The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-01-14
REV. MIR. PorEArs REPORT.


Annual Meeting-Interestin Facts
Noted-Results Of the Mills Meetings
The following interesting report was
presented by Rev. Mr. Poteat OF Call
vary Baptist church Tuesday evening
at the annual meeting of the church:
Sermons preached. 81; Bible exposi-
TONS 49, total, 1856
Prayer meetings, 81.
Additions to memberships; BY letter
10; by baptism, rs; total, "a,
Marriages, s; funerals, 10, of which
only two we've of members of the
church.
The calls of the pastor, as his private
record shows, have been confined to in
quirers, the sick, strangers and special
cases; and to this work three after
moons and two evenings of the week
are regularly devoted. The general
visiting among the membership of the
church, of which there is great need,
has been apportioned to some thirty
five visitors, who have been supplied
with note books. Some twelve hundred
visits have been made, and already the
books contain much valuable informa-
ton. This work. yielding as it does
prompt acquaintance with cases of spe-
cial interest or need, and increasing
the general acquaintance of our men,
bership, should be pushed with all as
siduity and patience. and deserves the
hearty cooperation of all. The thanks
of the church are due these visitors
General Denominational Work.
The pastor has served as a member
of the board of managers of the, mis-
sionary union and as a member of an
important special committee Of that
body, as recording secretary of-the Ma
tional Education society, as a member
of the board of trustees of the Connect
icut state convention and it's executive
committee, has contributed articles to
several UNCONVENTIONAL papers and de-
livered addresses at Asbury Park,
Wake Forest college, at the information
al convention of Baptist young people
in Milwaukee, at the Connecticut state
convention, and various other places in
the state. He has continued to serve
as president of the board of directors
of the Calvary Industrial home
Special Meetings.
The year 1896 began with very un-
usual activity in the churches of the
city, and for some time our church was
the center of this activity, for Mr.. Mills
confined himself for some time after
his arrival in New Haven to this build
ing. And without attempting to char
acterize the campaign in general, or to
emphasize details of it. / take occa-
sion to bear testimony to the excellent
results of the meetings in our own
church. Not a few who are active
among us to-day were brought to
Christ or renewed in their Christian
life by the meetings conducted by Mr..
Mills
The year 1896 was made memorable
in the history of the church by the Sc
ries of meetings in celebration of the
twenty-fifth anniversary Of the found
ing of the church. The celebration was
generally judged high success and of
special benefit to the church; for it not
only brought vividly to the mind of the
older members the stirring facts of the
early days, but also made the younger
members acquainted with these facts
and served to identify the entire mem
bership with the present life of the
church as no other effort attempted in
recent years has done. The presence of
former pastors Smith and Samson adj
ded much to the interest of the meet
ings, and the presence of Pastor Smith
and Deacon LinsIey at the first COM
munion service and at the twenty-fifth
anniversary communion service ought
to go into the permanent records of the
church.
The Conference for Bible Study and
the Deepening of the Spiritual" No
vember 1920, was a meeting of the
highest spiritual helpfulness, and while
the pastor undertook so extensive a
program, not without deep sense OF
responsibility and much prayer, every
session of the conference furnished
| fresh evidence that the whole plan and
| it's execution were of the Lord,
| The special meetings to which / have
referred are among the Indications, as
they are among the causes, of deeper
spiritual life in the church. OF this
| there are many other indications in the
| year just closed.
Of these / mention-but can no more
than mention-the rapid growth of oul
Bible school and the strong evangelistic
purpose which characterizes our work
there, the new department for news.
| boys, the deeper note one bears in the
testimony of the Christian Endeavol
meetings, the recent conversions in the
Boys brigade, the italian mission and
| the continued interest in the Calvary
home, the more prayerful spirit of oul
Friday evening meetings, the increas
ing number of those who do persona,
work" for souls, the vindication of the
method of free-will offerings for the
/ current expenses of the church and the
disappearing, under a growing disap
probation of the membership, of al
high pressure methods of securing mon
| ey for the cause of Christ.
In all these things we witness thu
presence and the administration of the
Holy Spirit. The problem of churcl
administration and work, reduced tt
it's simplest statement, is this: To Civ
the Holy Spirit complete control. Ma!
the year 1897 see Him more and more
honored in all the membership and il
all the work of this church.
|
CET ,ERRATFD LAST NIGHT