Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-05-02
Vermont Conference.



FIRST DAY.
The Thirty-Third Annual Meeting OF this Con
ference was held In Barre last week. The Con
ference sermon was preached Wednesday evening
and the regular business OF the session began on
Thursday morning The Conference Is composed
OF ministers. Bishop Randolph s. Foster, OF Cin'
cinnati, was the presiding officer; and the fouI
presiding elders constitute the cabinet. The Con
ference numbers about one hundred preachers In
active service, having charge Of one hundred and
fifty preaching places one hundred and nineteen
churches, with ten thousand six hundred and
forty-seven members and two thousand one hun
dred and fifty-nine probationers.
The daily sessions began at eight O'Clock in the
morning, and continued, with brief recesses fol-
dinner and supper, till nine o'clock, later, in
the evening. The first hour was devoted to
prayer and singing There were no long exhorta-
tons, but 1t was strictly prayer-meeting. AT
nine o'clock the Bishop was In the chair, and bust
ness in order till dinner time The afternoons
and evenings were mainly devoted to services of
popular character. On the Sabbath all the pull
pits in town were supplied by the Conference.
Monday was mainly devoted to memoirs of de-
ceased members, to the presentation of statistical
reports, and to the appointments for the ensuing
year
The first ceremony after the opening was the
administration of the Lords Supper, which was
| done by the Bishop Rev. x. Morgan was then
elected secretary position he has held for many
years. Rev. L. IL Elliott, Of Bradford, was in
troduced a. a delegate from the General ConYeIi-
ton of Congregational churches, and received as
| SUCH After the transaction OF some unimportant
| routine business Rev DR. Townshend. of Boston
delivered an interesting address upon the import
ance and necessity of an educated ministry.
In the afternoon occurred the anniversary Of
the Sunday-school Union, which was presided
| over by Rev J. NJ. c. Fulton of this place The at
tendance was large, and the interest well sustained
| throughout The several phases Of the Sunday
school work were ably and eloquently presented
in addresses by Rev. p. Merrill of williamstown
Rev. J. K. Fuller Of Richford. Rev. +. II. Roberts
of Cabot, and Rev L. 7. Townshend, d. d., Of
Boston University.
In the evening the Temperance anniversary was
held Rev W. H. HYDE, of Swanton, acting as
| president 1t was expected that Mrs Mollo,
would be present but by some misunderstanding
for which she was not responsible, she did not put
in an appearance The meeting, however, was a
great success, several gentlemen coming to the
work most acceptably Rev. A. b. Truax, of
Mortified, was the first speaker He was fol-
lowed by Rev. L. Dodd of Mount Holly. Rev. |
j. Lansing of Atlanta Ga, the assistant secretary
of the Freedmen's Aid Society of the Methodist
church, was then called for and responded in an
admirable address The singing was n notable
feature Of this service, being led by an excellent
choir.
SECOND DAY.
The day opened most delightfully."-. The first
exercise from eight to nine o'clock, was pray
er-meeting, which was very earnest and must
nave been promotive OF good The forenoon SEES
sion was devoted to conference business. 1t APP
pears that the deceased members of the conference
during the past year are, Rev. X. j. N johnson
OF Derby, Rev. {. ID. Ingram OF Walden and Rev.
d. A. Megahy, who died with his friends in Can
ada Rev. R. H. Tozer, of Derby. was received as
delegate from the freewill Baptist society of the
state. Quite number OF excellent addresses were
made during the session
The anniversary of the Freedmen's Aid Society
was held in the afternoon Rev H. p. Gushing,
of East Burke occupied the chair. and introduced
the speakers Prayer was offered by Rev. f.
Folsom, of Craftsbury. Rev. Dr. Foss, President
OF Wesleyan University, was the first speaker
who dwelt on the subject of education generally,
and of ministerial education in particular Rev l.
j. Lansing, of the Savannah Conference who
came to the Conference to represent the Freed
mems Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal
church, was the next speaker. He spoke at
length Of the terrible decentralization of the coored
people OF the South, and the lack ofsympathy for
them on the part of the white native Southern
ers; and hence the necessity OF the Northern
church sending teachers to help elevate these
thousands to true manhood. The benediction
Hampshire conference
In the evening the missionary sermon was
preached by the Kew D. f. Miller, oil 81 johns
Dnry. lie look Tor MS theme, Inc gospel tn
true hght oi the world Inc mouse was crowue"
wiz" an a''eh'i'e auuiehce rev A. H. "epo' o.
barton Lahdihg, ouereu prayer al 'he opening
tue service ana Dishop roster pronounced the
oeneuic''oh'
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"unufea u"''"fs were pleuseu'
Inc anniversary Vi 'he woman fore'sh MIS-
S''"a,s 'o''''y was "e,u !" .ne evening WA
p,es'ueu over W A,s' "" ~ "nVon' interesting
a'u,eSses ~e,e N'"ue W s',S' - i"oor' n's' ~ T.
io'"i" 'Ni
ino 0onieie"oe LOW ro"s' se'Noe WAS he'u
III 'le ae'"ou's' churc", ~ nine cioch' heV' H.
4. O"s""s III e"aIse' II was "sP'r'eo ana pfont-
"oie i'ee''ns A''er '"'S p's"op roster preached
an eioqueh. sermon from first iimo'hy Il 10 Al
tne conclusion Oh 'he service eight young men-
ohar'es r"rhhurs' Vi Dr"uioru' "hiihn D. Johh-
sou Vi Lyhuoh' george H. onl''n Oh S'owe L. L.
neeih'h Oh rroc'ors'ile H. n hastings OF uuii-
iofu, ~ r. rainier Oh west bf'iuiorui /. I, Frost