National Republican., 1883-10-23
THE EVANGELICAL CONFERENCE.
The Material Resources and Prosperity OF
the Denomination.
Snrciaf IeffCr

Special Lcttcr.
ALLENTOWN, PA, Oct. 21.-Although tho
above named body of clergymen has been in
session two weeks there has been but little
business of Importance transacted, the time
having been mostly consumed in the dis
cussion of comparatively unimportant mat
ters. Tho sessions of the first two or three
days were strictly private, and the public
have been carefully excluded from each
morning session since, which is q disappoint-
ment to some and n surprise to many. The
episcopal address was read in the English
and German languages, ond contained an
encouraging account of the condition and
prospects of the several departments of church
work. concerning which several recommends
tions were made, including the establishment
of an annual conference in Japan. But the
material resources and prosperity of tho
denomination were exhibited in the report of
the publishers, Messrs Lauer & Yost. Tho
following are some of the items of the report
concerning the book establishment;
Present assets. POI &C
Gross receipts IN four years........... 76l007 as
Increase in four years...........s...... 169OH 81
Net profits In four years. l5lOi1 d6
Tho BotSchafter and Evangelical Messenger,
the German and English organs of the church,
both weeklies, have circulation of $4,000
and 10000, respectively, an increase in the
circulation of the two papers in four years of
5,460. The report also showed q correspond
ing increase in the circulation of all the
Sabbath school literature of the denomina-
tion, except tho Liring Epistlo and the Sunday
School Messenger, both of which have declined
in their circulation. These figures show that
the publishing house, located ut Cleveland,
Ohio, as we'll as the church, is in flourish
ing condition. In order to increase the ofli-
cheney and meet tho wants of the readers of
tho two weekly papers, the conference appro-
priated $2,700, with which to secure suitable
correspondence of q general character, the
lack of which constitutes weakness in rcli-
giOus journalism.
The receipts for home and foreign missions,
according to the report of the treasurer of tho
Missionary society, were 1870, ,35l.27, an in
crease over the preceding quadrennial of
$103, 40i97. The society also has an annuity
fund of $780, 100.
The conference determined to provide n
better quality of paper upon which to print
the weekly papers, and also ordered that they
be published in sixteen page book form.
1t also provided for the publication
of word edition of the Sunday school
singing book. The conferen CO, by adopting
the report of the boundary committee, or
ganzed the Oregon and California confer
cnces out of the Pacific conference created
Dakota out of the western portion of Min
nesota, and established another in Japan, the
latter being in accordance with the recon-
| mendation of the board of bishops. The
board of publication Mt Cleveland were in
structed by the conference to erect two build
| ings in that city in which to conduct some OF
the business of the publishing house.
The conference decided to distribute hall
of the profits of the book establishment equally
among the annual conferences of North
| America for benevolent purposes, and the bal
ance to bo distributed by the board to the
various claimants of the conferences. The
conference also agreed not to elicit the as
| sistant editors of the various church papers
but wisely left that matter to tho option Of
| the editor in chief, whose choice of assistant
must be confirmed by tho board Of publica
| tion.
On Tuesday afternoon Rev. L. Light, fra.
| ternal delegate from the United Brethren IL
Christ to this body, presented the official and
| fraternal greetings Of his church, and dcliv
cred all able and admirable address on "In
terdenominational Courtesy and Fellowship.
Mr.. Light rccted the special reasons VIII.
fratcrnal fellowship should exist between tn
United Brethren in Christ and the Evangcli
cal association, and then showed how de
nominatonal ntercommunication woult
contribute to that visible unity for which th
Master holds u.s. as individuals and denomi
nations, responsible. He advocated the estab
lishment of an INSTRUMENTATION congress
which shall meet quadrennially.
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