The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-06-16
MAINE coNcREcATIoNALIsTs.
Sixtleth Annual Meeting Of the Cen
eral Conference.
Seventy Ninth Anniversary Of the
Maine Missionary Society.

The SiXtieth annual meeting OF the Maine
General Conference of Congregations
churches opened at the Central church, Bath
yesterday morning.
A large number of delegates went from
Portland on Conductor Jewett's morning
train, arriving at Bath in time for the open
ing exercises They were met at the station
by the reception committee and taken al
once to the Central church, large and hand
some edifce on Washington street. Those
who had not previously been assigned to
places for entertainment, received cards OF
introduction to the hospitablo Bath homes
whose doors are thrown wide open to the
strangers within their gates.
The church has recently been freshened
and beautified in the interior and had been
made still more beautiful for the services OF
yesterday by profusion of flowers from the
blooming gardens that are seen on every side
in the pretty little city of Bath.
In the absence of the Moderator, General
Joshua L. Chamberlain, the Recording
Secretary, Deacon Elnathan F. Duren, Ban
gor, presided.
The following letter from Gen. Chamber
lain was read:
GEN. CHAMBHRLAIN's LETTER.
OcALA, Fla. June 5, 1886.
Ded E. r. DtreTL
North in season to render the service which the
Maine Conference of Congregational churches
have honOred me, by calling me to. 1t is with no
ordinary regret that see but little chance of my
being able to be with you. If 1t is still possible
shall come but dare not count on 1t. With the
earnest wish that the approaching meeting may
be blessed with the gracious and strengthening
influences which have marked those have en-
1 am. faithfully yours,
JOSHUA L. CHAMBERLAIN.
The conference was formally organized by
the election of Rev. L. III. Hallock of Willis
ton church, Portland, as moderator.
In accepting the chair Mr.. Hallock ex-
pressed his regret at the absence of General
Chamberlain and returned thanks to the
conference for the honor conferred.
The devotional exercises, consisting Of
singing, Scripture reading and prayer, were
conducted by Rev. Mr.. Hallock.
Before reading the rules of the conference,
Rev. Messrs. T. d. Wing, w. B. Hague and
J. E. Adams were appointed a committee to
collect the credentials of delegates.
The rules, eighteen in number, were then
read.
Deacon E. F. Duren, Recording Secretary,
plCoOhbCu VhO iSNkOAV5J AOPOAN AOA SNAA-
ONLY one pastor in service has been re-
moved by death-Rev. jeremiah Evarts
Pond died February IA. Mr.. Pond was born
in Bangor, graduated from Bowdoin College
in 1858, and from Bangor Theological Sem
mary in 1856.
Former pastors deceased during the year
are: Giles Leach, Franklin Fails, N. III. !;
John Robinson Chalmers, st. Johns, vt. !;
Josiah W. Turner, District Secretary Of the
~ iatx tad in nbios
+. Ford, Kansas; Theodore Charles Jerome,
drowned recently near Wolfboro; Charles
Duren.
OF church members, $50 have been lost to
the church ON earth. Among those of prom
inence were mentioned Deacons Geo. A.
Thatcher, Bangor; Edmund Hoyt, Roscoe
W. Turner, Portland; David Starrett, War
rem; Henry Murdoch, Garland; John
Babbage, Oldtown; Mrs. Clara M. Thurston
and Mrs Sarah Thurston, aged mothers in
Israel, and others.
In behalf of the conference the moderator
invited all ministers present to take part in
the deliberations.
The conference sermon was preached by
Rev. Arthur f. Skeele, on "a Personal
Christ'-John iv, 41-42. In view of the fact
that only 110 out of 244 churches have made
any gain in their membership during the
past year, the speaker urged the need Of
faithfulness in seeking the salvation Of sin
ners through the power which is in Christ
Jesus.
Rev. A. H. Wright and W. G. Christie
were appointed to fill vacancies on the nom
mating committee.
The moderator was instructed to send mes
sages of cOngratulation and Christian salu-
tatien to the General Assembly of Connect
ieut, now holding its 177th annual meeting
at Norwich.
On motion of Rev. G. H. Daniels it was
voted to extend the greeting to all assem-
blieS now in session.
N NJ 81
land Conference, held at Falmouth June Q,
1886, presented an overture to the General
Conference in the form of two resolutions
presented to the Cumberland Conference by
Rev. L. III. Hallock and adopted by that
body:
Resolved, That, in the Judgment of the Cumber-
land Conference it is desirable that the statistics
of the churches heDceforth be collected at as
early date as possible after the 1st of January
and that they cover the calendar year from JAN
uary to December 3lst. thus afording greater
facilities for gathering accurate Information py
bringing our records into harmony with the
Resolred, That we instruct our delegates to the
General Conference to respectfully present this
overture to that body.
The subject was referred to a committee
consisting of Rev. E. NJ. Cousins. Deacon
E. F. Duren, Rev. ]. S. Richards. After the
benediction by Rev. DIS. Mason, Fryeburg,
the convention adjourned.
Afternoon.
Conference met at 2.10 p. m. Rev. c. G.
McCully of Calais conducted devotional ex-
ercises.
Rev. Charles H. Pope, corresponding sec
retary, presented a detailed report on the
state of the churches, from which we take
the following summary of statistics:
Ministers-Pastors, 50; acting pastors, Sc
other licentiates and students, IA; without
charge, 35; licentiates without charge, 15
total in ministerial work, 1853; otherwise oc-
cupied, so; entire ministerial force reported,
203.
Membership-21,2 ,242, of whom 4,O39 are alb
sent from their homes.
Churches-With pastors, "a; with acting
pastors, 105; with lieentiates or students, II;
vacant, II; total, 247.
Disbanded, plymouth of Portland. and
Central of Yarmouth.
ADMISSIONS TO THE CHURCHES.
On confession ..-.................-... 0oI
By letter. $40
Total. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. ..'..l'o4A
REMOVALS.
by ueaJn. ..................... ...'...''''''' o4O
BY dlSmlsSlOn ..........---.'.-.'..- 45z