The Newtown bee., 1889-04-12

in obtaining it will be great. But the consecration and hearty enterprise of both pastor and people warrant the be- lief that this conference will, not long hence, hold session in the new struct- ure and, with our church in Danbury, unite in praising the Lord over the full success of their faithful labor of love. Several other charges have strengthened the stakes and heightened the cords. In Bridgeport, North Main street has reconstructed the chapel and gained sub stantial convenience by the change; Washington Park has quite cleared itself of it's heavy load of debt and has now completed, perhaps, the finest parsonage in the district, if not in the conference; the first church, in whose audience room we are assembled, has organized a Sun day school and class meeting on the west side of the city, where a plot has been purchased, looking to the erection of a suitable building, this next year, in which will be invested the moneys in- trusted to this church by our conference. This First church has heated all it's rooms by means of an approved steam apparat- us and has very conveniently re-arranged the vestry and class rooms and has pro- vided the whole cost, $7000. Powerful revival work has given to Norwalk 130 souls; to Danbury l50. It is necessary in such a report as this to pass over these pregnant figures with only word. But to those who know the pastors and the people in these societies, the merest state ment tells the full story of long contin- ued and arduous labors in winning souls. Stamford has had solid work, harvest ing 5 converts and to South Norwalk and three more have been garnered like number, about 50 each. Scarcely fewer in number have been received at Bethel and Bridgeport First church. There are very few of the charges that have not been blessed with additions. In the mid dle of the year, five churches, for differ ing causes, changed ministers. But such is the method of Methodism, that there was no inconvenient hiatus of pastoral service in either case.
 On the first of September, circular 1 was issued to the members of this con- ference, with the concurrence of the presiding elders, asking for $400 for the assistance of Brother D. B. Vosseller. He was dangerously i'll and it was pro- fessional judgment that, in order to save his life, he should be sent to differ ent climate. Such a general request for l hafFl in roI6-upar ic pd shn,11I ha nv ceedingly rare among us; but the case was wholly exceptional. The response is an extraordinary evidence of the sym pathy of both ministry and laity with a suffering brother. The total receipts were $797 50, which is nearly double the sum asked for. After Brother Vosseller was settled in his distant home in Wyom- ing and had so far recovered his health as to take a pastoral charge and had written, "We can now take care of our selves" and thus the object for which the money was collected had been attained, there was a balance on hand of $312 45. A fourth year of occupation for the Mas ter in this district has had a plenty of wholesome and constant application, not without patience and sometimes endur- ance, not without faith and hope, but with an abundance of encouraging fruit fulness in the field and in experience of the unfailing support and rich blessings of the Lord, whose we are and whom we serve.
 IN THE AFTERNOON, the joint anniversary of the Education and Freedman's Aid Societies was cele- brated, Prof William North Rice of Wes- leyan presiding. He spoke of education at home, but reminded his hearers that, while all available steps should be taken in matters of education at home, the be- nighted people of the South must not be suffered to grow up in ignorance and un- belief.
 Rev c. H. Payne, secretary of the Board of Education, spoke as follows: 'tMethodism recognizes no geographical and no color line. It knows no South and no North; no white and no black. If a brother should ever utter word in favor of placing over the doors of Meth odist schools sign, No colored man ad- mitted here,' I should do my utmost to overthrow it. We as church have been wonderfully prospered ill the past and it is well for us to remember all the way along which God has led us; 100 years ago there were but three representatives of Methodism ill New York city. To-day our church claims between 4,000, ,000 and 5000, ,000 adults and as many children. We now have 2s,000 preachers and we must have 250,O 900 100 years hence. Our greatest peril is the danger of underesti- mating the value of education in relation to the church. In this quick, active, thinking age, we must have men intelli- gent and cultured, but we must not ac- cept polished pulput orators in prefer ence to men of consecrated heart. re- member one time, after hard days work, stopped at farm house in Ohio for my supper and, by actual count, there were on the table ten sorts of pre- serves, but not morsel of meat, no bread and no butter, nothing of any sort that ought to go into the hungry stomach of a Methodist minister. That is the sort of meal that our young pastors think they must serve up from the pulpit. Give your people more bread; they can't live on preserves
 AT THE EVENING SESSION,
 appropriate services were held, the occa- sion being the 24th anniversary of the Church Extension society.
 Friday.