The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-04-19
THE METHoDIsTs AT sKowHEeAN.
Proceedings of Yesterdays Sessions of the
Conference.

Skowhegan, Me-, April lS-While the
Methodist conference sessions were not for
mally opened until this morning, Tuesday
was quite fully occupied in preliminary
work The candidates for admission on trial
and several classes in the different four
years. courses were examined by the several
committees appointed by the conference for
that purpose. In the evening DR.. S. A.
Keen of Delaware, Ohio, led a reunion SER
vice, speaking from the text, Bring ye all
the tithes into the storehouse that there
may be meat in mine house, and prove me
now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, If
will not open you the windows of heaven,
and pour you out the blessing, that there
shall not be room enough to receive it,
Bishop Cyrus D. Foss, who presides at the
conference, is a fine looking gentleman of
sixty years and of pronounced views. He
entered the ministry in New York in 1857,
and was consecrated bishop of the M. g..
church in 1880, being college president at
the time of his election.
This morning, following the Pentecostal
service led by DR.. Keen the conference was
formally opened and the sacrament of the
Lords Supper administered to conference
members.
Rev. W. F. Berry was elected secretary,
Rev. G. G. Andrews, pastoral secretary;
Rev. Mr. Jones, statistical secretary and
Rev. James Wright and Rev. G. f. Parsons,
assistants; Rev. S. Hooper, treasurer.
Seventy-seven preachers responded to the
roll call, and six were reported deceased
during the year.
The characters of the effec tive elders of
the Augusta district were passed, also of
Presiding Elder Lapham, who made report
of the district, embracing thirty-three cir
cults and stations. There are seventeen
Epworth Leagues and two Christian En-
deavor circles, ffty-one classes and forty
five Sunday schools Six hundred and nine
ty-three have professed conversion, and
four hundred and forty have joined on
probation during the year.
Bishop Foss announced that he would de-
liver his charge to the admission class Fri
day, at 10 a. m.' Rev. DR.. G. M. Gallagher,
president of Kent's Hill Seminary, was
transferred to this co Inference. Rev. Homer
Eaton and Rev. G. r. McGlebe, represent
ing the Methodist Book Concern, addressed
the conference on the Importance to the
denomination of purchasing books of this
house. The plan of assisting preachers of
the conference from the fund to aid confer
ence claimants, adopted last year, was
called up, discussed at some length, de-
veloping considerable opposition, and laid
on the table.
The educational meeting this afternoon
was addressed by Rev. DR.. @. W. Gallagher,
president of Kent's Hill Wesleyan Seminary,
Capt. FL. H. Shaw and Rev. Matt Hughes of
Portland. The latter took strong grounds
in favor of the denomination raising the
grade of the Kent's Hill school to a college.
In the evening, the meeting was in the in
terest of the Preachers Aid Society. Rev.
DR.. Bittolt, chairman of the board of
stewards, explained fully the methods of aid
to superannuated preachers, and to widows
of deceased preachers of Ethe denomination.
Rev. G. S. Cumming of Augusta, followed,
urging the Importance of preachers working
with their people for an increase of funds
for this purpose. Rev. DR.. Hamilton of
Ohio, spoke in the interest of the Freed
mems Aid Society.