Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-09-06
WINpHAM CONFERENCE
or Congregational Churches, Held ut
Putney Wednesday aud ThursdRy---N
Large and Interesting Meeting.

Large and Interesting Meeting.
The fifty-fourth annual meeting of the
Windham conference, held on Wednesday
and Thursday at Putney, was excellent in
spirit and largely attended. Devotional
services were first conducted by Rev. f.. p.
Seymour, then Rev. NJ. f. Hardy preached
the annual sermon from Acts XXu., g.
Rev. G. o. Day was made moderator and
Rev. M. f. Hardy scribe. Rev. G.. f.
Chaplin gave the report on the religious
condition of the churches, showing in gen
eral an encouraging gain, but marked
falling off of male members in the last five
years, both in the conference and in the
county. The totals, however, are larger
than for many years, in membership, Sun
day school, Christian Endeavor and benev-
olence. The membership of the churches
in the conference is 1881. The Sunday
schools have Pal members; the Young
Peoples Society of Christian Endeavor
S51. The benevolence of the churches for
the year amounted to $649l, while the
home expenses amounted to S17,751 A
considerable portion of this county is in
Union conference, embracing the upper tier
of towns.
"The church at work for ITSELF was dis
cussed under three divisions: (a) For spirit
uality, by Rev. H. H. Shaw, who insisted
that power could come only by high spirit
ual life and by endowment from above;
(b) For enlargement, in a paper from Rev.
Z. W. Thompson, who could not be pres
ent, read by Miss Edith Stolte; (c) for
missionary zeal, by Rev. II. A. Goodhue,
who gave, samong the means for promoting
zeal, sending forth member of the church
as a missionary, holding missionary meet
ings for prayer and giving for missionary
causes. He said our national gifts amount
ed to but about $3.50 per member for mis-
sionary work. Vermont gives but about
81. 60 per member. Brattleboro and West
Bratteboro give more than two-thirds of
the benevelovent gifts of the conference.
This discussion was followed by the
women's missionary meeting, conducted
by Mrs. G. f. Chaplin and addressed by
Mrs. II. S. Caswel in behalf of the home
work, and by Miss S. f. Clark and Mrs.
r. Rowland of Ceylon for the foreign
work. A responsive service was read,
after which Mrs. Chaplin reported the work
of the home missionary unions in the con-
ference, and Mrs. Caswell spoke of the
national work and encouraged faith, prayer
and zeal. Miss Clark reported the work
of the auxiliares and MIS-. Rowland spoke
Of life and activity in Ceylon.
The communion service was held at
| 7:1j, conducted by Rev. &. f. Chaplin and
Rev. j. II. Babbitt, assisted by Deas. r..
NJ. Pratt and j. O. Folett. This was fol-
lowed by most enthusiastic missionary
rally, addressed by Mrs. Caswell, Rev. G..
A Hood of the Congregational Church
Building society, Mrs. Rowland, and Rev.
g. II. Gutterson, representing the Ameri-
can Missionary association.
Thursday morning, at the business meet
ing, Rev. S. L. Vincent was reelected
registrar, and Rev. G. II. Chaplin reporter.
The place of next meeting was voted to be
Marlboro, and the preacher Rev. w. a,
Estabrook. The committee ad interim
elected consists of Rev. c. O. Day, Rev
II. A. Goodhue and Rev. II. II. Shaw.
Rev. j. ii. Babbitt was announced as sub
stitute for Dea. c. F. Thompson to go tC
the National Council in Syracuse.
The following important resolution:
were passed:
That IN view of the alarming nroads Of intern
perance and the responsibility of Christian PEG
pie TO stay the evil. hereby record our sym
patty with all wisely directed effort to promot,
the removal of this source OF danger and destruc
ton.
That we recommend that by personal intluenc,
and public instruction more earnest endeaVor b
put forth to abate this great and increasing ours
| in our communities
mittee of five to cooperate with other temperate
organizations and similar committees from othr
churches for the purpose of securing STREET,
temperance campaign in our county, for genera
information ana positive impression upon tn
masses and the support of those who are devotin
themselves especially for maintaining and spread
ing Christian temperance principles and practice
The committee was afterward made ST.
, and appointed as follows: Rev. j. II. Bal
bitt, Dea. c. F. Thompson, Rev. NJ.
Hardy, Mrs. G. Z. Davidson, Mrs. +. }
Robinson and Mrs. A. A. Wyman. TIL
discussion of 1.-The church at work for tn
= young" was then taken up. This work i
the Sunday school was presented by Rev
, j. Babbitt who urgedlt the motives of OppOl
! tunty, responsibility and of promise, an
, that the work be done sympathetically
= energetically and progressively. Rev. NJ
Estabrook spoke of work in the Youn
Peoples Christian Endeavor society, SHOW
ing its importance and scope, and Mr..
/, F. Moore of Westminster spoke of work
= the line of temperance, social purity an
o saving boys. Rev. Mr.. Seymour spoke in
y pressively upon the place of the Holy Spir
= in our work, saying that Christ would hay
. us do more than for ourselves even as
% contemplated the salvation of the world.
4 Rev. Mr.. Day, speaking upon Bible stuC
/ as means of power, set forth three wa,
of study, the general way, to get bros
n view of the contents, the critical way, an
y the Christian way for spiritual uplift al
g power, showing how valuable and esse
- tial all these ways are for real power in d
~ ferent directions. Rev. Edward Taylo
20 d. D., of Binghamton, n. Y, then mo
- happily and impressively answered que
- tions that had been handed in.
:: In the afternoon "The church at wo
&c as force in society," was considered und
:, three divisions (a) Promoting good ci
= zenship, by Dea. G. f. Thompson, who i
70 sisted that the church had promoted go
~ citizenship and should continue to do so
= business life, and effort in every posst
- way; (b) in maintaining Christian instt
" tons, by Rev. =. f. Barnard, who plead
~ for sustaining church worship and the fal
- lily altar; icy in evangelizing the commu
~ ity, by Rev. D. Taylor A closing servi
20 was then conducted by the moderator.
- The conference was attended by me
" than the usual delegations from t
e churches, and was marked by earnestnC
is and spirituality. The people of Putin
a T were royal in their entertainment. Ali
T., that great profit must accrue to t
y churches from this coming together.
of *This statement was wrong, and was due to
es error in Mr.. Chapin's figures which has sill
been discovered. Instead of loss there has b.
10 a gain of 81 in the male membership.
w. w. %105 COX q OF