new parsonage was purchased-in every way modern. Then the finc lots adjacent, just across from the park, were bought for $900 and the church edifice moved, lifted up making a fine hasement ; a rest room is being added to serve the community life, and the auditorium beautified. When completed the building with lot will be worth $15,000.
The cantonment threatens to surround the village .. Soldiers by the hundreds are in and around the place. Some $5,832 have been received, of which the Board of Home Missions and Church Extension have donated $1,000. It is the best ex- pression of community co-operation I have ever seen.
A word should he said of the self-sacrificing and efficient service rendered by William Chapman as Camp Custer Pastor in addition to his regular church re- sponsibilities. G. LeRoy Schnell throughout the ycar has directed the social func- tions for the soldiers in all the churches and will, wherever desired, continue to do so.
. KALAMAZOO METHODISM.
Our First Church has now 914 members. It works in splendid harmony with our City Methodist program.
Simpson has come into the possession of the property willed them. The Method- ist Union paid toward its debt altogether $2,760. Brother Taylor has also been look-
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ing after the growing suburh Parchment, where we have a good Sunday School where he occasionally preaches and some day will have a flourishing church.
East Ave., has been redecorated, reroofed, parsonage painted. To accomplish this the Union paid $1,310. It is worthy of note that the Union has paid to the several churches $5,012. Dr. Kendrick is the President, and the Methodists of the City are beginning to realize what this co-operative work means.
Stockhridge purchased, under the authority of the Union, a commodious and modern home just East of the church, retaining for rental the old parsonage. This gives to Stockbridge a very fine property. The Union has paid to Stockbridge on interest and debts and improvements $942.
The Union has purchased a Community House on Third St. in the Hungarian Colony for $1,600 upon which $960 has been paid. Two of our own Deaconnesses are on the ground, Miss Avery and Miss Lyman. The work is well organized.
On September the first we organized a Methodist Episcopal Church Society at Recreation Park. For sometime Brother Wilson has been preaching there.
Thus, the "Kalamazoo Plan" is proving a real plan. We are far enough along to commend this to all growing citics for the unification of Methodist enterprises.
LANSING DISTRICT.
William H. Phelps, Superintendent.
We are at war, yet we have lived another year without the loss of life or faith. I wish I could say also, without the loss of health, but C. L. Beebe and B. T. Fisk will ask for a supernumerary relation for their wives' sake, and P. D. Huff and Wm. Jones will retire, the former I fear permanently on account of failing eyesight.
Geo. P. Stanford waived his exemption and went to Camp Custer with the selected men, Ralph M. Dean went from Elwell to France. W. B. Benn went from Mt. Hope to the "Y" camp at Great Lakes.
After conference David Reed supplied Bannister until a regular pastor was found in A. W. Simmons. Floyd Krueger took the Elwell church, and F. W. Cor- hett accepted the Mt. Hope work.
If we are proud of anything it has been in the giving of our parsonage boys to the service. Besides the two who were returned after their final examinations, the following have gone from our parsonages : Clayton Huff, Ann Arbor Service School ; Abram Huff, reported missing ; Arthur Seipp, France; Lawrence Callahan, Navy ; Carl Corbett, State Troops ; Beverly Brown, France ; Alward Brown, Ann Arbor Enlisted Reserves ; Warren Maxwell, Navy ; Clifford Wooton, France ; Clare Hodge- man, Navy ; Edward R. Kirkbride, France ; Kirk Armstrong, in training ; Howard Youngs, Fort Bayard; Victor Dixon, just enlisting ; George II. Thompson, Eng. "Y"; Case Robinson, Camp Pike.
G. T. Fisher has the honor of having three grandsons in servicc. God gave us these boys, but not to keep, and perhaps in a few brief months they can accomplish a life task. We can not hope that all will return to us, hut we do expect every man to live and fight clean. If our blue stars turn to gold we can still rest on what we have preached during the years. Some at least can preach with new understanding the story of one who gave his only Son for us.
Our girls are fewer in number but not behind in patriotism, Pauline Armstrong being the first to answer the call for nurse training.
On Fch. 9th, Brother E. F. Newell died and loving friends laid him away, re- calling the years of faithful service and usefulness as a minister in our conference. The Fowler church hurned during a funeral, the St. Louis church caught from the furnace and the Easton church was struck by lightning.
However the Lord came after the fires and in a half hour the St. Louis church
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pledged $3,000 to add to the $6,000 insurance, and their new church will be ready by Thanksgiving time.
The new $6,000 church at Fowler was dedicated September 1st.
First Church, North Lansing refused to burn despite many auto-suggestions, but had to be wrecked. The new $35,000 church was dedicated in triumph. Strong faith and hard work with II. V. Wade as chief operator accounts for one of the most complete and well arranged plants in the conference. Central's pastor and people brothered this enterprise to the great delight of both churches.
The Elsie hoard sold the old parsonage amid some misgivings but the new parsonage is a gem and now ready for a tenant.
The new annex at Sehewa Center is an evidence of the vision and faith of H. W. Ellinger and his church.
Two interesting experiments are being tried near Lansing. At M. A. C., N. A. McCune has had a great year as pastor of the Peoples Church where he ministers to citizens, soldiers and students.
The other experiment is being tried by E. K. Smith at Delta who is trying to find out whether a rural parish is as great an opportunity as the booklets declare.
The district has worked conscientiously at the rural situation. I am this year opening nearby charges to promising men who will take either the eight or the sixteen weeks course at M. A. C.
Nevertheless, if our men are not perfect, they lead the line in the number of places where the church is succeeding in the country, in the number of outstanding examples of service, and in wide influence. Think of what some places used to be, and go visit them today! On this rural district there will only be about ten places paying less than $1,000 cash salary next year.
The county unit program has not yet had a fair chance, but is developing in Gratiot a new Methodist consciousness. Intensive work will be started in Clinton county also. Gratiot had the two outstanding revivals of the year. .
Evangelism has been this year largely in our thought and programs, but every- body knows the story of the hindrances. The Zoller party led two great meetings that lifted Middleton and Breckenridge to new heights. Other meetings were held with fair results, and some honest work was done with no results that show in the statistics.
The tithing campaign was a real revival. Lansing's First signed up 208 tithers, leading the state I suppose. Belding found over 100 and many churches secured their quota of one-fourth of the membership. I put twelve Sundays in twelve of the stronger churches and was surprised at the welcome given the message of the tithe, by the large number of our leading laymen. But the campaign tested out the churches revealing their conservatism or their faith and aggressiveness, and it tested out the preachers also. I think we must now have nearly 1,000 tithers on the district.
The heart of the Centenary is getting into our hearts, We believe the Centenary to be horn of God and pray that it may mature to full stature under the Spirit's direction that we may not be betrayed into any attempt to win by our wits alone, Every plan and method and organized effort must be laid on the alter, and we must be ready to meet sacrifice with sacrifice, heroism with heroism.
We still have the three varieties of Sunday Schools, good, bad and worse. Great advances have been made, but we lack the steady perservance that the Sunday School demands.
The Epworth League has had a lot of tonic applied to it, and yet only when it gets regular pastoral attention does it seem to grow steadily without periods of withering. One of our Leagues of 56 members sent out in one year, 12 to war, 11 to Alma, 5 to college, and 2 to teach. The League offers the pastor a fine chance to train his youth.
The Michigan Advocate was never a greater power than now. If our men led on the Advocate contest it is because the paper is a true and tried fricud and a sure cure for iguorance and prejudice, and a pillar of fire telling which way Methodism is marching ..
The laymen have not been one whit behind the pastors in loyalty to the church.
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They have advanced our support and treated us royally, and they have a right to expect us to break to them in this world crisis the bread of life.
I tremble lest I shall have nothing of sacrifice or heroism to add to today's suffering.
NILES DISTRICT.
William P. French, Superintendent.
Niles District commenced the conference year under the care of thirty six preachers, with two charges Pokagon and Girard left to be supplied. Early in the year, Gordon McDonald was transferred from Sherwood to Pokagon, Gordon Phillips a student in Albion College was secured for Sherwood, and Alfred Thompson for Girard. At the close of the 1st quarter John Everington was compelled because of failing health to resign the White Pigeon circuit. J. W. White, one of our honored superanuates, at the request of the church consented to take the work until con- ference.
In February, W. W. Gray broken in health found himself unable to continue his work on the Burr Oak charge, and his son, Vincent, a student in Baldwin-Wallace College, was appointed in his place. July 1st F. L. Blewfield our pastor at Three Rivers, received his commission as army chaplain, and was ordered to report at once for duty, leaving one of the important pulpits of the district vacant. August 1st, Brother M. A. Braund was secured for the charge.
Our District Area Conference held in Benton Harbor, November 22nd and 23rd was very largely attended. We had 450 paid registrations, nearly every charge being represented.
The annual convention of our District Epworth League, held in Buchanan in the early spring, was marked by the largest attendance of delegates for years.
Crystal Springs Camp Meeting, August the 1st to the 11th, was indeed a time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. The attendance was large, and in matters spiritual and intellectual the meeting was of a very high order.
The churches of the district are alive with patrlotic fervor. There is not a church but what displays the flag, and flag raisings have been made sacred as well as patriotic occasions. A service flag hangs in three parsonage windows, St. Joseph, Dowagiac, and Niles with two stars on each, representing sons who have enlisted in our great war for world freedom, and on the service flags of the churches of the district there are 625 stars, and some of them have already turned to gold.
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