The Portland daily press., 1876-06-28
CONGREGATIONALIsM.


The 5Oth anniversary of the Maine Congrega-
tional Conference opened yesterday morning in
the State street church. After devotional ex-
ercises, conducted by the Rev. S. B. Fay of
Bangor, the convention proceeded to organize
with the choice of the following officers:
Moderator for three years-Rev w. H.
Fem.
Corresponding Secretary-Rev. Mr.. Bying-
ton, Brunswick.
Recording Secretary-Mr Duran.
Treasurer-Hon. j. S. Wheelwright of Ban
gor.
Auditor-Mr. L. bennett of Bangor.
Conference Committee-Rev. j. E. Pond of
Penobscot county, Rev. F. S. Blair of Wash
ington county.
The report of the committee appointed to at
tend the Baptist and Methodist conferences,
and also the Congregational conference at Nova
Scotia and New Brunswick, was then read
The committee stated that they had extended
the fraternal good wishes of the conference to
these bodies, and they were fully recprocated
The treasurer's report for 1875 was next pre-
sented by the auditor. The whole amount re-
ceived was $45262, and the balance in the
treasury $685. The report was accepted.
The following resolution was offered by the
Rev. w. Parker of Belfast.
Resolved, That this conference heartily at
firms the action of the centennial commission
ers in closing the exposition on the Sabbath.
DIR. Fisk of Bath sugg ested as an addition to
the resolution measure in regard to the run
ming of trains for the benefit of religious as
semblies at camp-meetings. He stated that
10000 engineers had been requested not to run
them.
The following conferences are represented:
Hancock-E. r. Osgood and A. NJ Tibbetts,
Deacon Swasey and Mr.. f. Gross.
Aroostook-H. S. Hastings and w. E. Cur
tbs.
Kennebec-H. S. Lorng, L. Goodrich and E.
III. Medford.
Kuox-H. f. Norcross.
Oxford-J. b. Wheelwright, j. L. Lockwood
E. W. Woodbury. and A. w. Valentine.
Penobscot-J. E. Pond, FL. M. Angel, Dea-
con Waterhouse.
Waldo-I. A. Ross, E. J. Merrill, j. S. PEN
dleton, L. S. Caldwell.
Cumberland-W S. Tinker, F. Foscher, w.
s. Wiswell, Geo. Emery and Samuel Soule.
Franklin-O. W. Rogers l. Durham, Seth
Bass and L. Walker.
Washington-J. S. Boulder, George Kelley,
and A. W. Hill.
York;. Darling, George Lewis, DR.. Thos.
Holly and III p. Meserve.
Piscataquis-E. S. Nichols, S. B. Thayer,
Deacon Woodbury., j. S. Boardman.
LlnCOlQ-W IN. ID. ana Wm, St6C-
son.
At II o'clock Rev. j. Ecob of Augusta
preached a very interesting sermon to a large
congregation, taking his text from Acts 10, 81.
Subject of the Decentralization rather
than attainment, the spiritual rather than the
doctrinal." The positions of the speaker were
we'll sustained by questions from Neander,
Calvin and modern theologians, although
probably in advance of the average sentiment
of the conference,
The afternoon session for the first half hour
was given to devotional services conducted by
Rev. S. P. Fay. Subsequently the annual re-
port of the churches, transmitted by the Secre-
tary, Rev. E. Fl. Byington, was read, and a
discussion followed upon the topics suggested
by it, ia which Drs. Pond and Chickering and
Revs lannon's, Chalmers, Barker, Rogers,
Bean and others participated. From its full
statistics we learn that the whole number of
churches is 252, communicates 19S50-841 added
within the last three years. Net gain 3S1. The
number in the Sabbath Schools is 9454. The
amount of contributions 1874, S15.
Notwithstanding the heavy rain in the even
ing the church was well filled. The Maine
Congregational Charitable Society, an associa-
ton designed to aid the families of deceased
ministers, reported through the Treasurer, Rev.
j. E. Adams, that fifteen benefciaries had re-
ceived aid from its funds during the year; 800
remain unexpended in the treasury A col
lection was taken.
The committee CHOSEN to present statistics of
the attendance upon public worship in the va
rious Evangelical churches of the state report
ed that only 140 answers were received from
the 400 circulars issued. From towns contain
ing population of $4,000 the attendance at
the above churches was reported to be about
$4,000. Where Catholic services are held,
larger percentage attend public worship than
among the Protestants.
The services closed with a discussion upon
the responsibility of ministers and churches in
connection with revivals, by Revs. A. P. Tin
ker and G. S. Dickerman.
The following is the order of exercises for to-
day:
ga. m.-Report of S. Thurston, d. D., Sec'y
of Maine Missionary Society.
10 a. N. Sermon by Rev. G. S. Dickerman.
Up. m.-Prayer Meeting.
2.30 p. m.-Bangor Seminary, Bowdoin Col
lege, Classical School.
$50 p. m.-Addresses on Christian Fellow
ship by Rev. A. I'll. Wright and other clergy
men. Sacrament of the Lords Supper.
730 p. m.-Semi- Centennial Services-Com-
memorative discourse by Prof. A. S. Packard,
and addresses by Rev. Ray Palmer, D. D., of
New York, Rev. j. o. Fiske, ID. D., of Bath,
and others.
MAINE UNIvERsALIsT cow EN.