The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-05-03
Maias coassar e Nee M. r. Ca. uu.reh.

HISTORICAL AND STATISTICAL.
At the General Conference of the Methodist
Episcopal Church held in the city of Balti-
more in May, 1874, the Maine Conference was
set off from the New England Conference. 1t
included the whole of Maine and that part of
New Hampshire east of the White Mountains
and north OF the waters of Ossipee Lake, and
had ministerial force of forty-two and a
membership of q, 465 Its first session was held
in Gardiner, june T. 1895, where Bishop
George man full offlith and the Holy Ghost,
presided. The deep impression made upon
the vast assembly who listened to his sermon
on the Sabbath is still fresh in the mind of one
who was then a mere boy. The last Confer,
ence in which the whole State was represented,
met at Saco, June 80, 1S47, at which the veneer
able Hedding presided. Inc. IN gi,.g
The General Conference of lsis, held ia the
city of Pittsburgh, constituted, two Confer
ences in the State. The Maine Conference in
cludes that part OF Maine west of the Kenne7
bee river from its mouth to the great bend he
low Skowhegan, and of u line thence north to
the State line, and that part of New Hamp-
shire before included. The East Maine Con-
ference includes the renaining part. of the
State of Maine.
From table carefully prepared by Rev. A.
Moore, and published in the minutes Of the
Maine Conference in 1866 it appears that, up
to the time of this division the Conference had
gained two hundred AMI eighty five preachers
by admission on trial; thirty-t three by read
mission, and thirty nine by transfers from
other Conferences, and had lost sixty1--seven by
location; seVenty-one by discontinuance; three
by transfer to other Conferences and twenty
two by death. -
At the Conference held in saco in 1s47,
there were reported nineleen thousand four
hundred and sixty members in Society,
and one hundred sixty five local preachers
One hundred and sixty one preachers were
stationed thirty We're returned superannnated
and one was left without an appointment. of
the preachers receiving appointments eighty
two were in the Maine and seventy-nine in
the East Maine Conference seventeen super
annuated preachers We're assigned to the
Maine Conference and thirteen to the. East
Maine The Maine Conference held its first
session after the division in Portland, July 10,
1913, and reported a, membership of ten thous-
and six hundred thirty -four, and ninety nine
its first session in Bangor, August 2, 1913, and
reported membership of nine thousand!one
hundred and forty-sx and seventy one local
Preachers -.
The General Conference of 1913 made pro-
vision for reporting members In full connec-
ton, and practitioners separately. Since the
division of the Conference in 1913, the Maine
Conference has gained one hundred and six
preachers by admission on trial twentyltbree
by re-admission; fourteen by transfer from 9TH
err Conferences; and has lost thirty nine by
location; sixteen by discontinuance one by
withdrawal; three by expulsion; twenty-s six
by transfer to other Conferences and twenty
seven by death, beside six by eeath since the
Conference of 1885, The Maine Conference at
its session 1866 reported membership of 49,
1872 including probationers and seventy-six To-
cal preachers. Ninety-thrce preachers were APP
pointed to supply the work; tiirty-four. were
returned superanuuated and superntimerary.
The East Maine Conference at its session in
1866 reported a membership Of 10,749 including
probationers, and seventy.se local preach
ers. Sixty-eight preachers were appointed 10
supply the work; twenty-five were returned
superannuated and supernumerary % ins" rs
Twenty years have passed since the two
Conferences met as one. The re-union which
takes place today at Bath will afford an occa-
sion of very deep interest to the two bodies as
sembling together, and to many members ard
friends of the church who may be able to be
present. t's' li9 p d"OccAsIoNAL' IS