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Dear Fathers and Brethren:

     We feel the delicacy of the position which we occupy in, attempting to give an outline of the condition, work, and wants, of this field of Christian labor; and the more so from the fact that we have presided over it only about four months and a half.

     It embraces the north-west half of Southern Nebraska. The soil is deep and fertile, the climate mild and healthful; the people generous, moral and intelligent. There are fourteen Circuits and Stations, most of which have been faithfully worked, by competent men, the past year.

     Rock Bluffs Circuit embraces the eastern portion of Cars county. It has six appointments Two churches have been erected the past year; one at Rock Bluffs, a neat little brick building The other at Union, a large frame. The finances are in good condition. There is a good brick parsonage at Rock Bluffs. Some spiritual prosperity has attended the labors of H. P. Mann, P. C.

     Plattsmouth, situated at the mouth of the Platte river in Cass county, is a first-class Station, has a good church, a parsonage, and a live membership. The past year has been one of success. Rev. J. B. Maxfield was the pastor,

     Mt. Pleasant Circuit, embraces the central portions of Cass county. There are four appointments; two good churches; one at Mt. Pleasant, the Other at Eight Mile Grove; also a good parsonage at Mt. Pleasant, erected the past year. The Circuit is in fine working condition and is one of the best in the State, Rev. L. W. Smith was pastor.

     South Bend Circuit embraces the west half of Cass county. It was organized since our last Conference. There are eight appointments. This work was blessed with a revival and several were converted. Supplied by W. D Gage.

     Ashland is a new Station, of considerable promise, organized at our last Conference. It has erected a church 36 x 60 feet, which has been occupied the past winter. There is a heavy debt resting upon it, and unless the Church Extension Society gives immediate help it will be sold for debt. There has been a good revival by which the church was greatly strengthened. Rev. C. Manson, P. C.

     South Platte embraces Saunders county and a small portion of the north. west of Lancaster. Unfortunately it received no missionary assistance. The pastor did what he could to sustain the work, but was compelled to turn aside to secular pursuits for a support. There are nine appointments. The people are sufferering (sic) for the bread of life, but are not able to sustain a Minister. It was supplied by M. M. Smith.

     Oak Creek embraces most of the N. W. portion of Lancaster county, and a portion of Butler. This is a new field, but one of considerable promise. There has been some revival and things are in a hopeful condition. Supplied by George Worldlay.

     Seward is a large and promising Circuit embracing the north-half of Seward county, the west-half of Butler, all of Polk, and part of York. Seward, the principal place, is a growing village of two or three hundred inhabitants. They have built a small parsonage and general prosperity has attended the labors of the pastor, C. W. Comstock.

     Milford and Camdon, on the Blue River, occupies one of the most delightful and fertile valleys in the west. Crete the most important place, situated at the crossing of the B. & M. R. R., on the Blue River, is a brisk village of six months growth, with a population of two or three hundred inhabitants. There has been some improvement the past year. A. Blackwell was pastor.

      West Blue Mission, occupies frontier ground. It embraces the Southwest portion of Seward, the southern half of York, and the north-west of Saline. The people generally have been but a short time in their new homes, many of them, as in other parts of the frontier live in dug-outs or sod houses, but God has wonderfully blessed this work. In some neighborhoods all are converted to God. Supplied by L. Oliver.

     Saline Circuit embraces the southern half of Saline county, a part of Gage, a part of Johnson, and all of Fillmore. It is a large and promising field. Swan City, the principal village, is the county seat of Saline. There was some revival spirit manifest at our last Quarterly meeting. Rev. W. P. Grantham was P. C.

     Upper Nemaha embraces the south eastern portion of Lancaster, and the west part of Otoe. There are seven appointments.

     They have built one church on Salt Creek, a neat, commodious building, on which there is a considerable debt resting. The material has been obtained for another to be built about six miles west of Palmyra. There has been a steady increase the past year. It was supplied by J. Perkins.

     Rock Ford and Indiana Settlement embraces the central and southern portions of Otoe county. It has three appointments, supplied a portion of the year by R. S. Hawks, who resigned the charge at the expiration of the third quarter and his place was supplied by J. Burlingame. The last portion of the year was signally blessed of the Lord.

     Lincoln, the capital of the State, between three and four years of age, numbers about three thousand inhabitants. But while it has grown so rapidly Methodism and Christianity has kept pace with it. There is now a large membership in this charge. A plain house of worship, but a new one, suited to the times and place, is very much needed. H. T. Davis is the pastor.

     This District, while it has some first-class Stations and Circuits may be considered missionary ground. Many of the Circuits are destitute of means for the support of their pastors, and some of them have neither church records or class books.

     The great need of this district is money to carry forward the work of the church; until the people can provide for themselves. We regard this as one of the most important and inviting fields of ministerial labor in the world. I pray that God's blessings may rest upon it, and the faithful men who have sacrificed so much in this work.

M. PRITCHARD, P. E.     

     March 29th, A. D. 1871.

NEBRASKA CITY DISTRICT.

Dear Fathers and Brethren:

     Through the mercy of our Heavenly Father we have closed the labors of the second year on the Nebraska City District, and though the visible results are not as great as we in the beginning of the year desired, yet we have cause of gratitude to Him who has called us to work in His vineyard for the success He has given us.

     The health of our Preachers has been so preserved that no part of the District has suffered or been neglected from sickness.

     The Preachers have labored hard, earnestly, and in many places with great success and been instrumental in winning many souls to Christ, and by well directed effort among our people induced many to give in property and money the means to build Churches and Parsonages, and thus lay deeper and broader the foundation of our beloved Methodism in this new and growing country. And notwithstanding much has been done to the glory of God, much remains to be done to meet the rapidly increasing demands for churches to accommodate the people who are asking for the Word of Life from the Methodist ministry. Territory heretofore and still occupied is filling up; towns being built along our lines of rail roads are demanding a division of missions and circuits, while the tide of immigration still going westward and forming communities ask for new fields to be formed which will require more men and money.

     The faithfulness of our Preachers to the different interests of the church in the bounds of the District will appear in their statistical reports, showing we think a health, growth and increase of interest over past years.

     Nebraska City Station, the largest and most able appointment of the District, has gradually grown in numbers and ability under the able ministry of Brother Alexander, who closes his third year in that charge. His charge has a beautiful site for a church building, some three lots or one-quarter of a block, and no people more need a church of different style and more commodious than do our people of Nebraska City, and we think they have reached a point when they must build a larger and better church or see many who now attend on our ministry and others who would could we better accommodate them, seeking the word of life with their families in other churches.

      Nebraska City Mission was formed one year ago comprising parts of other works, and the very smallest parts, and only about three or four appointments. Brother Burns, a Superannuate, was appointed to this work, and under the blessing of God it has grown in numbers and strength. Over sixty professed faith and joined the church, many heads of families who promise much to the church.

     The people of the Peru Station, under the ministry of Brother Pritchard, commenced early in the year to put up a church at a cost of $4,000, and the first of January dedicated it to God, raising near the amount needed to tree it from debt among themselves, receiving no aid from abroad, but will need some to coyer losses on subscription. In addition to this they added some one or two rooms to the Parsonage building. Bishop Clark removed

Brother Pritchard from this Station and appointed him to the Lincoln District in place of Brother Gidding, relieved on account of health, which took effect about the first of January. We appointed Brother D. B. Lake to the charge after Brother Pritchard was released, who has cared for all matters well and served the people with acceptance.

     London, Nemaha and Rulo and Falls stand about as they have for some years, not growing much either way, smaller or larger; the Preachers working hard on small pay and little success. We have some good people on these several charges and we think the future promises more than the past, especially on Nemaha and Rulo and Falls.

     Brownville has suffered more by removal of members and received less aid from immigration than any charge in the District. Having a small society, of very limited means and but little experience, the Preachers have labored with less aid from the church in Brownville than any one point we have in the District. Brother Colt, a Local Elder from Illinois, was employed at the beginning of the Conference year, but about the first of October left with his family and returned to Illinois. We employed Brother Burch, who supplied the charge the balance of the year doing a fine work and purchasing a Parsonage.

     Our Brethren of Falls City have sold their old Parsonage property and built a most covenient (sic) house where they have several lots which with their church building renders that Station strong and well prepared to make comfortable the man that serves them.

     Salem and Table Rock ask to be divided and propose on each division to build a church at very promising points. They have been strengthened during the year by revivals and additions to the church. They send up two men to be received into the traveling connection.

     Pawnee Station has been greatly blest under the labors of Brother Britt, who has taken into the church on probation over one-hundred, who promise much to the future of the church.

     Blue Springs has enjoyed quite a revival season under Brother Elwood. They have the walls of stone standing. in part which were put up for a church, but from different causes it has not been finished. Brother Elwood having no house to go into had to build himself a house for his family, and as all wait for the Preacher the building stood, but steps I learn have been to early finish it, and a large subscription secured to build a church at Plumb Creek on the same work. The past year has been a most successful Year at Beatrice. At the beginning of the Conference year there was a very small society worshipping in a small school house. Brother W A. Presson
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was appointed to this charge, and on his way from Fremont, the seat of Conference, to Pawnee City his former charge, he went through Beatrice finding stone walls standing in a very desirable part of town, having been built for a Union Church and left uninclosed He bought the property and raised a subscription and began a church and finished it during the year at a cost of about $5,000, and raised all the money about Beatrice except $500 borrowed from the Church Extension Society, the whole being provided for by subscription. After the dedication of this church, God poured out his spirit and over eighty, many of the principal families of the town, were converted and joined the church. Now they have the neatest church west of the Missouri river, a large congregation, a fine Sabbath school and Methodism in complete running order. She sends two men up for the ministry. Besides this they have added some to their parsonage end own another lot near the church, on which they expect at no distant day to build a Parsonage.

     Fairbury is about twenty-five miles west from Beatrice and is the county seat of Jefferson county. The St. Joseph and Denver Railroad is being built to run through this county and make Fairbury one of her principal stations. We have some church and parsonage lots in this town and at other places in the bounds of this work. Bishop Clark connected it with Beatrice and put it under the care of Brother Pressen. The interests of Beatrice requiring all Brother P.'s time, Brother Wehn was employed on the Fairbury part.

     Tecumseh asks to be divided. She has grown in strength under the presence and faithful labors or Brothers Folden and I. H. Presson, and her territory is too large to be served in one charge. Our brethren in the town of Tecumseh have built a neat little church on one of their principal business streets in a form that may without much alteration be turned into a store room and so situated when need be they can easily sell to advantage and advance to aid in the building of a larger house. Already it is becoming too small to hold the congregations which crowd out to hear the Word of Life.

      The missionary collections have been taken in all our charges as early as we received our assessments by the General Committee, which was not until in January and after we wrote for it. We took our part of the whole sum and divided as equally as we could among the charges. Some we learn will run beyond the amount assessed and others will fall behind. If we fail in our missionary collections it will be owing in part, we think, to the lateness of the day we received notice of the amount expected of us.

     The church extension collections we think will fully come up to the sum asked and apportioned to our District; and in a word we have received assurances from the brethren that all collections required by our discipline have been brought before and urged upon our people.

     We have not been as successful in getting our Preachers to call the several committees appointed at the Fourth Quarterly Conference and explain to them their duties and put them to work as we could desire. These committees appointed to serve in the different interests of the church would be powerful agents for good if only brought into active duty and be induced to do the work the discipline directs. In some cases the missionary committee is called late in the year, in others the whole list of committees remain of record only, and at the end of the year no reports are filed from any one. There is one exception on my District. Brother Folden had a written report from each committee at his last Quarterly Conference. We believe if we could get all the agencies of our church to work, as the discipline directs, Methodism would be felt a power beyond all conception in this country, doing not only a part, but all of her noble work. A word from our Bishop on the committee work we think would do good. Our Preachers are taking a deeper interest every year in circulating our church papers. This is forced on us by the light literature which is flooding the country and the effort of independent individual papers seeking to crowd the church papers out and themselves into our families.

     There is in many cases an improvement in Pastoral work. Visiting our people, learning their condition and wants and depending not alone upon Preaching but by private counsel and prayer, leading the flocks committed to their charge nearer to the great Shepherd for the help they need, and in this work our brethren are awakening to the importance of being more conformed to the divine will and baptized with power from on high, to do the whole work of a Methodist preacher.

     We have, under the blessing of God, been able to attend all our Quarterly Meetings during the year except one from the illness of one of our sons and during the time we were absent attending the General Committee of Church Extension. The brethren have made our visits to them and labor among them very pleasant during the year, and our Heavenly Father has given us many sweet and refreshing seasons together. We feel as time passes and our evening of life draws on that our love for the Lord and Methodism increases, and confidence in the final triumph of the Gospel through the

ministry of our church grows stronger. I hope in this land to see Methodism as a system, a church in all her agencies, and intrumentalities (sic) at work scattering blessings in all directions and subduing all in her march to the, will of Christ.

T. B. LEMON.     

OMAHA DISTRICT.

     Omaha District is bounded on the east by the State of Iowa, on the north by Dakota Territory, on the south by Lincoln District and Platte River and on the west by the most western line of homesteads.

     It embraces within its limits sufficient natural resources to sustain a population of a million people and territory enough for a large annual conference.

      Omaha First Church, G. De La Matyr, Pastor. There has been a steady improvement in all the interests of the charge. The Sabbath School now numbers nearly four hundred. The best available talent and money without stint are judiciously applied to make the school a model in all its appointments. The social meetings are seasons of great interest and power.

     The Second Church was left to be supplied, and Rev. Geo. W. De La Matyr was transferred from Wisconsin Conference and appointed Pastor. The charge was organized June 11th, 1870, and the church dedicated the 26th of the same month. The charge has overcome much opposition and grown into considerable importance.

     Bellevue Circut (sic), W. B. Slaughter, Pastor. C. W. Burt, a local deacon, was appointed assistant to the pastor and rendered good service. A camp meeting was held about the 1st of September, where a revival commenced which spread to other appointments.

     Elkhorn Mission, J. Adriance, Pastor. A good parsonage has been built at Fontenelle. A gracious revival enjoyed; many added to the church.

     West Point Mission, F. M. Esterbrook, Pastor. An addition to the parsonage and other improvements to the property have been made. A church lot has been secured in West Point. Revivals at two appointments.

     Fremont Circuit, E. S. Mechesney, Pastor. Brother Mechesney was transferred to Wisconsin Conference during the month of August and was succeeded by Rev. Chas. McElvey of the New Connection Methodist Church. A revival followed the labors of Brother McElvey and the church has greatly improved.

     Schuyler and Columbus Mission, Geo. Wansbrough, Pastor. Brother Wansbrough resigned his charge after three months' labor. He has since withdrawn from the Conference. Brother L. Olmsted, a local deacon, was appointed to the charge and rendered good service the remainder of the year.

     Grand island Mission, D. Marquett, Pastor. A good work has been done and souls converted at several appointments.

     Blair Circuit, J. J. Roberts, Pastor. Early in the Conference year a storm of wind made havoc of the church. The damage has been repaired. Bro. Roberts extended his labors into the country and held revival services in homestead cabins. Many were converted and added to the church, among them Wm. Peck who is now recommended for admission into the traveling connection. At this country appointment a "dug-out" church has been made--people being too poor to build a better and too pious to live without any.

     Decatur Mission was supplied by B. Presson. Some improvements have been made upon the church and the debts paid.

     Arizona Mission, J. M. Adair, Pastor. This is a new charge formed out of the eastern part of Decatur Mission. A good parsonage has been built at Newton. Eighty-four conversions are reported. Great credit is due Brother F. B. Pitzer, a local deacon, for efficient assistance to the pastor.

     Dakota Mission, S. P. VanDuzer, Pastor. A neat church edifice has been built at Covington, five lots and a liberal subscription for a church in the town of Ponca and an increase of the membership of 500 per cent. are among the fruits of Brother VanDazer's labors.

     St. James Mission was supplied by J. C. Damon. This is a new work and a promising field. The people within its bounds are intelligent and liberal.

     Logan Valley Mission was left to be supplied. Brother Perkins, an exhorter, first canvassed the field and announced a quarterly meeting. At that meeting he was licensed to preach and appointed pastor. He has done a good work for the Master and now reports 28 members and 93 probationers. The intelligence and enterprise of the east are largely represented among the people, and we often see the highest culture and refinement in homestead cabins.

A G. WHITE.     

ALPHABETICAL LIST OF THE MEMBERS OF THE
NEBRASKA CONFERENCE, APRIL, 1871.

 

NAMES.	Postoffice Address.	NAMES.	Postoffice Address.
Adriance, Jacob	Fontenelle.	Johnson, R. C.	London.
Adair, J. M.	Arizona.	Lemon, T. B.	Nebraska City.
Alexander, G. S.	Peru.	Maxfield, J. B.	Beatrice.
Ruins. Isaac	Peru.	Miller, J. G.	Ashland.
Burch, Hiram	Peru.	Mann, H. P.	Rock Bluffs.
Britt, L. F.	Pawnee City.	May, D. H	Falls City.
Burge, Richard	Salem.	Marquett, David	Schuy1er.
Blackburn, W. S.	South Fork.	Martin, J. W.	Brownville
Cannon, J. T.	Union, Cass Co.	McElvey, Charles	Fremont.
Davis, H. T.	Lincoln.	Presson, W. A.	Beatrice.
De La Matyr, Gilbert	Omaha.	Pritchard, M.	Nebraska City.
De La Matyr, George W.	North Bend	Roberts, J. J.	Lincoln.
De La Matyr, John	Dacotah	Shinn, Moses F.	Omaha.
Elwood, G. W.	Blue Springs.	Slaughter, W. B.	Omaha
Esterbrook, F. M	West Point	Smith, L. W.
Fort, J. L.	Palmyra	Turman, Z. B.
Folden, A. L.	Mt. Pleasant	Taylor, J. W.	Nemaha City.
Giddings, C. W.	Pawnee City.	Van Anda, J. A .	Virginia City, M. T.
Grantham, W. P.	Saline	Van Duzer, S. P.	.Decatur.
Hart, David		White. A. G.	Fremont.
Janney, Lewis	West Point.	Ward, David J.	Table Rock.

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