The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1886-04-20 00:00:00

DORSET ASSOCIATION OF CONGREGA-

TIONAL CHURCHES.

The annual meetings of this good arociation, which
has for 44 object the spread of Christian truths
throughout thr cotiiznuniiy, wrre, this year held all
ilridport on Tuerday. Wednesday, and Thumlay
The meeting. were well attended by 'barium and
delegate+ from all pang of the county, and apprecia.
tine congregatiomilistened to the discounies made a
the various swenitlies.
_ . .

• I
Oa Tuesday evening a public service was held m
chapel, when the Rev. Ellett. Evans, .4 Poole, '
preached an el.pemt and impressive sermon, at the
conclusion of which the Bacrament of the Lord's
Humor W. administered, presided over by the Rev.
A. B. Randall, t. A., of Beaminster.
On Wednesday ;nor ii i;; g • prayer meeting was held
in the Sclimilroom at 7.30, and at 10 o c.ock the
miniatem and delegate. met in the chapel for the
transac .4 the Animal bu.ine.a. A
„public dinner
was held at! p.m., I•rovided by Mr. Knight, .4 the
Bull Hotel, and a large number sat down. Tea %qui
served at 5.90, and here a large number partook. In
the evening waa held a public meeting in the chapel,
When the Rev. It. (ray. of Itlandford, presided. Mr.
Gray, 8.A., is chairman for the year. Addresses
were ;guide by the chairman and other ministers.
In the opening speech, theCriainaaa alluded to the
deep interest t.s,k in the work by the late Rev. John
Rogers, of Ilrulport, and traced the history and work
:of the mmociation during its existence. He remarked
that the funds in 1972 amounted to E 125, and in Itlri
Ito C 1,.,, and in the current )ear to over £2OO. This
Wax il..eined encouraging. lie also referral to a legacy
lately Imnitratll,,l to till • work--a chill amounting to
upwards .4 1:4,090. But what the great work .4
Christian evangelisat wanted even more than
tieganiltstion or money WWI the full consecration
of sells to 111.• work and the •,astir whom they served.
Mr. 1:11011.:14 I:ANNKR, superintendent f the Brid•
putt Sunday School, gave an intereoting addresii on
Sunday School work, urging its claim very stninglY,
lbsr the Sunday schools were the nurseries fur the
church.
_ _

-71%-e—it.ev. J. (kat, of Sherburne, spoke of the trials
and nea.sities the work in the villages. He
illustrated by a map .4 the count) that there were only
15 self.sustaining church.. in the county, and 35
IblileA to receive grants from the association, hut he
tri..ted the time would come when the work in the
county could be sustained by the county itAelf. The
mission .tations were often at a considerable distance
Iron each other, and in some (daces the work was
almost entirely carried on liv lay preachers. He
remarked that although Lord Brirlport was not a
Nonconftwmist, yet he had riven An evangelist an
excellent hollow •in • beautiful n•tie at Hawkchurch.
He hoped that these little might. for Christ (the
mission stations) would never be allowed to go melt,
for there would then be darkness in many places.
Hr. I WI,- in conclusion, sis.k • of several instances of
li. own knowledge where good had been effected in
these rural stations.

An aperopriate selection of hymna were sung during
the evening, nnd at the rime a collection warn made in
aid of the funds.