Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1875-05-07
esllows falls Jimes,
BELLOWS FALLS, MAY Z 1875.
The Vermont Conference.

week. Wednesday evening the annua
conference sermon was delivered by Rev
L. c. Dickinson, a former presiding ell
der Of this district, from the text, These
men are the servants of the Most High
God, which show us the way of saliva
tion." 1t was an excellent discourse
striving to show the pastors present the
office and duties of minister of Christ,
and was listened to by a large and ap'
preciatiye audience,
The business hours of the Conference
we're mainly devoted to listening to re-
ports from the presiding elders of the
different districts and of the pastors of
churches under their charge. The re-
ports show very profitable and success
full year to the cause, very large in
crease of membership and good in
crease of the number of churches and
church ediices. In short they show the
year Just closed to have been more than
ordinarily blessed with steady and sure
advances in the cause for which they
work.
Revivals have been more frequent and
extensive than ever before, and the in
terest in the cause of religion seems to
have been very general throughout the
State On one charge alone, that of St.
Johnsbury, there have been over 1000
conversions through the united efforts of
all the denominations, a goodly number
of whom have joined the Methodist
Church.
The Conference was addressed by
Rev. DR. Pierce of Boston on the gener-
al wants of the Society and showing the
benefits and influence of a good religious
member in the family circle.
In theafternoon the annual meeting of
the Freedmen's Society was held with
large attendance, and the audience listen
ed inteutly to the address of DR.. Webster
of South Carolina, who gave many facts
which had come under his personal OBJ.
servation in regard to the present condi-
ton of the freedmen of the South, and
the happy effect Of the efforts of the
Northern people to aid them by the for
nation and upholding of societies of this
nature. He gave brief history of the
particular society which is under the
control of the Vermont Conference, and
gave statistics showing how the money
had been and was to be spent, and many
interesting details.
He was followed by Rev c. C. Nc.
Cable of Philadelphia representative Of
the Church Extension Society, who also
gave some of his personal knowledge OF
the needs of that class, and the good done
to them by these aid societies. Mr.. Me.
Cabels avery fine singer and greatly in.
terested the audience by his singing.
In the evening the meeting of the
Church Extension Society was held and
was addressed by DR. Pierce of the Zion :
Herald, Rev. c. c. McCabe and Bishop
Haven, who gave a synopsis of the work
which had been and needed to be done
by the society The object of this society
ls to find where new churches are to be
formed, aid in the organization of them
in the building Of edifces for their ac.
commodation and the furnishing of pas
tors.
Mr.. McCabe gave the number of new
churches organized during the year, and
the amount paid by the Society to aid
them. He said theirs was large field
Of labor, and one Of great Importance tC
the country, inasmuch as it was to them
that SO many churches, which had only
part of the amount of money required
to build with, were indebted for the means
where with to get start in the great
contest for the saving of souls. The
morning was occupied with the examin
alton Of candidates for ordination to the
rank of Deacon.
In the evening the church was filled
to overlooking to hear the missionary
sermon by Rev. c. w. Wilder, and the
interesting exercises was increased by an
old folks concert given under the direc
tion of Geo. g. Bidwell of this town, in
which they were aided by the orchestra
During the morning hour of Saturday
Rev. Mr.. Fisk of Springfield, represen.
ting the general convention of the Con.
gregational churches of Vermont. Rev
Mr.. Hyatt of Starksboro, from the
yearly meeting of the Free viii Baptist
Churches of this State, and Rev. J. r
Haskins of Bellows Falls, addressed the
Conference in fraternal spiritand greet
ing from the bodies they represented and
were cordially received.
The principal business before the Con
ference this forenoon was upon the subject
Of the Vermont Methodist Seminary at
Montpelier. Some thought it was not
as fourishing as it ought to be, that the
number of students should be greater
and that measures should be taken to in
increase the interest in it, and thus in
crease its usefulness as an institution o