The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1891-08-08
REvEREND., POTENT AND GRAVE
In Session Meet-A strong Report by Rev,
Van Orsdell.

In Session Meet-A strong Report by Rev.
Van Orsde,I.
The VI, +. conference met again Fri
day morning, in business session,
The book concern reported a capital
of 52,9j1.0OO with net profits amounting
to s2G4.O00 for the year past.
After the conference had called and
passed on his character and work, Rev.
Jacob Mills. presiding elder Of the Bozc-
man district, read a report, which con
cluded with a statement detailing the
great advantages which would be derived
from more extensive missionary work in
Montana. lie reported new church en-
terprise at Lima, neal Dillon. at White
hall on the Butte d Bozcman branch of
the Northern Pacific railway. and at Red
Lodge and Forsythc. near Billings and
Miles City.
At the close of his remarks the con
ference listened with regret to the re
quest of Brother Mills that he be per
mitted to retire from his position as
presiding elder.
\ letter from Rev. Geo. Cummings of
Bozeman was read in which he eX-
pressed his regret that for the first time
in years he could not attend conference.
The characters of all the effective ell
ders were then passed on and their re
ports received. Rev. w. w. VanOrsdel,
in his report of Great Falls district, com
mended his band of self-denying
frontier preachers, not one of
whom has left his post. He
had travelled 5000 miles this year
and preached 40 sermons. 1t had been
a year of care but great peace. Churches
have been built, r~evivals held and there
is some prosperity along all lines, though
not commensurate with cherished hopes
and earnest endeavOr. He expressed
hearty thanks for the kindness every
where manifested by the people and had
faith to believe that the seed now being
sown would yet wave in wide and golden
harvest.
The afternoon was spent in collating
statistics and preparing committee re-
ports on various and important matters.
Arrivals on 2:45 train-Rev. ii. s.. loft
Of Livingston; Rev. T.. NJ. Tower of Mis-
soul; NJ. p. Sipple, lay delegate, from
Butte City.
THE VIEWING SERVICE.
Last evening was almost entirely taken
up by the mastery discourse of Rev.
DR.. Raleigh on Missions. The address
was eloquent and after the fashion of
Methodism was emphatic and aggressive.
The theme was missions, beginning at
Jerusalem, spread
The speaker dilated on the missionary
work of the apostles and insisted that a
prime requisite to the spreading of the
gospel was the establishment of churches
in our cities. He cited the example OF
the apostles who began in cities, com
mended the wisdom of Paul in going to
Athens and remarked on the doleful
failure of the missionaries who preached
in the country districts of India. In
more recent years missionary work in
India has emanated from cities and John
W ,sley Numbered his denunciations
from IA London pulpit. Great rcvolu
tons do not begin at country cross roads
IF Methodism expects to capture the
land for God, it must appreciate the i'm
p%ortancc of this work in cities" AT this
point the speaker paid Il tribute to tn,
growth of Great Falls and said the Mon
tana,cities were growing and Mcthodisn
should look to gaining Il hold in these
northwestern cities.
Methodism, he continued, is PECULIAR.
adapted 10 this work, but the methodist
must do Gods work and quit trying t.
do that Of other people. The throne q
methodism is in its %bishoprics and it
itinerant service. Its mission is to tn
masses. is to go to neglected places in TIN
cities and do such work as will reach tn
masses.
The church needs imposing churcl
ediiiccs such as will attract the atten
ton of observers; it needs help from tn,
societies of the church; it needs a boar'
of supervisors which shall 500 that it Oh
tains control of property in growing
towns and cities. Let the missionar.
and church extension societies plan
strong churches in the cities of the stat
and from these let religion spread. !
every Methodist would bring to Chris
fifty persons the world would be con
verted. Let each one begin at home AM
spread the gospel and the world Wi
be converted"
Here the speaker made an earnest ant
forcible plea for home missions. al
these he declared, more than 81 10000
: WdS dlItdoy Spun ycaiiy yct III 'hi".'S
; auate. Home missions mean foreigl
missions. Every recruit added to tn,
church in the home field strengthens tn
; foreign. Christianity is essential to on
l civilization already menaced in SO man.
4 quarters. These dangers should not b
I, met by IA restricted ballot nor by educa
tional qualifications but by the spread
I, ing of the gospel of Jesus Christ"
The home field touches the foreign
We have foreigners in our midst. Wha
= is Montana doing for the Chinese, ne
groes, Indians, Germans, and Scandina
VANS within her bounds? Comparative
u ly nothing.
= The battle against the evils of tn
world is a desperate one, but, b%eginnin
in our cities, we shall fight until Chris
o tan civilization in Montana shall con
! pete with any Christian civilization o
I the earth. Beginning at Jerusalem
spread"
/ DIR. G. o. Peck also made a few Wig