Evening star., 1899-04-18
NEW JERSEY ASSOCIATION
Congregationalistsin Annual Session at the
Nasianalr Capital.
Opening Meetin< Shows Progress. in
the Church Work-Program
of the COnvOcatiOn.

| -4ttts X -
The thirty-f1rst annual meeting of the
| Congregational Association of New Jersey
| began at 2 o'clock this afternoon at the
| First Congregational Church, 10th and G
| streets northwest There was a very good
| attendance Of members, including many
| ladies, and numerous handbags and satchels
| denoted that they had come direct to the
| church from the trains bringing them to
| the capital. The: members spent several
| pleasant minutes in exchanging greetings
| in the hall leading to the church. The pro-
! ceedings opened with devotional exercises
| conducted by Rev. M. Ross Fishburn, and
after the meeting organized. Rev. DR.. Ste
| phen M. Newman made a cordial address
| of welcome. - : q.
| The report of the corresponding secretary
Rev. William Forbes Cooley, was the first
| business in order. 1t recited the charges in
| the church constituency during the past
| year, and dwelt with much satisfaction on
| the progress being made, especially in Phil
| adelphia The strong churches were grow
ing steadily stronger. The report showed
| the total membership to be II 405. Two of
| the churches in the conference had passed
| the one thousand mark.
| Continuing, the report said:
| TT is evident that our hosts of today
| must look to their laures as leading church
! of the associat ton. Perhaps. however, they
| will claim 1t is not a fair race so long as
| the Jersey City Church has two meeting
| houses. In the matter of largest gain, the
! Snyder Avenue Church of PHILADELPHIA
takes the lead with 1O1 accessions, the
| First of Jersey City coming second with 60
Other notable gains were made by the First
| and the Mt. Pleasant Churches of Wash
| ington, the First of Montclair. the First of
| East Orange, the churches at Upper Mont
| clair and Bound Brook, and ths Swedish
| Churches of Montclair and East Orange all
| in the order named
| Benehcence.
| "The total benevolent contributions of
| our churches, so far as reported, amounted
in 1898 to SAT 9O2-a decrease of over 81, 900
upon those of the year before. AS usual,
| the First Church of Montclair leads very
| decidedly, its grand total of s1S,O47 being
| more than three times that of the next
| largest given. The Central Church of Phil
| adelphia and the First Church of Wash
| ington have, however, given, respectively
over $1,000 and over $1,000 to benevolent
causes. The former has increased its gifts
over those of 1897 by about $500.
| Sunday Schools.
'1n apparent membership our schools
| have fallen off this past year to the amount
of 1857 members, the present reported en-
| rollment being but 9,97I over against a
| probable membership of II 1868 the year be-
| fore; but 1 am confident that Sunday school
| returns are not on the average so reliable
| as from other departments. Moreover two
| of the largest schools, those of the Jersey
| City churches, are unreported this year.
Counting them in at tHeir last reported en-
| ro,lment, the total is II ,33l, which is but
| 532 less than last year. The largest school
| reported is that of the First Church of
| Washington, the enrolment of which is Gi1
Next to this come the schools of the ricst
Church of Montclair and the Snyder Ave-
nue. Church of Philadelphia with nea1l;
equal enrollment-5G0 and $40"
The home expenditures in the churches
amounted in 1888 to s1I9, 161, an increase of
S42 IO3 over 1897.
In conclusion. Mr. Forbes feeungly allud-
ed to his retiring from office and member
ship in the association saying that the
members had made fellowship in the New
Jersey association. a thing to be lastingly
remembered.
Other Business Transacted.
The order of business, after The Stars
| report closed was as follows: Report of the
treasurer, Mr.. James H. Noyes; retiring
moderator's address, THE Biblical Doctrine
of Divine Justice" Rev. Frank j. Goodwin:
news from the churches: From Pennsyl-
vania and southwark reported by Rev.
ThOs. NJ. Beadenkoff: from New Jersey, re-
| ported by Rev. j. owen Jones
Program for Evening Sessions.
The program for the session this evening,
which begins at 40 o'clock, includes a SER
mon by the Rev. Wallace Nuttng, ID. D.,
and the sacrament of the Lords supper
with Rev. Albert H. Ball DID, and Rev.
| Augustus Davisson as celebrants.
The music for this service will be fur
nished by the choir of the First Congrega-
| tionaI Church.
The program for tomorrow will be as fol-
lows: Reports of committees and business,
devotional exercises, the Forward Move
| ment' of the American Board, Rev. Charles
1 c. Creegan, DID; The New Fields of Home
| Missionary Work. Rev. VIM. Hayes Ward,
| DID,; Christian Work and Prospects in
| Alaska, Rev. Sheldon Jackson, ID; The
| Congregational Education Society, Rev.
| Charles o. Day; The Mediatorial Office of
| the Minister, Rev. VIM. Forbes Cooley.
| Free parliament upon the subjects above.
| Speeches limited to three minutes.
Afternoon meeting, oclock-Business;
| devotional exercises; Federation Of the
Churches" Rev. William A Rice, DID,;
discussion. three-minute speeches; The
| Red Cross; Its Permanent Work." Miss
| Her Problems" Miss Alice c. Fletcher;
'The Coored Woman's Present Status and
| ASPIRATIONS Mrs. Mary c. Terrell.
p.m.-Devotional exercises; address, rs
| There a Solution of the Labor Problem?
| The Churches in Their Relation to Labor,
| the Unemployed, Poverty, &C.," Carroll d.
| Wright, LID, United States commission
| er of labor Concluding exercises. Tho
| music for this service will be furnished
| by the choir of the University Park Tenn
| pie Church.
/ Il