Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-04-27
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
More Vermont Churches Incorrectly Re
ported Not to Have Pastors.
70 the Editor of the E,ree Press.

AS subscriber of your valuable paper
cannot let pass unnoticed, the article N
your daily issue of April %, under the
head Of Decline of Religion" over a
hundred Vermont churches without pas
tors" in which 1T was stated, the facts
We're made up from table (Which was
given in fuD taken from the Burlington
Clipper and compiled from WaltOn's Yer
mont Register. | ask space for what |
send you, because l have every reason to
believe. that the table therein given j.
vesy incorrect, having been taken from
an unreliable source, and that many OF
the statements ana conclusions are not
true.
! Such an article, appearing in a paper
having so large circulation as the Daily
Free Press, and thereby being given Gre
dence, must be very derogatory and harm
full, not only to the cause of religion, but
to all ChIistians and Christian inatitu-
tons in our beloved State.
( 1t seems that the writer Of this article,
had doubts as to the truth of this table.
viz: that there We're one hundred church,
es in \ermu..t without pastors and he
examined the last annual report OF one Ct
the leading denominations, the Congre-
eational. and found whore this table gave
II churches of that denomination without
pastors the church CepoSt only gave
seven; and the writer stated no doubt
This would he the case in other denomlh4-
tons" If this conclusion was correct, in
stead OF there being che hundred church
es without pastors, there would be thirty
six This table also gave the number OF
towns without churches as fourteen,
among the number being the town OF
Wcstmore in this county. Now the fact
is that WestmoTe has one of the most
tasty CONGREGATIONAL churches in the
State, It's pastor being Rev G. o. OIL, a
graduate of Yale college and Union rheO-
logical seminary.
| am not personally acquainted hut |
believe there are other of the thirteen
towns given as having no church, in tie
S, me condition as Westmore, This article
also stated, 1T must be admitted that
churches and congregations are falling IN
throughout New England both IN num-
berS and strength" Now how this may
be in the other of the New England
States, l cannot say. hut l do not believe
this Is true in Vermont. / am well aware
that in some of the upland towns, that
Were settled early in the history of the
State. thriving villages grew up and
fiourished. AMI when the railroad CAM
through the valley villages sprang up IL
the valley and tho Centers of population
in many instances changed to the railroad
village, to the detriment of the village ant
church upon the hill. and no doubt many
such churches are without pastors; but
where you will find one such, you will fine
five that have been built in the new vii
diton.
, | believe If correct statistics could he
had. it would show that the congregations
\ of the churches in Vermont never mum
bered as many as at present and that th'
, churches in Vermont, as whole, never
, were strong in every way as they are
to day. The compendium of the eleventh
census of the United States taken in 1890
gives full church statistics but the cen
sus of 1880 gives no church statistics
hence 10 compassion can be made from
this source. The year books OF the tire,
z largest denomination in the state viz
- tho Congre ga tional Methodist and Bap
D fist, show substantial gains in member
X. snip and church property in the past tel
: years, and | have no doubt this Is tru'
: of other denominations. one such errone
= Gus article as yours. will harm the tdus
= of religion more than can be oCadicatc'
: In years, and | am certain that you vii
; be willing to do what you can to shov
= the truth.
Sincerely yours,
FREDERICK w. BALDWIN.
Barton, VT, April "a, 1899.