Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-09-25

MAINE CONGREGA1I0NAllSrS.
Work Accomplished by Missionary Society.
Officers Chosen and Other Business.

The annual meeting of the general
conference of Maine Congregational
churches. held at Belfast, closed Thurs
day noon.
The report of the trustees of the Maine
Missionary Society contained following
facts:
Sixty parishes, many of them being
double fields, have received from tn,
society regular grants for the year, o!
a considerable portion of it, on the bas-
is of an average appropriation of $751;
%, the largest grant being $500 and the
smallest $50 A number of churches be-
sides, apart from the fields occupied by
our students, have had special grants
for short period.
More gratifying than all else in the
direction of new features of the year
has been the success of the work dona
by forty-five local conference COM
mittees.
A number of changes have occurred
in our missionary ranks during the
past twelve months. Six pastors have
exchanged fields, still keeping in tn:
employ of the society. Eleven have
left their fields, either for other states
or for places not connected with the So
Ciety, while nine new men have Joined
our forces from other states, and from
the graduates of the seminaries. One
death we must record from the numbe:
of those who have served the churches
long and faithfully. Rev. Chas. E
HARDWOOD, for three years at Cranberry
Isles, where an interesting work was
done, died after short illness in
March He is sadly missed.
Three hundred and seventy-one con-
vel sions have been reported during the
year; yet from forty-eight churches No
returns under this head have come in
Many pastors are reluctant to RECORD
conversions unless additions to the
church follow, and thus 1t is safe te
conclude that the number mentioned Is
below the actual total
Gratifying reports come from thf
fields and churches supplied by stud
ents from Bangor seminary.
Mr.. Whittier's work at Little Deer
Isle. Mr. York's work in Western Maint
lumber camps, the labors of Mrs. Eos
ter at Augusta Miss Washburn ano
Miss Burdett in Eastern Maine have
had excellent results.
-Four thousand, six hundred families
ciety. Sxty-five pastors have met al
average Sunday audience of eighty-fivt
people Two hundred and twenty per
sons have joined the churches upoi
profession of faith Sixty-five years
of service represent the total amount O
work done by pastors and students
While nearly seven and half per cen'
of the appropriations received has beer
returned to the society's treasury II
contributions from the aided helds.
The following officers were elected fol
the coming year: President, Hon
Caller, c. Moses, Bath; vice president
Rev. }. S. Sewall, d. D., Bangor; sec
rotary, Rev. d. p. Hatch. Bangor; treas
urer, ]. L. Crosby, Esq, Bangor; audi
tors. W. S. bennett, Bangor, e. r
Rich, Bangor; trustees for three years
W. p. Hubbard, Esq. Bangor, Rev
George Lewis, d. d., South Berwick
Rev. B. p. Snow, Yarmouth, A. c. Slb
ley, Esq, Belfast. Prof. G. c. Puring
ton, Pennington.
Reports from the field were made by
the following persons:
Rev. c. L. Parker reported in behai
of the work in Ashland in which th'
conference showed it's interest yea
ago by a pledge of $500 toward the new
church building. Mr.. Parker reported
the church building completed. =
church organized and doubled in mem
bership in the year, and new church
organized in the neighboring town Z"
Masardis Assistance has been rem
dered by student helpers during th'
summer and seven Sunday schools ar
sustained in the region roundabout
largely by young people who. till with
in q few months. had no interest in re
ligious work.
Rev. A. p. Mcdonald spoke of the worl
at Stoneham in the western part of Ok
ford county. The town had apparent.
been neglected religiously for years unit
student, sent by the Maine missionar
society to a neighboring town, became in
tercsted In this town and asked to b
sent to Stoneham for the next year. H
was sent there and led by the aid 0
friends In building church building an