St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-07-05
A Vermont Plan of Gospel Radiation.

one OF our well Known vermont
pastors by a correspondent. The
first part of it is given below.
For some years very successful
plan of village missionary work has
been carried out by a church in the
Aourishing little city of Bennington.
Vt. Rev. Charles r. Seymour, pas.
tor of this church-the Second Con.
gregational-was recently seen by
the Church Economist, and asked
about the plan. Something like the
following conversation ensued:
"Our Sunday School took the initia-
tive. 1t was asked if it wanted to
undertake the responsibility of an
other school. 1t was not very en-
thusiastic at first, but soon became
interested, as did eventually the
whole church. Around Bennington.
as around most centers of popula-
ton West and East, there are settle
ments large and small. In some of
these there were, ten years ago, no
religious services. In some of them
there had been work done, but it
had lapsed; in one case | have in
mind wholly SO. and in another to
four members. Now there are seven
places in our environment where
active work is carried on. One of
these belongs to our Methodist
friends, another is a summer expert
ment, a third was started by the
Second Church. but is now under
charge of the First Congregational
Church, up in the historic Benning-
ton, and the remaining four have
active connection with the church of
which | am pastor. Note the Gordon
OF schools: Three and half miles
south, in farming section, there is
the Bushnell Branch. About the
same distance west is Pleasant Val
ley, started by us, but now con-
Quoted by the First Church. At a
fork in the road a mile above our
church is the Guide Board Branch.
Four miles up the road, at depres-
sion that gives it name, is the
Hollow Branch. And eight miles
farther on, up in the pass of the
mountains, is the City Branch,
Woodford City"
Local conditions obtain in each, of
course. Tell us about a typical one."
The Guide Board Branch might
be so called. Generally we get school
houses. At the Hollow there is
chapel where a summer congrega-
ton has been organized, and at the
Gap-Woodford City-there is a
small union church-the one that
had been reduced to a membership
of four. To 60 back to the Guide
Board Branch. That was begun on
the responsibility of our Sunday
School. The people at the Branch
do what they can, and our school
pays the rest. There is Sunday
School with 125 pupils on the roll.
On Tuesday evening there is prayer
meeting, and occasionally on Friday
evenings there are sociables. The
workers? The Sunday School work
ers go from my church. We send ten
each Sunday afternoon in a hack"
How much do you pay for the
hack ?"
Zone hundred dollars a year. We
get local workers here and at other
places whenever we can, and / am
about to reduce the number going
from my church from ten to five.
We ask the local people to do as
much as they can, both in money
and workers. Sometimes we find
superintendent on the ground, and
sometimes we have to let school
lapse for a while because we cannot
find local head"
"a person who is known, or a
stranger-w which does better?"
I'VE suffer from prophets who
have less honor, etc., but not great
ly so. Permanence is attained in
most cases. On the whole ! favor
the home worker in his home field.
Lately we have been receiving some
assistance from the Baptist Church,
a small amount of money and some
workers. / have recently again
raised the question of cooperation,
which failed at first, and have some
hopes that progress toward it can
be shown. 1t has been secured in
marked degree outside the line of
strictly church work; for example,
IN a Woman's Fortnightly Club,
which has $50 members, and which
is devoted exclusively to literary
studies."
About how many people do you
reach in the five branches ?"
When go up to the Gap, where
the lumbermen are. expect a con-
gregation of so to 70, of whom 35
will be men. AT the Bushnell Branch
there will be 35, perhaps, on week
night. At Pleasant Valley l suppose
about 80 attend; may be more; and
at the Hollow there may be 40. At
the Guide Board Branch there is no
preaching, it being but a mile from
my church. There are Sunday
Schools, of course, and they increase
the number. Moreover, our work
stands for Christian influence, and
breaches to more than attend upon
1t, as any church does"
How do you get your workers
And your own church work Is that
neglected ?"
I'VE get workers by stating the