The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-04-23
METHODIST BRETHREN AT BRUNSWICK,
Proceedings of the First DAVIS ses-
sions of the Conference.
Distinguished DIvines Who Will Take
Part In the Proceedings.
Tho Question of the Time Honored
Five O'Clock Prayer Meeting.
[special to the Press.l

rived on the early train this morning and
the business of the conference commenced
The attendance at the conference is large
there being seventy-five delegates present.
Among the distinguished persons present
from outside the conferences are Rev. DIR. j,
w. Hamilton of Boston; Rev. j. M. Buck.
ley, d. d.. editor The Christian Advocate
Rev. W. A. Spencer, d. D., Cor. Sec. Church
Extension Society; Rev. G. Fl. Payne, d. D.,
LII. D., Cor. Sec. The Board of Education
Rev. j. L. Hurlbut, d. D., Cor. Sec. Sunday
School Union and Tract Societies; Rev. j.
f. Berry, d. D., editor The Epworth Her.
aid; Rev. E. M. Smith. d. D.. President Maine
Wesleyan Seminary; Rev. j. w. Menden-
hall. ID. D.. LII. D.. editor The Methodist
Review; Rev. Charles Parkhurst, ID. d.. edi-
tor lions Herald; AlonZo S. Weed, ESQ.
publisher Zion's Herald; c. E. Magee, Esq,
agent Boston Book Depository; Mrs. s: l..
Baldwin of Brooklyn, N. Y; Mrs. Mary
Griffith of Washington, ID. c.; Rev. c. s.
Cummings, of R0ckland.
The session of the conference opened in
the church at 9 o'clock with devotional ser
vices, conducted by Rev. George G. An
drews, presiding elder of the Augusta dis
trict. Following this service, which lasted
about fifteen minutes, came the administra-
tion of the sacrament of the Lords Supper
by, Bishop Foster, assisted by the presiding
elders.
AT 9.45 a. m. the business session of th
conference opened, the Bishop in the chair.
The secretary of the conference, is Rev.
w. f. Berry, with George G. Andrews, and
Rev. j. A. Corey for assistants. Rev.
Z. f. Jones is statistical secretary, having
Revs. j. Wright and Charles Parsons for as
sistants. Rev. Charles K. Bisbee was chos-
en- treasurer
The committees were then announced as
follows by Rev. K. L. Adams:
Public Worship-E. 7. Adams, f. @. Haddock.
Stewards. b. Lapham, q. +. Cobb, M. f..
King, NJ. Q. Pendexter ID. b. Holt, B. Freeman.
Clifford.
Literature-E. NJ. Smith, NJ. c. Pendexter,
/. Luce X. Atkinson.
Admission to Conference-C. e. Springer, G.,
Munson, Il. Grosvenor, ID. r. Ford.
Conference Relatlons-A w. Pottle, w. Canham
Fraternal Relations~H Hewitt, c. F. Parsons,
G. f. Allen, L. III. Bean.
.Temperance-H,, E. Foye,. A. E. Parlin. 5.
Hooper. o. S. PIllsbury q. Holt,
Marriage and Divorcc-F. G. Haddock, ID. B.
Randall, +. A. Bragdon, A. Hamilton.
Observance Of SABBATH. +: Jones, L. B.
81. Chase
Bible Class-A. A. Lewis, J. Collins, W. H. Bar
Der, X: II. Kimban,.
Smith, g. D. Holmes, E. w. Kennson. II. Crock
cit, q. w. Barber.
-sJ. II. u L
A. Bean, W. B. Eldridge, ]. Gibson.
Freeman's Aid-I: q. Ross, J. II. Roberts, w.
F. Marshall, J. R. Masterton, D. Pratt.
Domestic MiSsi0nS-A. s. Ladd, III. b. Mitchell,
NJ. B. Pratt, w. b. Merrill, j. Cobb.
Church Aida G. Trafton, j. M. Frost, j. nj.
Woodbury., A. X. Sylvester.
Memoirs.W. S. McIntire, II. A. Torsey, W. H.
Publication Of Minutes-w. F. Berry, t. F.
Jones, M. Frost, @. s. Bisbee.
Resolutions-C. Munger, d. B. Randall, NJ. c.
Pendexter.
Considerable discussion followed on the
order of meetings. In the programme, an
early prayer meeting for $50 a. m. was ar
ranged for each morning. 1t was suggested
that these early meetings are thinly attended
and fail to do much good. 1t was therefore
moved to substitute an hours meeting be-
fore the o'clock meeting. An amendment
was offered, making the meeting half an
hour long. This was debated by Rev. Charles
Munger, Rev. A. S. Ladd. and Rev. d. b.
ag an K @ the G hSgT meet
the o'clock meeting. 1t was finally Sot cd
to meet at $50 and to close the morning ses-
sion at 11.45.
A letter was read from Chaplain Ney of
the army, asking for the appointment of an
army and navy committee. Such commit
tee was appointed, consisting of Israel Luce,
G. E. Springer and A. S. Ladd.
1t was voted to have the secretary sworn,
in order that the records might be legal evil
dence in case there should be legal proceed
ings instituted.
President Smith. of Kent's Hill, asked for
the appointment of a special committee on
the state of the church. The conference so
voted
Bishop Foster then addressed the confer
ence, stating that illness led him to come to
this conference instead of going to China
and Japan. He expressed his pleasure at
the change, and said that his health having
materially improved he thought himself
q snYnrncQQd
that the conference would be improving. He
said that in his judgment there had been
many changes in Methodism. Some things
that were held very dear have passed away,
perhaps not for the worse but yet which by
their absence make great difference. He
said that except for some German Methodists
the Methodism Of Maine was the most like
the old style of any in the country, and that
their spirit was the true spirit CT Wesley. He
thought that perhaps the superficial phase
of religion was too pronounced. 1t might
not, he said, be a great fault, yet it seemed
that the truereligion needed depth and purity
of source to be beneficial. The bishop though
that the method of holding conferences had
greatly improved since he first knew them
He said that the early morning prayer meet
ings, in his Judgment, had never been largely
attended and that the ministers had more of
a spirit of leyity and worldliness than at
present. he hoped that the present would
be a distinctly religious conference and that
no discord would mar the gathering. Rev.
M. q. Pendexter presented q resolution of
welcome to Bishop Foster. DR.. Charles
Parkhurst. editor of Zion's Herald was then
introduced and addressed the conference re-
garding the paper which he represented, and
its affairs. He reported the sum due the
Maine conference from the Wesleyan Assoc
iation for the support of superannuated
of the first issue of Zions Herald "a years ago
and read several extracts from 1t,
The check which DR.. Parkhurst brought
was received and referred to the chairman
OF the board OF stewards. A letter from the
Methodist Book Concern show the amount
$50 for the charter fund was also received
and both were eferred to the board of stew
ards.
The board of stewards was made the com
mittee on claims.
Rev. G. R. Palmer was elected assistant
treasurer.
Rev. W. F. Berry, chairman of the com
mittee on publication of the minutes, re-
ported ans edition of 2200 copies of last
years printed. Of these 2045 were sold. The
total expense OF the edition was 1928 sc, the
receipts, $27932. The same plan of distribu
tion for the present year was adopted. Ol
the balance on hand it was recommended tC
appropriate $50 for the Home Missionary
Society. The committee on the state of the
church was announced as follows, by Rev
". >. zones: Y. Munger, G. +. Cobb, e
M. Smith.
Communications from the book committee
OF the general conference were received
showing the sums apportioned to the Maine
conference and were read and referred to The
presiding elders. They were as follows
Expenses OF general conference, S466. EMS
copal fund, $1081. Statistics of the business,
of the Book Concern were also read, showins
the total profits to the churches for the YEAR,
business were $264, ,451.29.
Presiding Elder Andrews of the Augusto
district then read his annual report, Calei
Fuller, one of the ministers of the confer
ence. has died during the year. There have
been two changes in preachers. Rev, III. H
| Clark of the navy, who had supplied at Eas
Winthrop, was obliged to leave for the nava
| academy at Annapolis. His place was file,
| by Rev. W. S. Fitch of st. John. The aver
| age salary of the ministers in the distric
was stated to be $675, although there ar
| some who have as low salary as $500. Ser
| vices have been continued regularly. Camn
meetings were held at Livermore, ,Strong . n, y
| North Anson. The benevolences have hee,
| kept up during the year. The work y
| building and improving churches has hae,
| good, two new churches and three parisha
| having been built and large sum expende,
| In repairs. The vote on the admission y
| women to the general conference was ver,
| light. Of 1925 members only 542 voted ri
these 443 were in favor and 80 against
Kent's Hill Seminary has been highly snc
| cessful. There were "a graduates last vea,
This year tie commencement will Sccn Sa,
| June H. WV"
Rev G. E. Bisbee was granted leave 70 s.,