Evening star., 1897-03-09
Camp Meetings Discussed at the Bal
timore Conference.
4 WARM DISCUSSION HELD
Passage of a Comprehensive Res
olution.
THE WASHINGTON DISTRICT

Special Dispatch TO The Evening Star
BALTIMORE Md, March Camp
meetings were a topic of warm discussion
in the Baltimore annual conference this
morning. The debate ended in the adoption
of resolutions depicting the desecration Of
Sunday at camp meetings, and urg-
ing ministers and members of the churches
to abstain from participation in camp
meetings having trains run to them on
Sunday or in Sunday excursions by land
or water, which are marked by Sunday
desecration.
The resolutions also go so far as to direct
officers of the conference not to invest
funds in the stock of any company en-
gaed in the violation of Sunday or
in maintaining resorts where intoxicating
LIQUORS are sold or where improper amuse-
ments are carried On.
Rev Dr. Lucien Clark sprung the camp
meeting denunciation as an amendment
to- the report of the committee on SUNDAY
observance
Said he: I'VE see already the lack Of
good fruits from meetings which result
in Sunday dissertation. and may pc they
will cease to become curse Churches
within twenty miles of camp meetings ARE
almost broken up during the camp meet
ing season. and not by infldels either. IL
is time to call halt and declare that We
will not patronize any institution, no mat
ter what name it may be called. which en-
courages Sunday dissertation.
Rev. NJ. F. 3. Rice defended camp meet
iEgs He said the Sabbath was desecTated
thousand times mere in early times When
horses and carriages were used TO transport
visitors to camp meetings On Sunday IN
stead of railroad trains. The best preach
ers generally, he said, visit the camp and
that is good thing for illiberal country
congregations.
oil in
motions to amend, strike out and lay on
the table were made. the amended resolu-
tions were passed with only about dozen
members voting against it.
Washington District Collections.
Benevolent collections from the Washing
ton district amounted to s20.G95 in a total
of SSS 226 in the conference. Tne amount
was thus divided Missions, s9.O53; church
extension, $457: Sunday School Union, $9S;
Tract Society, s!6: freedmaE's aid and
southern education. $40: general education,
Sl25; children's day, $325; Bible Society.
Sl23: Women's Foreign Missionary Society,
S2.al.,; Wcmen's Home Missionary Society,
A.416: Episcopal fund, $333: conference
claimants. s1.371; sustenance fund. 500
of thanks to Matthew G. Emery for his
generous gift of a parsonage for Metro
politan Church. Washington.
The following statistics of the confer
ence were reported correct: Church mem
bers-Probations 4,2J0; full members, H.,
913: local preachers. 121: death. 55s; bap-
tized children, 3.20S: adults. 3:sD; Sunday
schools. 40: officers and steachers. 1851
pupils. J5.131; conversions, 2,2i9 Church
property-Number of churches, 415; value
s.. 47s,9o0; parsonages. 127: value. $45S.55O
paid for buildings and improvements. $6l,
o13; paid on old Indebtedness, $25.Gi9; pres
ent indebtedness on church property, $2s4,
| 04a Ministerial support-Paid pastors ane
for house rent. sl92.3:}6; paid presiding eld
! ers. sl1,55O; Episcopal funds, s2,sS7; con
! ference claimants, S6,6S2.