The Portland daily press., 1896-03-19
WoMAN's MISSIONARY UNION.
Annual Meeting at the Second Parish
Church-keports of Officers, and Earnest
Address by Rev. r. t. Hack.

| The annual meeting of the Sec ond
Parish Woman's Missionary Union was
held in the vestry of that church last eve
ming. The president of the Union, Mrs.
Carter, presided.
Mrs. A. B. Cole, the secretary of the
union, made her annual report. The
progress of the work has been most en-
couraging, and there has been greater
degree of interest manifested by the la
dies of the society. The Union has done
something to help on the work among
the mountain whites, and the colored
people of the South, and also the work
among the Indians. The pledged work
in Maine has also been assisted.
Miss Putney, the treasurer. reported
$377. So was received from collections dur
4 ing the year.
| Mrs. Cole announced that the birth
day of Miss Mary S. Morrill, "our mis-
sionary in Northern China" will be duly
observed by union Congregational SER
vice, at which Mrs Carter, Mrs. Fem,
and Miss Alice Kyle will speak. A large
portrait of Miss Morrill, adorns the wall
of the yestry of the Second Parish
| church.
| The following were unanimously elect
ed officers of the Union for the ensuing
year:
| President-Mrs. J. W. D. Carter.
| Vice Presidents-Mrs. Rollin L. Hack.
Mrs. Annie M. Conley.
| Secretary-Mrs A. ID. Cole.
| Treas urer-Miss Helen NJ Putney.
| Mrs Carter spoke of the Union as be-
| ing of great value to the church, and she
believed it would be great uplift to
the church if all the women of the
church met for prayer for missions every
month. She appealed for more interest
in the cause OF missions, not home
missions only, but in the work through
out the world
Miss Cummings spoke of the speci al
reasons why Christian women should
be interested in missions The COM
mand to preach the gospel to all the
world has never been revoked and the
necessity for action was never greater
than at the present time. cit is Christ's
work and He has left it for us to do We
fight under a banner that has never been
| furled in the face of the enemy"
A missionary hymn was sung, and
then Mrs. Carter said: "And now, Mr..
Hack, please take tho PLATFORM and
Rev. Rollin I. Hack responded, and
spoke earnestly of the work of the socie-
| ty. He said he had been deeply inter-
ested in all the reports. The command
.ct TO Ic;< a
on all His people of all ages. and is not
to be forgotten or neglected. That COM
mand is the re-agent of the Christian
| life, and like the re-agent in chemistry
brings hidden things to light and it tests
US all.
There was time when it seemed to
| him that an intellectual belief in a creed
was the one thing needful when supple
mehted by church membership, but later
on he found that it is the possession of
the Christ life, the burning Christ-like
love we have for others.
And this possession of the Christ spirit
is tested by our possession of this mis-
sionary spirit. Doubtless we feel very
strongly the necessity for home mission
airy work, perhaps work here in Portland
and in other sections of Maine, but we
must not forget that we are neighbors
to all the world.
| Think how Armenia has of late been
brought to our very doors. When men
are preaching in our churches whose
parents have died in Armenia because
they were faithful to Christ, we cannot
feal that the suffering Christians there
are strangers.
| China is close to us now, not only be-
cause there are so many Of her people
here, but because of the faithful work
being done there. We know that the
missionary work in Japan, is demanding
and must receive immediate attention,
and never before was there more pressing
necessity for work for the young people
of our OWL land.
And this work, not always pleasant in
itself, must BIZ carried forward not only
for the sake of Christ, and of his church,
OF of those who sit in darkness, but for
the sake of ourselves.
| Show me church that remains the
same, where no one is converted for one
|
year, or it may be for five years, and
will show you a church that has lost
its grip on the gospel, but ON the other
hand church where men and women
are freely aud frequently converted is
a church that has taken its stand with
God, and comprehended the power of
prevailing prayer.
At the close of the address of Mr..
Hack, missionary hymn was sung and
the benediotion pronounced.
Light refreshments were served in the
rear of the yestry by Mrs. DIR. Way,
Miss Eastman and Miss Russell.
Among the gentlemen present WAS
William H. Tobey, for many years a
leading California editor and publisher,
who is passing the winter in Portland.