The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-10-08
FREE BAPTIsTs AT BATH.
Contin uation of Annual Conference.-The
port of Secretary and Treasurer.

Bath, October THE Free Baptist
a prayer meeting led by Rev. y. P.
Norwood of Gray. Then followed a
business meeting which ocoupi ed a great
part of the forenoon.
The following is brief abstract of the
report of the secretary, Rev. 8. C.Whit-
comb, presented Wednesday forenoon.
There have been received by baptism
during the year, 900, by letter 243, by
profession 49, yielding net gain to the
church of S59. And since those returns
were received am appraised of CONVEX
sions and additions to the church of
at least 80 more. giving US net gain
of 400 or more. In snoh summary it
has to be borne in mind that all church
es in Maine suffer depletion by emi9ra-
tion to other states. Our Aroostook
churches are doing brave]y, notwith-
standing the special financial depression
in that section. Our people at Lime
stone wereionoe outgeneralledsby.a another
denomination, but under the devoted
labors of G. W. Written are gathering
strength and expect to build themselves
a home another season. l.. M. Miller
conducted gloriously revival meetings
on the borders of Crystal and Island
Falls with the result of planting new
church of 50 members in Island Falls
In the Springfield quarterly meeting
they of the Lee and Lincoln church are
just putting seats in their new house
and will dedicate in a few weeks free of
debt. Ellsworth quarterly meeting, long
in weakness and trial, has been more
lourishing this reason than for some
years, but those churches need much
help. Sebec's quarterly meeting is well
supplied with ministers and prosperous
Mrs. K. R. Leger, the evangelist, is Ia
just closed a successful week with the
SangervilIe churches. Exeter confer
enoe has made gains. Pittsfeld finished
paying for its new meeting house. and is
now building q parsonage. Waterville,
Anson, Penobscot. Unity and Montville
quarterly meetings are composed mainly
of weak churches and need much mis-
sion airy help. A new, and pluoky little
church has been gatheredfat South Lib
erty and Is building a chapel. In Farm
ington quarterly meetings, one church.
the Fast Dixfleld, has suffered division
and tho loss of part, but those remain
ing have persuaded company of be-
levers at Dixfeld Center to unit with
our people and are assisting them to
build chapel.
The churches of the Parsonfleld and
Otisf1eld quarterly meetings stand like
the old guard. Bowdoin, Cumberland
and, York, our strong conferences. have
made aaraesgains... kWest Bowdoin church
has rebuilt and rededioated its house OF
worship. West Buxton has been COM
pletsly renewed. 81 added, all indebted
ness paid and has bought a parsonage.
All is as we could wish, naturally. but
the shadows upon our field of action I'M
der review today are more than equally
met by the Frightening of other looali-
ties. We have made more distinctive
gain In more respects than can be de-
scribed. even In this trying year. But we
might do better. We ought to do better.
We must do better. The weak churches
should do more for themselves. The
strong contribute more generously In
aid Of thelr struggling sister churches.
find a strange Indifference to this home
work among our people They will seem
interested in worthy causes further off.
but are almost. if not quite. deaf to the
poignant need crying right into their
ears. ''The field is the worid''. True
and no words of mine shall try to mar