Morning journal and courier., 1890-03-03
FAIR HAVEN NEWS.

FAIR HAVEN NEWS.
 Outlining she objects Of the Evangeli-
 cal All1aAce-UMl0A Meeslng Held In
 she Firss Church for Organizing
 Local Branch-Hsr EiGhsy.ROurth
 Birthday Pleasantly Celebrated
 Four Generations Represensed-lR.
 stallasien ofa Pastor.
 Rev. Frank Russell, D. D., of New York, secretary of the Evangelical alliance, ad- dressed union meeting in the First church yesterday afternoon, the object being the forming of local branch of the organization. The usual Sunday afternoon temperance meeting under the auspices of the W. O. T. U. was omitted to afford larger attendance for tho union meeting. Rev. Dr. Burdett Hart, pastor emeritus of. the First church, presided. Other pastors in the pulpit were: Rev. D. M. James of the Second ohuroh, Rev. A. H. Goodenough of the N. E. church, Rev. E. 0. Sage of the Baptist church and Rev. M. 8. Phillips of Ferry street church. The invocation was offered by Rev. MT. Goodenough and the choir sang the anthem 70 be Joyful" Rev. Dr. Russell then deliv- cred an address on the prime work of the alliance, which was represented to be relig- ious work among the unchurched. He showed how in many of the large towns and cities the churches were really being crowded out-that in the large increase ip population the percentage of churches to the population was rapidly lessening. The people had been praying years ago for the opening of heathen lands to the gospel. The doors had been opened, and now there was need of this same missionary work in the great cities of our own country. In sending missionary aid abroad, our own masses had been neglected. The evangelical churches were not reaching the masses, and so the work of the alliance became imperative.
 "Somebody has called the Evangelical alli- ance Q clearing house for the Christian churches" said the secretary. "They bring two suggestions that may be worked out by the local churches, and these two proposi- tons are: First-That it is time for the Christian churches to be united for the work before them; and second, that our commu- ties should be searched thoroughly by or. Ranized effort. And we believe that the forces for the syndicate to use are those in- culcated in the new testament method. While the PrCtestants are twelve millions strong in this country, we speak as 1t were s7 divided fragments. And yet 1t has never been the policy of the board to bring about any or- ganic unity. Our board is composed of all the evangelical denominations, each of which dIo COmukttSu tO tu0lI OWu CuuICu CouAClOuS- ly. In many cities the churches have grown away or dropped out of the population. Over twenty-five per cent. of the population dwell | in cities of over 5000. We desire that the bulk of the population should be kept under kindly Christian watch-care. In your own state there is town that hes more of this Christian visitation than any other town and that is New Britain. It is not the largest city in the state, but the l 1or ohn nd fho ohoo and the second largest church in the state ia in New Britain, and the result of all this pro- Rress hc3 been accomplished by house to house visitation. Our responsibility az churches to get the masses into the churches is very great. Geography is not parish un. less the church be isolated and then the par ish embraces the entire field. In the crossing and interlocking of the many parish lines half of the people have been left out. There must be Christian specialization, 80 that the entire community will be under church care. The churches must unite in community | work.
 In the organization of this work there must | in the first place be percentage of all the churches gathered and from this body super visors are selected to lay out the work in districts of 100 familie3 each. For each of these districts ten laymen from the churches will be selected. Then series of weekly meetings are held and the people who attend are registered and instructed by the pastor. At the fourth meeting all the supervisors and district workers come together and there is a | sort of installation and an address on the work to be done. The prominent idea of this work is neighborlyne s with the intent to do Christian work.
 | In this work a comparatively large num- Der of lay people are used. The very first | touch of this visitation Is undenominational and in only one instance he1 there been any. thing of Q denominational idea manifest. 1 One pe,tor hss likened this work to a per. petusl revival. One great feature of our work Ia the touch of acquaintance and kind neighborlyness that many times result iu leading into the churches.
 On closing the secretary expressed the hope that some method might be inaugurated as 6 result of the meeting whereby family might not live iu c community four or five months without some person. coming to speak with them ur on the subject of religion and church attendance. It VT, an exceedingly interest. ing address and illustrated with personal "reminiscences related to the secretary by dis trict visitoll showing how the workers were rec sived in different cities in pursuing theil missionary calling among the unchurched.
 This Monday evening there w.ll be held [ meeting of the supervisors and others inter- ested in the work to prepare plans and means of carrying on tine object of the alliance in Fair Haven. The meeting will be held ir the parlors of the East Pearl Street M. E church at 7:30 o'clock.
 The children, grand children and great grand children of Mrs. Jennette Barnes gathered at her home, CT Houston street Friday afternoon and evening to celebrate her eighty-fourth birthday. Of her sever children. all were present but Ms. George W. Granniss of San Francisco. Mrs. Barnes was widowed about forty-fve yearg ago, and | ho fopafIv oiv 1oo ato c,c broken. Her children who were present c, the pleasant reur.on were Mrs. Julia Gun. ningham of this city, Mrs. Ellen Butteriele of Bridgeport, Henry Barnes of 50 Houston street, Mrs. Jennette Frink of Stony Creek William Fl. Barnes of Stony Greek, and Mrs | )uiss O. Goodrich of this city. At o'clock the party sat down to supper. Tn, table wr1 decoratea with cut flowers ant | otted plants and presented an attractive ap pearance. During the meal there were som' informal spe ,ches, in which Mrs. Barnes WE congratulated upon her many yeais, the fairl. good health and presei vation with which sh
 wf1 blessed, and the earnest hope was ex
 pressed that many Q year might elaps
 before the circle would be broken by death
 The evening wc1 pared in an agreeabl
 manner with "reminiscences from the family
 history. recitations, games, etc. Mrs. Louis'
 0. Goodrich, one of the daughters, gave tw,
 recitations which were enthusiastically re
 ceived. Original verses by Mrs. Ellen But
 ter6eld of Bridgeport were read. They wer
 as follows:
 "LTE's RETROSPECT"
 'sitting dreaming by the nrelight,
 | In the evening of her days;
 Pictures of . happy childhood,
 Fit before her lingering geze.
 Youth comes, too, with golden visions And its hope of future bliss;
 | Which will find It's full fruition
 | In auother world thsu this.
 "And middle age, with bright hopes fading, Leaving shadows they pass;
 For earths bright dreams are too fokle
 | And too heetiug. far, u last.
 | "And thus time passes swiftly onward,
 Ever onward, te the goal;
 . Leaving pictures in the memory,
 Painted on the living soul.