The Portland daily press., 1891-10-07
A DIVISION OF The CHRISTIAN ARMY.
President Spencer's Apt Character
Izatlon of the Baptist Church.
Opening Of the State Anniversaries in
the shIpy ard City.
Facts and Figures Showing the Con-
sdition of the Churches.
Especial to the PREss.l

Especial to the PREss.l
| BATH, October 6.-The annual meeting of
the Maine Baptist Association opened today
in the Baptist church at the corner of Elm
and Washington streets. The opening ad.
dress of the meeting was given last evening
by Rev. George <. Horr, Jr., Of Boston. be-
fore large audience.
| This morning the pulpit and communion ia
BILE were handsomely decorated with flowers
and ferns. The Baptist map Of Maine. be-
| longing to Rev. A. T. Dunn. the secretary of
the Missionary Society, showing the IA state
| associations and the churches of the denomi-
nation. and bearing the legend, "Maine for
| Christ" was placed in the front Of the
| church.
The services Of the morning in the church
| opsned at 9 O'Clock, the meeting being called
| to order by the president Rev. DIR. Spencer
OF Waterville. Rev. +. G. Whittem0re pre-
sented the programme Of the convention.
PRESIDENT Spencer called upon Rev. Drew
L. Wyman of Lewiston to lead devotional
service. which lasted about 80 minutes,
At $50 the pastor of the church, Rev. Il.
+, White, In a brief and pleasant address,
| welcomed the association. He apologized
might have felt at not being met at the sta
tion by guides from the society, saying that
the community was so busy that not many
| people could spare the necessary time. He
thought, nevertheless, that the delegates
could not complain Of the treatment they
would receive. He said it had been a cher
lshed idea of his for long time to have the
Baptist Association meet with his church,
and now that it was fulfilled he felt like
thanking God for the privilege of welcoming
fham. He fhQn ekQfahQ6 Ur0uvfh M tho
Bath church and gave the long list of noble
men and women and the many influences for
good that had gone out from 1t.
The President Address.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Whites remarks.
DIR. Spencer briefly replied and then dellv-
cred his annual address. He said that the
body now opening its session was like di-
vision OF an army. 1t had its three arms,
the infantry, the churches; the artillery,
Colby University and the academies; the
the cavalry, the evangelists and missiona-
ries, and today Is the annual encampment
for inspection and review. This military
n@gure ny suggests TWO things; AS division Of
portion OF the country in front of the lines,
for the conquest of which we are RESPONSE
BILE. and as a division we are vitality con-
cerned in the discipline and management of
\
should be our duty to look very carefully af-
ter the needs of the weaker churches. One
weak point in the Baptist system is the lack
Of unanimity In benevolence and system in
gathering it. The convention owes it to the
churches to provide regular means for con-
tributions from every member. This should
be work enough Tor one busy man all the time
In addition to the evangelsts. DR.. Spencer
prescribed a course of benevolence as rem
edy for the diseased and dying condition of
nj % xxoa bar ahnrahno a
that the levy envelope system, now in use
in the Hancock Association, should be ex-
tended to all the churches in the state.
The committees were then announced as
follows:
Credentisls-Reys E. A. Davis, F. A. Snow and
Nominations Moses Giddings Revs Dr.
George d. b. Pepper, DIR. J. Kicker, q. V. Han
son, +. j. Bickneil. L. A. Mason.
Foreign Missions-Revs. j. M. Wyman, Q. M.
Emery, Geo. B. Avery.
Publications. t. D. Busield, j. E. Creldle,
Reforms-Revs. Dr. G. d. B. Pepper, N. I. Dut-
Sunday schools-Messrs. b. H. wlnslow. F.
Brunei, K. +. Weston.
Place and Preacher for next year-Revs. C. v.
State of religion-Rev L. A. Mason.
Obituary-Rev. A. N Dairy.
Arrangements for next year-The pastor of the
church, Revs. j. N. Wyman, Q. A. Towne.
Rev. G. E. Young read the report of the
committee on obituaries, giving notices of the
lives of the following who have died during
the past year: Revs. j. r. Bowler, A. 7.
Curtis, Isaac Small, Moses Hanscom. Aaron
G. Hemenway, Charles I. Perkins, Isaac G.
Ridley, Melsarte Dunbar, formerly of Maine,
Rowe in Newton Centre, Mass; Deacon
Amos Averill of Alma, Charles Gushing
of Freeport, Louis r. Small of Biddeford,
Abram Moore of Bangor. Mrs. Martha T.
Bennett of Limerick, Miss Mary Dunham of
Turner, Mrs. Julia M. Parshley of Hallowell.
There are many Others" said Mr.. Young,
whose names have not been secured, but
their names are written In the book of life."
Music by the convention Quartette fol-
lowed, after which DIR. Spencer delivered the
address of welcome and right hand of fellow
ship to Revs. @. A. Towne. G. G. Speare, d.
L. Wyman and other pastors recently settled
In the state. He referred touchingly to those
who have gone to their rest and then by re-
bound OF feeling addressed words OF wei
come to the new pastors, and extended the
right hand of fellowship.
The representatives from the other relig-
tous bodies, Rev. M. Q. Pendexter of the
Methodists, Rev. Mr.. Dunnells, Congrega-
tionalist, and Rev. Mr.. Wood Of the Free
Dunnells told an interesting love story, the
facts OF which had Just come out in Bath,
and applied the same to the feeling of love
between the COngregati0nalists and Baptists.
Lio pIoctutcu tut I6Qu0SL Oh Lu6 OODBE6gd'
tionalists last spring for an united effort in
behalf of more stringent legislation for the
observance of the Lords day.
Mr.. Wood gave statistics of the church.
There ale one state association, 259 churches,
1856 ministers and 14,439 members. There is
more interest in religion and missions among
the Free Baptists than ever before. They
are also improving their houses Of worship.
Rev. George S. Chase of Springvale read
the Scripture lesson from theGospel of John,
Dnx. n~ toh Arxa 80
r. l., offered prayer and Rev. c. V. Hanson
of Waterville preached the anniversary ser
mon, his text being John vi, 13. the word
Baskets" and xii, 3, "a pound of ointment
very costly" His theme was economy en-
joined and magnifcence approved. Christ
would have us use our baskets to gather up
the fragments that nothing will be lost; he
would also have us use the pound of costly
ointment The danger is that people will
think only of the basket Of the fragments.
Mr.. Hanson said that he wished to found
new order, the Order of the Basket and the
Vase, with no machinery or organization,
but with symbols, the basket and the vase,
typifying economy and magnifcence for the
Lord.
j. w. Philbrick was elected temporary
treasurer. The morning session closed with
prayer by Rev. Mr.. Tripp.
Facts and Figures About the
Churches.
The afternoon session opened with a short
devotional service led by Rev. A. N. Dairy OF
Westbrook, after which the report Of the
treasurer Of the convention, Prof. j. B.
Foster of Waterville, was read by DIR. Bur
rage. A synopsis of the report shows the
following:
Funds on hand. .S51 300 90
hents Greenongh property. ............ 1,SUO.0U
miscellaneous. :........................ 2067
interest," and dividends. 3,671.00
Gegacles, trusts and bequests. 2,23O.00
5aie oi real estate. ate...................... 22.1S
1ulplt servlee OF secretary. ............, 230.82
Ur1inary coiectlons.. 4,423.93
minutes '''....................... 1881