Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-10-18
NATIONAL COUNCIL
Considers Delegates Expenses
and a Better Attendance.
Remarrying Of Divorced Persons Re-
ferred to Special Committee.
Shall Pastors Be Installed by Examining coun
ciI?--The Work in Maine.

Portland, Me. oct. 1G.- Although 1t
had been planned to hold at least one
session, tomorrow. the national Con
sreSatiOnal council which has been in
day, succeeded in clearing up all the
| business, this afternoon. and final adj
tournament was taken. tonight. The
next meeting will be held in Des
Moines Ia. in 1904
| Several important matters came be-
fore the council for action. today, and
| for Il time 1t looked as IL the entire
| time allotted for the transaction OF
business would he required to dispose
| Of them. The questions which attract
cd the greatest attention We're one re-
garding the installation of pastors by
an examining council and another d al
| ing with the subject of divorce. The
| first question called forth an extended
discussion which was finally brought
to a close by motion to put the mat
ter over for action by the next coun-
| Gil. The matter of divorce, which
gave promise Of making the last ses-
| a similar manner.
A simple service followed by two able
addresses. this evening. brought the
session 10 Il close.
ON motion of the business COM
mittee who reported that 200 dele
gates elected to the council ses-
| sion have not attended the Ma
tional Congregational council, today.
adopted a resolution commencing that
| Il committee of five be appointed to
correspond with the various confer
ences throughout the states with a
y i"W To seeing il some arrangement
| cannot he made by which a part or
the whole OF the expenses of delegates
| may be met by the conferences. In
| the debate which followed a motion
| to table the resolution until the next
session, it was stated that while the
attendance at the present sitting of
| the council was unusually large. more
| than one-third Of the delegates chosen
| ny the various conferences had failed
| to present their credentials. If the
| expenses of delegates We're paid. even
| in part, the attendance probably would
| be much more satisfactory.
The question Of whether a minister
should refuse to otticiate at the mar
| riage of a person who has been di-
vnrCed. Was brought up and briefly
discussed and despite an attempt to
| indefinitely table it, was referred to a
special committee with instructions to
report before the adjournment Of the
council. The business committee recon-
mended that the council follow the
action of the triennial council of 1925,
but when the secretary looked up the
records Of that body he found that
neither the ma jority nor the minority
report If the council had been accepted
The question was disposed Of for the
time being by tho report of the committee
presented by Rev. Francis u. Kelsey
which recommended that the provisional
committee he requested to secure a place
upon the program Of the next triennal
session of the council for paper giving
a careful review Of the matter together
with recommendations as to the best
methods Of remedy. This report waS ac-
ccptcd by the council without debate.
The wisdom of installing pastors by
examining council was another topic
md somewhat spicy debate. The dis
russion was ended by the introduce
ton of motion to table the resolu
ton by Secretary Anderson. He said
he thought the churches could be de-
pended upon to wisely act in this mat
ter during the coming three years.
The motion was adopted.
The question of who shall receive
and attend to applications for minis
terial relief was settled by the Great
ing of Il special committee for that
duty.
a resolution favoring the appoint
ment of a committee Of seven to con-
slider the plan of publishing a system
ltic and graded work for the Sunday
schools, also was adopted.
The report of the committee on
Comfy. Federation and Unity was
presented by its chairman. Rev. Frank
n. Fitch of Buffalo. n. y. In substance
it was as follows:
The spirit of federation is gaining:
not by any organization among the
denominations. but by an increasing
spirit Of good will, of liberation. OF
self-restraint. and where possible. of
cooperation.
The work in Maine reported on faV-
orably three years ago, continues with
undated force. The Federation OF
Christian Churches in New York City
has grown and found expression in
state and national activities and CT
CARNATIONS. 1t has a salaried secre-
tary. Rev. f.. +. Danforth. d. d., who
has been in the work in the MetropoIi-
Continued on page ~