St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-05-21
Congregationalists Refuse to
Make Certain Churches
Eligible.
An Effort in Behalf Of a st.
Paul Union" Church Is
a Failure.
The AnOka Conference Wants
the Secret of DR.. Heath'S
Meetings.
Ladies Of the Faith Get All
the Attendance at Their
Meetings.

The session of the Anoka conference
opened yesterday morning with what
appeared to the uninitiated as very
amiable and kindly recommendation
from the committee on revision of the
constitution, but before the day closed
it was discovered to be, as ministers
would say, "a stirrer-up of strife" 1t
was proposition to make any union"
which means any independent church,
eligible to membership in the confer
ence If its articles of faith can gain the
conferences approval; and there are
people who think it is pretty
poor articles of faith that can't
get approval among Congrega-
tionaliSts in these times. And in
addition to opening the doors to such
a church it is further recommended by
the committee that its pastor may be
received into ministerial membership"
whether his church cares to join or not.
Some of the brethren called for halt
at this point. rot, as at first explained,
because it would be intrinsically I'M
Congregational, but because the PROPOSE
ton came in the interests Of
Certain st. Paul
minister of eminence who was not
named and didn't need to be designated
by name. Rev. Wallace Nutting was
the first to voice the opposition, and put
objection on the ground of the specific
design. Afterwards Rev. DR.. Baxter
and Rev. q. X. Merrill raised deter
mined opposition because the latter part
of the proposition would authorize the
conference to give ministerial standing,
and so would not be Congregational. A
motion was made by Mr.. Nutting to give
the report indefinite postponement, and
one by Rev. ). j. Rogers to adopt it. 1t
became very clear that some of the diff
fering brethren felt deep personal in
tereSt in the issue. Those whose per-
SOnal interest was not strong were soon
having an immense lot of fun over the
muddle. The moderator and every wise
man got into the question OF parlia-
mentary rules that should direct the
voting. At length way out was found
in the withdrawal of both the motions,
and then proposition to adopt the re-
port was voted down by small ma
jority. The result of the whole affair
was a settled understanding that no
man can be member of the conference
unless he is member of a Congrega-
tiOnal church within the conference
limits, even if DR.. Woodbury., secre-
tary of the American Missionary aSSO-
citation, was thereby denied the mem
berShip he asks for.
But still more serious result was
involved. Rev. William Oeler, who has
charge of the German work of DR.. S. q.
Smiths church, is commissioned by the
Home Missionary society, and is not
member of Congrec ational church,
and must be a member Of the conference
to nave his commission strictly regular.
He comes from the German Evangelical
church, and leaves it because of its
quarrelS
About Its Bishops.
He is evidently most excellent man,
and is doing a good work. Finally his
case and such others of the kind as
may arise were provided for by the
passing of a motion TO amend the con-
StitutiOn so as to make any man having
a commission from the Home Mission
airy society and documents of minis
terial standing anywhere eligible to
membership in the conference. Mr..
Oeler was then heartily heartily re-
ceived into full membership. This was
at the very close of the conference.
The forenoon was devoted to strictly
religiOus-that is, really piouS-work.
Rev. n. Macy led devotional meeting
at o'clock, and by his remarks started
earnest and profitable meditations.
Seldom has a better meeting of the kind
been held. 1t will long be remembered.
After remarks by Rev. Speare on the
worth of the New West educational
commission andan interesting paper by
Rev. Oeler on Christian Work Among
the Germans" there was a delightful
discussion on "The Ideal Prayer Meet
ing" The report has got abroad that
DR.. Heath is having such a prayer
meeting in Plymouth church, aud in
Quiry was made as to how he secured it.
The final conclusion was that he had
secured an ideal prayer meeting by
being himself an ideal man.
State Sunday School Superintendent
Herrick said some good things about
Sunday school work, and introduced
Mrs. Paddock, wife of the pastor of
Como Avenue church, to
Give Sample
of the right sort of juvenile Sunday
school teaching. She had brought sew
eral members of her class of youngsters
with her, and when she showed how
she teaches them no one wondered at
her success. And then Dr. Baker,
whose fame as Sunday school man is
all through the country, gave one OF his
Inspiring talks on his favorite theme.
The afternoon brought all able paper
by Rev. w. w. Willard on par
ish visitation, and by Rev. H. B.
Beard on visitation by laymen.
1t has been felt for some time that the
conference had become too large for
the best results, and measures have
been decided Oh TO effect division dur
ing this year. Doubtless the Mississippi
river Will be the line of division.
The sessions closed with the Lords
supper.
Though discussions were sometimes
pretty warm, at no point was unbroth-
erly feeling uttered, and all went away
loving one another more than ever.
The woman's missionary meeting be-
gan at s o'clock and will continue
through to-day. If judgment is to be
formed from the size of the audience,
there is more general interest in the
women's than in the mems meetings.
And why shouldn't there be? For are
not women doing more than men in
Christian work, and doing their work
with more zeal and task. Miss Robb
presided at the meeting last night. Miss
c. w. Nichols gave an address on 1.-The
Unit" Miss L. q. Gage a paper on 1.-The