Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-09-23
TINE coxonEcA1IoHALlsTs.
What Corresponding Secretary Cousins Say
in His Annual Report.

preaching State Congregational confer
| ence. his usual valuable report. For
the first time in the 70 years of it's his
tory the general conference meets in
Aroostook county. Today, emitting the
one church which has had no pastor or
services for some years, and which ii is
| feared has only name to live, the
seven other churches have each the ser
vices of an able and active. pastor,
these pastors have occupied their pres
ent fields from two to Is years each.
If good ministers and consecrated
money were the only factors in build
ing the Kingdom. the Congregational
body ought to make a worthy showing
amid the fifty thousand inhabitants Of
this garden county of our State. And
it may be said that this fact of con-
tinuous pastoral supply is showing its
good effects. Not for many years, If
ever before, has there been as great
relative or actual advance in member
clude the new church at Ashland,
formed just after the beginning of the
present year. we discover an addition
of 80, or a net gain of over GO in mem
bership.
Turning now to the other conferences
Of the State we find that the past year
has been one of unusual gain in men,
bership, though the distribution of this
gain is somewhat uneven. This will be
seen as we glance at the figures by
conferences Cumberland. which has
been dragging the reports downward
for several years by continuous revision
in different larger churches. now comes
to the front with the large addition, in
Guiding the new church at South Port
land, of 42S of these S25 are on confess
sion, with a net gain of two. Cumber
land North adds but Il, or less than her
average. and reports losses of II. to
which number her largest church con-
tributes 50 by revision. Franklin adds
three with q net gain of eight
Little Deer Isle, adds -, all but four by
confession. with a gain of 20. Kenne-
bee adds 81. but gains only three.
Lincoln adds IS with a gain of 81.
oxford adds ~ and gains 10. Penob-
scot adds 80, but loses 16 more than re-
ceived. Somerset including the new
church of The Forks. makes the en-
couragng addition of 96 and loses but
81. net gain of over 10 per cent. in
ing the two new churches at Sebagc
and Stoneham. adds 81 making a net
gain of 50. Waldo adds %, but makes |
a net loss of "A. Washington gains IS !
but loses two more than are added |
York adds 16S and makes a net gain of
73
Then follows the summary of the |
statistics of the State:
Changes from Last Year-Book's List |
sebago, South Portland. Stoneham, The |
Forks Omitted St Adams, Biddeford !
tFrench)
Churches-F'ifty-se with pastors !
installed by council, 10 with pastors
otherwise induced, one with supplies |
a vacant Gncluding 16 supplied by
licentiates, or ministers of other de- !
nomnations.) Total, 242.
Ministers-Fifty-s pastors in |
stalled by council, eight pastors other
wise indicted. one supply, As others.
Total, 1871.
Church Memberships males. 15.5S3
females. Total, e1543 including SS5
absent. Gain, 81.
Additions-949 by confession, $50 by
letter. Total, 1909
Removals-36S by death, SCI by dis
missal. 3o7 by discipline. Total, 1854
Baptisrn-642 adults 129 infants.
In Sabbath Schools-23, $50. loss 81.
average, 1888.
Young Peoples Societies-Number 49,.
9571 members.
Famiies-207 churches reporting (20i
last year, 7,16S. Gains 303.
Benevolent Contributions-213 church.
es reporting t2o7 last year, foreign.
Sl0,5S1 education, $1S73; church build
ing, 1924; home S21,37S; a. NJ. A.,
S6l53. Sunday school, SELL minis
teral aid, S522: other, $27,752 Total,
ST. ,39i: decrease, $34,62
Benevolent Legacies-$SS05.
Home Expenditures-20S churches re-
porting COOS last year, 1925, 1854; in
crease S4346.
From this summary we note first the !
pleasing addition OF five churches to our
roll, while we may add that two others, |
Ashland and North Bangor. have been |
OrraniZel since the beginning of the |