Morning journal and courier., 1880-03-31
VOL. XLVIII.l
LOCAL, NEWS.
lFor other Local News see Second Pas ell
Methodist Episcopal Church.


 been arranged during the past year under 67 pastors, of whom AS are members of the con ference, two being on the superannuated list, and 19 local preachers.
 Brother A. o. Abbott Is compelled to leave the work on account of throat-ail. The other pastors and their families have been preserved in good health. Harmony has prevailed, and Gods work has been quietly promoted. At many points revival influences have been felt, though no church has added more than 36 members. Incomplete returns show 400 con versions and 134 net increase of the church membership.
 Wesleyan University, while it is advancing in it's grade of scholarship, and ranks high among the colleges of the land, has been blessed with a remarkable revival of religion, the influence of which will be felt as widely as it's students scatter abroad In the senior class all but three have become Christians; in the junior class. all but one in the sophomore class, all but four, and in the freshman class all but thirteen.
 We desire to make honorable mention of the muniicsnt bsnefactors of the university, who have lately lifted it out of it's embarrass- ments by large gifts of money-George l. Sevey, A. V. Stout and Oliver Hoyt. Thanks, aIso to all the alumni and friends who are giving to the college according to their means.
 The Madison society refused to receive It's pastor, and during the year has accepted the unpaid services of Brother H. D. Latham and of the presiding elder, making no efforts to support the gospel.
 The old building at Riverton has been sold for $75, and the money passed to the trus- tees of the conference.
 At Thomaston, the hitherto imperilled church is paying 8 liberal support to it's pas tor the interest on it's heavy dsbt and little on the principal, having raised $1, 300 last year and $1, 700 this.
 Material improvements in the district have not been neglected. The greatest is at Bris- tol where fine brick church has been erected without debt, at a cost of $22, 900, of which Mr. John H. Sessions paid three-ffths.
 At West Suffield the church has been great ly improved by an expenditure of $1, 900, all paid.
 At Middlebury an excellent parsonage, worth $1 ,4OO has been purchased for $1, ,000, it's cost to be carried as debt for short time. At Wolcottville good parsonage IS near completion, 5000 having been raised and paid for the lot, $1, 800 to remain as debt.
 The feeble society at Berlin has received legacy of $1, 900 from Mrs. Truman Cole, and the North Canton society $500.
 barn has been built and paid for at South Britain.
 The two youngest chapels in New Haven, viz, Summerfeld and Howard avenue, have received from Rev. Aaron s. Hill, 8 super annuated member of our conference, gift of property worth over $5, 900, which will clear them of debt, and nearly pay for the leased lots on which they stand.
 The $3, GOO balance of the debt on the Chapel street church has been paid, the whole $5. .OOO within the past two years.
 The hazardous condition of the North church of Hartford was referred to in my re- port last year, and a committee to devise a method of relief was appointed. Through the tireless efforts of the chairman, Rev. A. 0. Eggleston, and of the other members of the committee, and through the cooperation of the pastor and members of said church, and of many churches and friends in the con- ference, the debt of $16, 900 has been reduced to $5, ,O00, and will probably touch $4,O00 within a few weeks. Thus the church is saved a work of which we may well be proud, with thanksgiving to God.
 At West Haven and Cromwell the societies are greatly embarrassed by their debts of $4,OoO and $90O, respectively.
 The church at Beacon Falls is in danger of being lost for it's debt of $2, 300, the business of the place having failed several years ago, and has not yet been resumed. The member ship is 20. There is no other church in the place.
 If the kind of work which has been done for the North church of Hartford is kept up, relieving of debt one society in each district annually, and our people learn to build only fast as they can pay, we shall be saved from 8 great evil.
 One of the bsss things done at our last con ference was the inauguration of the Domestic Mission work. For the plan then devised I refer you to page 23 of last years Minutes" |" The New Haven district stewards took it up and arranged to raise $1, 45O for the relief of thirteen feeble churches. In view of the two other extra collections, viz, for the North church of Hartford and for general conference expenses, we have made tolerable beginning. The need and value of the work is not yet ap- preciated by all the churches, but responses to the call have been made as follows From Middletown $50; New Haven (St. John street church, $4s East Pearl street church $3G; Hartford First church, $50 New Britain $20 Wesley chapel and Chapel street ST. O5 Woodbury $15; Watertown $10; Vol cottville $9. 58 Forestville $9; West Suf- field $9; Seymour $3; Southington $8; Clinton $5; Essex $4.12; Westville $2; Simsbury $2 Kensington 8. .09. Total $273.- S4
 It is to be ardsntly hoped that this will be but the beginning of grand home missionary work in our conference which will save multi tudes of souls. We have @ class of small churches, which without help from abroad will run down. Our work like the popula- ton, is leaving the rural regions and collecting in the cities and large villages. There are more than twenty former preaching places in the New Haven district where the voice of the circuit-rider was formerly heard but where Methodsm is no longer taught for the very reason that there are no circuit riders. At our last session you advised the uniting of
 
 cases where the salary in each is less than $500. This arrangement prevails in but eight cases in the New Haven district, and is very difficult to effect if we wait for the con- sent of the people. It is objected to because it gives to each society but part of the ser vices it tdesires. Moreover, it still leaves un- used that numerous body of lay preachers, successors of the men who did so much to build up Methodism, and whose brethren arc still so efficient and useful in England. Any presentation of the gospel which shall suc- cessfully compete with the strong old churches of the other denominations in the rural DOT tions of New. England must be largely un- compensated.
 In those denominations the large churches greatly aid in supporting the small ones. The Copgregationalists thus expsnd some $14, 500 in Connecticut annually, and $3, 800 to ten churches in the territory of the Now Haven district, an average of $350 to each. Thus the Congregationalists of Connecticut average contribution of twenty-seven cents member to this charity. In New England they have 3l6 missionaries. Some question whether it is our duty to maintain ground in the sparsely populated towns in the presence of these churches since they have practically abandoned Calvinism and adopted the Armin- ian faith and practice. Still there are many souls unlocked after, and the tendency of the competition which Methodism brings is to stir other Christian workers to SEeHIeE auu II Wo nave COnVoELOu our neighbors to our theology and ways of work, we have an equal right to the field. While there is still great need of the warmest kind of evangelisiic work in New England, 1t does not appear how it is to be done. To fulfill onrlegitimate mission itwould seem asif noth- ingshort of the old English system of large cir quits, with its unpaid lay preachers working with the itinerants, could carry our warm and victorious experience to the thousands who need it., Of this probably there is no hope. Therefore it is left us to work our domestic missions plan faithfully by presenting it as one of the strongest claims upon the benef- cence of our people It contains its own safe guard against abuse by it's benefciaries. And as the union of two churches under one pastor seems necessary in some cases, and the only feasible remedy, and as the people will not gem orally consent to it, it is question whether the cause ought not to be saved by the bishops arranging the work according to their judg- ment with the hope that if some are offended and leave us, we shall build, as at the first, by gathering in those who need us, and are will ing to work with us in the Methodistic way.
 The amount raised in the district for out n;5a oe tI, oikx, ;c QLQ rararoI