The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-02
UNIVERSALISTS OF INDIANA.
State Convention of Representatives
of This Denomination.

The annual session of the Universalists
of Indiana began yesterday afternoon in
the North New Jersey-street Church of
that denomination, with meeting of the
Ladies' Aid Society. Mrs. Mary u. Case,
of Muncie presided and there were about
forty ladies in attendance. The opening
prayer was made by Rev. Mr.. Groves, of
Switzerland county, and this was followed
by the reports from the different societies
of the conference, Indianapolis, Pendleton,
Anderson, McCordsville, Oaklandon, Fin
castle, Lafayette and Pleasant Hill. A
general expression or the advisability of
placing a state missionary in the field was
given and was favorable. This missionary
will have charge of the Ladies' Aid So
cieties the Y. p. c. U. and the Sunday
school work. The election of officers fol-
lowed, the choice being for president, Mrs.
Mary E. Case of Muncie; vice president,
Mrs. Eva Ballard of Charlottesville; secre-
tary, Miss Ida Hill of this city; treasurer,
Mrs. ]. B. Forsher of Pendleton. A call for
pledges to carry on the state missionary
work was made in an eloquent talk by
Rev. Margaret A. Brennan, pastor of the
Universalist Church at Muncie. These
pledges are for contribution of 81 from
each member.
THE meeting of the Y. P. c. U. occurred
directly after that of tho Ladies' Aid So
cicty. Rev. ]. B. Forsher, of Pendleton, the
state president, was in the chair, and Mrs
Rose b. Stewart, of Muncie, the state Sec
retary was present. Reports were given
by the secretary and treasurer, and this
was followed by a school of methods, di-
rected by Mrs. Stewart. Good citizenship
and Young Peoples day observance, the
latter to be on the last Sunday in JAM
uary, and the poStotf1ce mission were dis
cUSSed in particular. A series OF recOm!
mendations was read and all were adopted
The recommendations were in brief that
the state secretary keep leaflets, tracts,
ETC., on hand to send to new unions; that
the unions of the state adopt the Praise
and Thanks song book, which was used
at the national convention; that the In
diana State Y. 2. G. Y. procure a banner
before the National Convention at Chicago
in 1898. In reference to securing the BAN
ner q committee consisting of Mr. j. e..
Hafner of Muncie, Miss Hattie b. john
son of this city and Mrs. Kate X. Brown
back of Pendleton was appointed by 3hr.
Forsher. 1t was also recommended that
mass devotional meetings be made part
of the work in the union of the coming
year. To this end the State is districted
and the mass meetings are to be held in
each district, the number of meetings de-
pending on the number of places in the
district, on the suppOsition that each
church will desire to be host once in the
year. The districts are as follows: North,
the churches at Galveston, Pleasant VAL
ley, HuntertoWn and Logansport; south,
the churches at Mount Carmel, Fairfield
and Dublin; central, the churches at In
dianapoliS, Muncie and Pendleton. Each
state officer will have charge of some spe-
cial department of the work. A state officer
may be sent to organize new unions at the
expense of the state treasury. A vote OF
thanks was recommended for E. w. Ellis,
who composed the state song which was
sung at the National Convention in De-
troit. The result of the election of officers
fIo ~
President Rev. j. 3. FOrsher, Pendleton;
vice president Miss Emma Rickerd, Mount
Carmel; secretary, Mrs. katharine brown
back, Pendleton; treasurer, Joseph M. Tay-
lor Indianapolis; superintendent OF junior
work, Mrs. Frankton, Pendleton. The regu-
lar convention meeting OF the <. Z. Z. Y.
was held in June. The one yesterday was
purely for business. By vote OF the con-
vention an echo meeting OF the Detroit
o'clock, and was addressed by Mrs. Stew
art, Mr.. Forsher and others.
The evening session, which was the be-
ginning of the fiftieth annual convention
Of the Universalists, was a communion
service led by Rev. 7. S. Guthrie. pastor of
the church in this city, and the sermon
spoke of the work in which the church is
engaged taking his text from Timothy
iv, 2. The meetings are held in the main
audience room, which is decorated with
flags and festoons of brown, the local color
of the Y F. c. T., and blue and white, the
national colors. Back of the platform is
the banner presented to the Indianapolis
union at Detroit for the greatest per cent.
of increase in membership during the last
year All Of the visitors, and there are six
~ or more, will be entertained by members
of the church with lodging and breakfast.
Luncheon and supper are served in the
church each day by the ladies of the
church The executive committee held a
session yesterday afternoon preparing the
routine Of business to be brought before
the convention to-day and tomorrow.
The remodeled church is much better
adapted for the meetings than before and
the several rooms allow meetings and en-
tertainment. This morning the opening
tonic will be Zeal for Our Church., by
Joseph NJ. Taylor, of this city, with the re-
ports of officers. This afternoon Rev Hen
nv A Brown, of Dublin will give His
tory of Early Universalism in Indiana"
with reports OF church work, and this even
ing Rev Margaret Brennan. of Muncie, Will
speak on THE Liberty of Faith.