The Portland daily press., 1892-01-28

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relieve them of the details of such work.
AS it is, much of the work falls not upon
the business men, but the women of the
church. There are churches in this re-
gion where nine-tenths of the church
workers are women. 1t is
Pitifully True
in Maine that, to great extent, the men
are standing back, leaving to the women
the work of managing the finances of the
religious enterprises now going on. If
energetic, consecrated business men
would give their capacity to this work,
our colleges, churches and missionary
enterprises would leap forward until it
would seem as though the millennium
were at hand.
There are three things that the church
needs of the business man:
l. Enthusiasm. Talk to business
man about his business and his eyes will
sparkle at once and he will be all inter-
est. Turn the subject to religion and
his face will at once fall.
2. His good sense. As time goes on
can't is being eliminated from our ideas of
the Christian. 1t has been found that a
man may be Christian without putting
on a solemn face.
3. Absolute conservation. In this con-
nection DR.. Merrill spoke of the suspic-
ion with which the integrity of business
men is often regarded. There was
ground for this in the way in which bus
mess is often conducted. Go into store
and ask for information about an article,
and you could rarely be certain, DR.. Mer-
rill thought, that the answer would be a
true one unless the truth happened to be
such as to facilitate the sale of goods.
Men engaged in business were
Suspected of Being Tricky,
and hence they lost influence often when
they engaged in religious work. Yet Dr..
Merrill believed that there were business
men and women in Portland who were
absolutely honest in their transactions;
and if we could have more of them the
millennium will seem to be at hand.
The discussion was continued by
Rev. Geo. w. Kelley,
pastor of the Cape Elizabeth church.
He thought the business men were
splendid givers. If there was church
fair, or church to be built everyone
went first to the business men. They
had found this so in their work of repairs
at Cape Elizabeth. The business men
were also good hearers, able often to
bring the pastor down from his bookish
fancies to the practical ways of reaching
sinners.
The discussion was continued by Rev.
James A. Anderson of the West Church,
Rev. G.. w. Reynolds of Gorha m, Mr. W.
81 md Mills nu
A. Ell. Wright and Rev. D. M. Pratt.
The Resolutions.
A committee, composed of Revs. CIV.
Reynolds and E. P. Wilson and Mr.. J. r.
Libby, reported series of resolutions.
The first recommended the abolition of
the midwinter meeting of the conference
leaving the June and October sessions.
After some discussion this was adopted
by vote of to 3. There was some OPP
position by those who thought it might
look like a sign of weakness, but the ar
gument that other conferences had only
two sessions carried the day.
The second resolution recommended to
other churches the hospitable example
of Williston in providing a collation.
around common board. DR.. Merrill
thought the
COLLATION. Feature
not wholly approved by experience, since
in some places many attended confer
ences simply forethe collation.. Mr.. vii
son said the conations worked well in
Boston conferences. A simple spread
would be sufficient; the main feature
was the social enjoyment of meeting at a
common board Mr.. w. FL. Scott of
Deering supported the view, and the res
olution was unanimously adopted.
The other resolutions approved the
present programme, with the recommen-
dation that evening sessions be devoted
to the various church societies; recon-
mended that pastors make greater efforts
to get more members to attend the con-
ferences; that greater efforts be made to
get the laity interested; and that the ser
mon be preached and the Lords supper
observed at the close instead of in the
middle of the afternoon session. These
were adopted.
Mr.. ]. r. Libby moved resolution
expressing it as the sense of the confer
ence that the Chicago Exposition should
not be opened Sundays, and this resolu-
ton was adopted unanimously.