The Portland daily press., 1884-10-09
MAINE UNITARIAN CONFERENCE.
The Missionary Reports for the Year and
the General Business of the Confer
euCe.

MAINE ONhLAhAAN CONEERENCE.
The Missionary Reports for the Year and
the General Business of the Confer
ence.
The meeting Of the conference yesterday
morning opened at o'clock with a service of
prayer, conducted by Rev. Samuel Longfellow.
Rev. DR.. Nichols, Rev. Mr.. Vinal and Rev.
Mr. Thacher participated. There was good
attendance.
The business meeting was called to order by
the vice president of the conference, Hon. Geo.
f. Talbot of Portland.
Rev. @. @. Vinal, secretary and treasurer.
read the minutes of the last conference in Cas-
tine, and his report as treasurer. The receipts
of the past year we're 1922. The expenditures
exceeded the receipts by 20 cents.
Rev. D. N. Sheldon, D. D., the missionary of
the conference, read the following report of his
work during the past year:
Following, as in previous years the example of NV
predecessor, Or. Wheeler. have given one Sunday
and in single instance two Sundays to the pastors
of our Unitarian churches in the State The aim
has been to bring them little reliet from the CON
slant and often heavy pressure of ministerial work
enabling them to take short journey or to perform
some useful service beyond the limits of their
parishes have thus been able to meet all the ex-
ton, that of Mr.. Thacher of Augusta whose request
for aid came at time when had engaged to preach
elsewhere.
These visits have afforded an opportunity of
learning. In general way, the condition of our
Maine churches. While the state of the most of
them appears to be satisfactory it is still true that
only a few of them seem to be extending their in
fuence. 1t is hardly to be expected that there
should De from year to year any marked Igrowth in
ton;sti our rational faith ought to be seen to have
the power OF drawing to itself steadily increasing
number; and IL, Ill q suitable field it fails to do
this, inquiry might well be made into the reasons.
The church in Bangor is still without pastor
though it has had preaching most of the time dur
ing the year. The church in Belfast has recently
settled Mr.. Savage, its pulpit having previously
been filed for some months by Mr.. Darlington The
resignation of MI. Macdonald the eficie5t nsstor
of the Ellsworth society has made vacancy in tha
society. MIR. Gooding, of the Brunswick society
has been called to Portsmouth. All the other Uni,
tartan churches in the State supplied with pas
tors, Mr.. Bellows, formerly of Wateryille. having
heen installed during the year the Park street
church in Portland and Mr.. Rowen having been
called to succeed Mr.. Bellows in Wateryille
Early in the spring, I made arrangements to
preach to the small society in Standish during the
summer, Accordingly l supplied their pulpit.
personally or by exchange, eleven SUNDAYS iibe
audience which consisted partly of orthodox people
numbered generally sixty to sixty-fve persons. This
society has a fund with an annual income of about
one hundred and fifty dollars. Something like half
OF this sum has been expended the past season on
needful repairs OF their meeting-house a curiosity
ia its way. built in colonial times and never
changed in exterior or interior, except by the re-
moval OF sounding board. 1t seems desirable that
the Society should have preaching a few SUNDAYS
at least every year; but it can hardly become
again selfsuppoltiDg society, as it was once with
DR.. Wheeler as its pastor Few of its active ,narn
bers survive and the population of the vIsoa
has little prospect of increase while a somawhat
liberal Congregational minister promises to meet
the wants of the people there residing With nv
present views l should not have thought it worth
while to devote SO much time to this place; but do
not regard the labor as misspent
During the year 1 have given four weeks of nv
time TO somerset county, preaching in North New
Portland, in North Anson and in Fairfield In
eacn of these places have had audiences respecta
Bile in size, intelligence and manifested in terest In
North Anson and in Fairfield | have preacbed in
the Universalist churches but at times when there
would have been otherwise no religious services
In North New Portland occupied of course tha
Union church, and addressed larger Congregation
have reason to know that the service made a favor
able impression. In all their towns / have found
Unitarian families or individuals with Unitarian
preferences. have been especially pleased with
the kind and free spirit which has greeted me-
To Somerset county 1 have given most of the
time which, in previous years. had spent in
Aroostook county. 1t will interest the conference
to be told that there is some encouragement TO hope
that the important society in Houlton is soon to
have pastor. Letters from there inform me that
Mr.. Parder has of late preached very acceptaby to
the people for three Sundays and that call has been
extended to him to become their pastor, though it
is still uncertain whether he will accept it, But I
trust that some one will soon be found for that
post.
In answer to inquiries about the Pennington soc
ETY., learn by letter received within few days
that nothing favorable can be said. 'Dead' is the
emphatic word used in relation to it.
ought not to pass in silence, the praiseworthy
efforts of number of Ladies' societies in Portland
Augusta, Waterville and believe in all parishes
to further the objects of the American Unitarian
Association either auxiares to that association
or independent organizations to spread our
literature in all practicable ways to aid common
cause.
dence with prominent gentlemen in Dixfeld OK
ford county and in Foxcroft, Piscataqus county In
Dixtield am told that there is likely to be q call
for Unitarian preaching at the opening of next
spring. The meeting house there is won't to be
closed during the winter. In Foxcroft including
also Dover in the near vicinity, there might well he
at least occasional Unitarian preaching if suitable
place for accommodating an audience might be
had.
1t is reasonable to believe that there are other
places in the State, where our cause might gain a
favorable hearing. But in many towns. the Univer-
salists have the ground, and are doing a good
work.
may venture hint or two in relation to the
proposed new missionary departure In our
large and sparsely populated State, a great outlay
of strength and money would be needed to cover
much of the ground. Little comparatively could be
expected from any one man, supposing the suitable
man was found. Faith in our liberal religion and
in its adaptedness to the time, undoubtedly iustes
worthy ambition to spread it at almost any cost.
But the ambition needs to be guided by wisdom.
The growing unsettledness of so many in their re-
lgious ideas is very interesting fact. But the
provision for this state of mind found today part
ly in the liberal orthodoxy. With few exceptions
men of average intelligence do not vault rapidly
from the old Orthodox to the new Unitarian posi-
tion. The full change comes, if at all, only with
time. There may be parts of New England where
Unitarians can do better work for truth than
most others; and there is, L think, no part of 1t
where they cannot do something and perhaps
much. Everywhere they are summoned to be Co
workers with the living Spirit of God the One ST.
lent, ever present easily recognized Worker. But
the pastors of the churches watching the fields di
rectly around them, and communicating with one
another and with such helpers as they may ap-
point with reference to the wider and more general
eld will be able to do, not all that might be DONE
but the greater part OF what invites immediate effort
and promises the best result.
The Rev. Mr.. Rowen read an essay at 10. 80
O'Clock on "a true road to spiritual virtues"
A change of thought is now going on in the
religious world and the idea of personal God
is being given up by many. Argument does
not have much weight in convincing one that
there Is God. The true way out Of the diff
ficnlyt is in doing the will of God by perform
ing our duty and being unselfish.
A discussion followed the essay which was
participated in by Rev. Samuel Longfellow,
Rev. DIR. Sheldon, Rev. DIR. Nichols, Rev. Mr..
Reynolds and Rev. Henry Blanchard.
The following committee on nominations
was appointed by the chair: Rev. Mr.. Phelan,
John p. Hopkins and Mark p. Emery.
The subject next taken up was the question
of keeping home missionary in the field in
Northern New England. The Rev. GrndalI
Reynolds, Secretary of the American Unita-
rian Association, spoke forcibly upon the sub
ject, but before any action was taken the con-
ference adjourned to bountiful collation. in
Mechanics Hall.
Afternoon.
At23Op. M, Rev. Mr.. burlington read an
essay on the necessity and duty of prayer.
Prayer is q necessary accompaniment of the be-
lief in the personality and fatherhood of God Te-
l faUOht md tha