The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-26

1t was moved to appropriate sum
for the rebuilding Of the parsonage at
Sandersield, Berkshire county, which
was burned last May. This mission is
in charge of Rev. Mr. Maybe, son of
Dr. H. c. Maybe of Boston, and is do
ing good work. The motion was car
ried unanimously.
On the motion of DR.. Pope, COM
mittee, consisting of the secretary and
Dr.. C. M. Bowers, was appointed to
draft suitable minutes in respect to
pea. Chapman, who died suddenly
| Tuesday morning. The convention
then adjourned until 7.SO O'clock.
EVENING SESSION.
The attendance at the evening ses-
sion was the largest during the two
days Of the meetings, the floor and gal
lery being filled. A short devotional
service was held at $50, led by Rev.
| Sheldon p McCurdy, with singing by
! the choir of the First Baptist chur2h,
and at 7.45 Rev. NJ. f. Johnson Was in
trodueed, and spoke ON THE success
and failure of the last twenty-five
| years" An abstract of his address
| follows:
| In 1874 our denomination numbe! ed
| about 1880, 900 members, $1,000 churcnes
| and 1880 ordained ministers in the
| Ala ,995 members, 1888 churches and
2S,409 ordained ministers, making a gair
Of 13 per cent in members, 100 per cent.
in churches, and 127 per cent. IN minis
| ters
The great revival in the Telugu mis-
sion, with gain from a feeble condition
to 407 churches and stations, and 5i,StS
members the opening of the Coneo
mission, with it's 30 stations, and 1,aio
members, and the steady advance IN
| Burmah, Assam, China, Japan afd IN
several European countries, until the
membership in mission fields is up
wards of 100000, or one in five OF the
constituency OF the missionary union,
are the chief features of the work
abroad
The formation of the Women's Home
| Missionary societies, east and west
the Wemans Missionary Union, In
the south, the national Baptist conVen-
ton, the Commission of Systematic Sc
nefoenee, the Baptist Educational So
ciety, the Baptist Young Peoples Union
of America are among the advances in
organization. In educational matters a
great advance is noticeable; the south
ern schools of the Home Missionary So
oiety have grown immensely in eth -len-
cy and in power; the University OF
Chicago has been founded, and many
older institutions, like Brown and COL
gate and Colby and Vassaf, worcester
academy. and many others, have great ,
Iy enlarged the scope and character OF
their work. Of our 80 colleges, so have
been founded in 25 years, and 81 Of our
so academies The value of the prop
ertv has grown to s2S,4a6.8S4, and Of the
sndowments to $17,S9T, 1873, a total OIL
SAC, 3o7, 467 In journalism, in liter5ture,
in education, in power and influence,
there has been marked growth.
OF the 65 officers of the convention
rs years ago, only "A are still living.
Most of the active pastors and laymep,
| ike Bosworth, Bfackett, Fairbanks
FIttz, Foster, Gardner Gordon, Cow
King, Mason Pollard, Potter Asa
Willier, J. Warren Merrill, Gardner
Colby, Thomas Nickerson, Deas. Hill,
Bradford. Davis, Merriam, Capen and
sister Mercy Blaney, and many others
worthy of grateful remembrance, are
gone.
The needs of 1874 as set forth by the
secretary were itinerant evangelizatfon
Selling strategic points as the popula
| ton increases, a superintendent Of state
work, a department of funds, a strong
sturdy spirit of UNCONVENTIONAL unity,
pastors who will raise money as well as
vote appropriations, greater efficiency
on the aided fields, the training Of
churches in finance, how TO get and
how to administer. Along the line of
| this prophetic outlook have been our
| failures and successes.
The population of Massachusetts in
| 1875 was 1851 s12; in 1898, upward Of
| 2, 7o0, 000-a gain of so per cent. Seventy
five per cent Of New England's gain
has been in Massachusetts. We had
In 1874 1852 churches in 10 associations,
with 1859 members; in 1898, 1888
Imembers-about so per cent gain. Re
ceived in rs years, by baptism, 81, 405;
| by letter, 40514; experience, 6337; re-
storation, 1510-total, 109, 766. Our losses
were: By death, Is, 442; erasure, 1878:
by exclusion, 6661; by letter, 3S,422-
total, 1928. In addition to those losses,
20 churches and 5000 members have
dropped out without record.
Our gains have been n new churches,
which have 12,7S5 members-an average
of 166. A net gain of 1 association, 81
churches and 25.923 members.
Work among the foreign born was
begun in 1883, and continues among the
Germans, French, Swedes, Firms, Por-
tuguese, Greeks, italians, Armenians,
Syrians and others
City missionary work has been con-
Quoted In Worcester, Fall River, Fitch
nurg, Lowell and in Boston, with CITY
mission boards. In 1880 church debts
or SLY, 736 were provided for and $500 900
debts on the mission societies were re-
moved We have sustained many feeble
churches which are feeders of the large
fields. Twenty-six out of "a aided
churches in 1889 had sent out 118 min
listers, all OF which have done heroic
service. Many as our successes have
been along these lines. the dark spots
reveal our failures to do very much
more than we have done.
We have only touched the foreign
born work on the edges; we have failed
to keep missionaries in the field 10 re-
oruit the dying interests: to cultiyat e
vigorously where we have openings.
Another failure is so to unity our va
rlous interests that the state work in
Its entirety shall appeal to the whole
constituency. We ought to raise 81 .0O
per resident member for state work and
divide the sum among all the societies
proportional to the needs Of each. Then
we could more adequately do our work.
We need leaders Of keen vision and
extraordinary faith. We need a demon
national revival; an enthusiastic re-
Spouse to Christ and his work. "No
greater proof of imbecility than to be
ever looking at evils and sorrowfully
deploring them and never ATTEMPTING
| their removal"
We must vindicate our commission
from heaven: and let God answer by
| fire.
New occasions teach new duties; time
make ancient good uncouth.
They must onward still and upward
who would keep abreast of truth:
Lo, before us CLEAN her watchfires;
we ourselves must pilgrims be;
Launch our Mayflower and steer bold
ly through the desperate winters
sea
Nor attempt the futures portal with
the Dast's blood rusted key"
DIR. LoRIMERs ADDRESS.