Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-06-12
Vermont COngregatiOnalistS
THEIR GOTH ANNUAL CONVENTION
Held with the BrattIeboro Church this
Week.


Week.
"The general convention of Congrega-
tional ministers and churches of Vermont
is fine legal title of the ecclesiastical body
which has been in session at the Centre
church this week. 1t is composed of dele
rates from the county conference of
churches. mostly laymen, and from the as
sociations of ministers, together with
considerable number of appointees, com
mittec men, etc, who are members eX-6ifi-
cius
The place of meeting being i'm a cornet
of the state we expected to diminish i'm ar
tendance some what, but special efforts had
been made to secure a stimulating and eff
fcctive program; the weather was all that
could be desired, Brattleboro is good
place to visit, and so the convention was
above the average in size as well as in in
tcrest and profit. Rev. C.. NJ. Lamson,
ID, pastor of the North church, St.
.Johnsbury, presided in his own happy way
and kept the convention at its work.
The opening session, Tuesday afternoon,
was occupied with routine business, reports
of committees, etc. The greetings of the
Methodist Episcopal conference were pre-
scented in an earnest address by Rev. A. H.
Vermont Baptist convention by Rev. f. j.
Parry.
The first annual meeting of the Wom-
ans Home Missionary union was held
Tuesday afternoon in the chapel of the
church, which was packed by ladies from
all parts of the state, and very interest
ing session was had. There are 81 local
unions in the state, gain of II during
the year, and the women of the state have
contributed during the year $4,000, of which
about $1,000 has been expended in mission
airy work in the state, the rest being appli-
ed in other parts of the country. Mrs.
Edward Kirkland of Bellows Falls, in
Crumbs from the Saratoga feast" told of
some of the good things said and done at
the national home missionary gathering
last week. The principal address of the
meeting was by Mrs. H. S. Caswell, editor
of the Home Missionary, who described
most wildly and humorously the home and
work of Mrs. A. j. Drake of Dakota, the
unique woman who holds five religious ser
vices and drives "a miles each Sunday.
Tuesday evening was devoted to home
missions, nine speakers representing work
in all parts of the country holding the
close attention of large audience for two
hours and half. Rev. Z. j. Grassie of
Wisconsin said it was grave question
whether this country would ever celebrate
its second centennial. 1t certainly would
not unless the church rose to the occasion.
The new cities of the West must be saved,
and the country churches must be sustain
ed. Mrs. Joseph Ward spoke briefly of
her own experience in a rough Dakota
town and of the good accomplished there.
Rev. S. H. Lee, formerly pastor of the
Brattleboro church, now connected with
the French Protestant college in Spring
field, Mass, spoke of work for our immi-
grant population. He said that the diff
Guilty with our foreigners is not their Ian
guage or their customs, but their religion.
They are under the control of their priests
and know nothing of the gospel.
Much interest has been felt in the eXper-
ment undertaken by the Vermont Mis-
sionary society of employing lady evangel-
lists to work in the destitute country dis
tricts of the state. The address of Miss
Lydia Hartig, who has been doing this
work for several months, was therefore re-
ceived with marked favor as she told in
very simple and effective way of their eX-
periences. She produced very happy i'm
preston. Rev. j. L. Male spoke for the
College and Education society, dwelling
upon the Importance of sustaining Chris
tian colleges and schools in the newer sec
tions of the country. He was followed by
Miss Abbie p. NOyes, who has had much
experience as a teacher among the Nor
mons in Utah. Her address was packed
with vigorous statements concerning the
present conditions and prospects of Nor
monism. She said that the Mormon church
is growing rapidly, that its threefold oaths
81 Of M wi
that the people are still thoroughly loyal to
all the practices which they have been
taught. Polygamy sprang from the iniq-
uity of mems hearts and cannot be legis-
lated out of existence. The aim of the
Mormons is to have Utah made state.
The Christian schools which have been es-
tablished there are making loyal citizens
and teaching morality, temperance and the
Bible.
Rev. II. c.. Cronin of Missouri followed
in behalf of the Sunday school society,
urging that we must save the children that
We may save the country, that we may
bring the world to Christ Miss Ninette
Hayes gave very touching account OF the
pleasures, trials and successes of work
among the white people in the mountain
region of Tennessee. The closing speech
was breezy one by Rev. S. II. Cobb of
New York of the church building society.
He began by saying, Dear old Vermont,
good place to go from, and better place
to come back to-" and then in an amusing
and effective way showed the necessity OF
giving growing western communities houses
of worship, enforcing his remarks by the
use of some colored pictures of churches
and parsonages.
A pleasant change from the usual order
was the placing of the communion service
at 500 Wednesday morning, at which Rev.
r. c. Flagg of Wells River and Rev. j. j..
Hall of Berlin officiated.
The annual meeting of the Vermont Do
nestle Missionary society at 10 O'Clock was
presided over by Rev. Z. Halves, ID, OF
Burlington. The treasurer's report showed
receipts for the year of nearly 2O,OOO, OF
which $4,000 was a legacy from the late
Hon. Frederick Billings of Woodstock
About $4,000 has been expended IN as
sisting A churches and sustaining seven
special workers. Rev. c. ii. Merrill, the
efficient secretary, gave brief report OF
the work of the year, and was followed by
Rev, l., Ii. Elliot of the Vermont Bible so
ciety, who said that the sale of Bibles IN
Vermont had increased threefold in seven
years, but that still one family in twelve is
found to be without a Bible. The state
evangelist, Rev E. L. Walbridge, spoke OF the
good work that has been done in Vermont,
and of what yet remains to be done. lie
greatly commended himself to the conVen'
ton by his manly and simple statements
Rev, l.. c. Kimball smoke of the Difficult