Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1889-06-18
OXFORD COUNTY MISSION

ElfDr Nsaoerf
Nour quotation from Dr. kinciii's AL
dress a. a. the lestiiutiun ~ Maine in
l'olut ~ religious privilege, has sug-
gr.tci a. me that your rrader- ought to
know something about the work which
l. being done In oxford County by the
Congregational churches.
Few people In our county Who are
favored With church privilege. know
ANYTHING about the de.titution which
prevail. Ia the northern part ~ the coun-
u. leu wears ago II became known to
the ONforl Conference ~ Congregation
Al churches that there was nes'l ~ mis-
slonary work being done In the COUNTY.
\ man va. secured who Va. willing Ia
Vi.ii the northern part NJ the county,
preaching la school houses. holding
PRAYER meetings. aud establishing sab
bath schools. This visitation revealed
the fact that therr were people la OX-
ford County who had never hecn Ca any
Kind ~ a religious meeting; some Who
iii not know what sabbath School
Was; many Who never heard a church
bell ring.
For ten wear. missionary has been
90 carry on this work. Rev. :. :. York
has now begun a fifth year of thi. ser
Vice. lie has wide circle to travel,
taking i've cor siX weeks a. complete u,
AMI having forty places where he
breaches. lie has about twenty sabbath
school. under hi. care; these school. At
first were furnished with all of their
supplies, bat for the past two years they
have paid their own expenses.
Mr.. York visit. from house "a house,
holds prayer meetings la log cabins,
farm houses aud school houses. liz
breaches sometimes six or eight times a
week aud trie. to do good la all possible
ways.
Although this mission work has been
carried on for ten years, Yet this mis-
sionary finds people Who never heard a
sermon preached. or heard the voice ~
prayer; he It'll finds children who
have never been tO sabbath school; be
has had people la his services Who had
not heard sermon preached for many
years, and he finds sick people Who have
not SEEN the face of minister for many
wears. There are az least 1000 people Ia
Oxford County who are reached by Mis-
sionary York, Who bat for hl. OCCASION
al Visits, would have No religious priyi-
leges NJ all. There are nearly n thous-
and children gathered into sabbath
schools, who hut for him would have no
such opportunity Ia learn Of truth and
right living. Mr.. York saws II he could
multiply himself six time. he could find
all that six could do In his present field
Of labor. one other county has en-
ployed missionary, but the State has
need of many such men To do work that
calls for sacrifices aud severe toll.
Mr.. York l. supported by Oxford Con-
ference Of Congregational churches, as
sisted by the Maine Missionary Society.
Congregational
write these facts an that all the read
ers of the Democrat may know that here
Ia our own beloved Oxford there l. great
destitution In point Of religious priv
leges; that mission work l. needed right
here at our own doors. And. further
more, I want To say that Mr.. York "a a
missionary meets With cordial welcome
BY those 10 whom he goes, aud the only
fault they nnd with him l. that he does
not come often enough.
IL Il true that Maine has many places
"harren as the rocks" ~ all religious
privileges. and some of these places are
In Oxford County.
A. @. FIR.
South Paris