The Portland daily press., 1898-09-21

One Clergyman Denounces Vigorous
Iy the Methods of Engaging Church
Pastors.
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.J
Saco. September 20.-The Congrega-
tionalists of Maine are holding their gen.
eral conference with the First Parish
church of this city. 1t is the seventy
second annual gathering of the Congrega-
together the leading men of the denomi
nation from all parts of Maine. The ses-
sions began this morning with good at
tendance, the moderator. Rev. Rollin L.
Hack of Portland, presiding. The morn
ing session was devoted to the organiza
ton of the conference, the report of the
necrologist, which has been already pub
lished, and the conference sermon, which
was delivered by Rev. John $. Penman
of Bangor. The afternoon and evening
were devoted to the discussion of a num-
Der of topics of current interest, ranging
from presentation of the problems
which affect the clergymen in his rela-
tions to his people to the question of
marriage and divorce. The papers were
short and to the point, and the reverend
gentlemen handled their subjects with
mingled wit and wisdom, SO that their
remarks were frequently interrupted with
laughter and applause. Before the begin
ming Of the discussion two reports were
presented. The first was the report of the
CORRESPONDING SECRETARY,
the Rev. E. NJ Cousins of Gray. Mr..
Cousins quoted in his report the follow
ing figures gathered at the first of the
present year.
Changes from last Year Books list of
churches, added, Augusta, Union;
Masardis; New Sweden.
Churches: 81 with pastors installed by
council; 112 with pastors otherwise in
duced; ! with supplies; "a vacant Tin
GLIDING supplied by licentiates, or
ministers of other denom1nations).
Total, PAS.
Ministers: 81 pastors installed by coun-
Gil; So pastors otherwise indicted; y sup
ply 46 others. Total, 1872.
Church mem bers: e, 229 males; IS. 604
females. Total, p, 1888, including 1886 abb
sent. Gain, 1856.
Additions: 7Os by confession: 424 by
letter. Total, 1lS2.
Removals: AIS by deaths; 1856 by dis
missals; 2l2 by discipline. Total. 1868.
Baptisms: 5l4 adult; 1853 infant.
In Sab ath schools: 22,2l0, loss 500;
average, 1861.
Young Peoples societies: NUMBER,
I79, 9,3l7 mem berS,
Families: 203 churches reporting (202
last yearl 16, S04. Loss, 179.
Benevolent contributions: 234 churches
reporting (l9s last year,; Foreign, SO, 1858;
education, 81, 461; church building, 3d.
5e2; home, $l2,776; A. NJ. A., 81, 1896; Sun
day school, 81, o92; ministerial aid, S7l3;
other, $27, 622. Total, SOL 1857.
Decrease, $l4, 9l5.
Benevolent legacies, 1862, 421.
Home expenditures: 2lS churches re-
porting (205 last Year,, s242, s15; decrease,
50, 443.
Organization: Fifteen conferences
united in a General Conference. With
these are associated one church in New
Brunswick and five IN New Hampshire.
The statistics of the five New Hampshire
churches are omitted from the Maine
tables, and included in their own state.
In commenting on these figures Mr.
Cousins said that there had been greater
care exercised in the last few years in pre-
pairing the statements of membership in
the churches SO that less number were
carried on the rolls as active mem bers
after they had ceased to be such. Taking
this into consideration comparison with
the figures of ten years ago showed o
healthy increase in mem bership. Referring
to the benevolences, Mr. Cousins said that
the decrease from last year was in part
accounted for by the fact that the contri-
buttons of last year were $4,000 in excess
of those of 1896. More than this one OF
the large churches Of the state, a liberal
giser, had this year failed to make re-
port. In this connection, Mr.. Cousins
called the attention of the conference to
the fact that Maine is the sixth or seventh
state in the amount of its beneyolences in
proportion to membership.
CHURCH AND SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Deacon Increase Robinson of Waterville,
secretary for Sunday schools, in his re-
port, advocated a more complete union of
the church and thu Sunday school. The
Sunday school should be to the Oh urch as
is the nursery to the household. 1t should
be guarded and nourished by the parent
body and not regarded as d separate in
stitutien. Care is now needed in the care
of the relations of the Young Peoples
Society of Christian Eudeavor, and it's
Junior branch, that the growth of SO
many organizations IN the church shall
not be source of weakness instead of
strength.
"PRESENT PARISH PROBLEMS"
was the subject of the afternoons dis
cussion. and it was presented in a series
of short addresses, the first of which on
''The Chief Service of the Church in
Modern Society" was by Rev. d. L. Yale
of Ellsworth. MIR. Yale defined the need
OF modern society as noble manhood.
The keynote of Mr.. YaIe's interesting
presentation of his subject was that there
is now little difference between the aver
age church member and the highest type
OF the men of the world. The world needs
mar, whom If cau truSt and love Tho