The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-01-10
UNIvERSALISTS.
Rhode Island Convention Holds
Conference al the First Church

The Rhode Island Universsllst conven-
tion held conference yesterday after
noon and evening at the First Universe
list church on Greene street
The conference was vigil attended and
several interesting addresses were made.
The first address In the afternoon was
by Rev " r.. Tomlinson. OF Worcester.
and his address was entitled The Min
ister's Part in the Success OF the
Church" In part he said
ITO what degree the success of
church depends upon a minister is hard
10 determine. In some cases when we
see how a church runs down with one
minister and is built up by another, 1t
seems that 1t all depends upon the min
ister
II shall not speak OF all the things that
minister Is expected 10 do. 1t is the
spirit that must characterize the ministry
OF our age to which / will conhne myself
What sort OF men do we need to build
up our churches? What kind of leader
ship is needed? We eliminate at the out
set those features OF sensationalism
which are unworthy OF the church OF
God and often harmful to those who are
affected by IL. If the ministry must fail
I'm winning men, let IL fail honorably and
not in disgrace. We are not. however.
called 10 this work TO fail. and by the
help OF God we shall succeed"
The second address was by Rev. F. L.
Masseck on THE Laity's Part i'm the Sue
cess OF a church Mr. Mssseck said
In brief:
The right minister in the right place
can achieve great work know, but
II also depends greatly upon what kinds
OF laymen are ia "A church ! have i'm
mind a church where number of clergy
men have been unsuccessful.
THE same men have succeeded in other
fields, and do YOU think that their failure
was due TO lack of ability as pastors?
No; 81 was because they had set OF
laymen who did not work with their pas
tor believe that the laymen determine
10 great extent the character OF a
shall he the pastor OF the church.
How often have men who have by
brilliant but insincere effort caught the
fancy OF a congrega ton. and been called
to A pastorate. while men OF the greatest
culture refinement and ability have often
been passed over by congregations which
did not know how 10 discriminate
There Is today a call for extempora-
neous preaching, so called, and I'm most
cases the mere fact that a man carries
manuscript with. him to the pulpit is
oftentimes enough cause with many 10
result I'm not giving him call. The alb
surdity OF this position can be seen at a
glance.
Again, age has a large share in the
shoroe Of a clergyman. and the call at
the present time is for Young men This
Is generally wrong, for Il is not mans
age that determines his worth-far from
IL.
Il know some Young men who have no
value whatever as pa stors and no church
would call them. Again, there are elder
~ men who are also OF little real worth.
IL is the man himself irrespective OF
age who should he considered
The third speaker was Rev. r. l..
Houghton of the Church OF our Father
of Pawfucket.
Mr. Houshton spoke OF the Sunday
school as an element in the success Of
church. lie said in part:
THE Sunday school is the church en-
gagged in training the minds OF the peo-
pler- The chief work I'm all Of the work
Of the pulpit is the spiritual welfare of
the people
ut will therefore follow that a sunday
school is needed 20 supply the DEFICIENCIES
Of the church. For instance. the sun
day school Is able 10 adapt the teaching
of Christ 10 different ages moro clearly
than the church Is able 10 do.
Mr.. Houghton's address was followed
by a general discussion, after which the
afternoon session adjourned.
social hour and a supper followed.
The evening session opened az : o'clock
with devotional exercises in charge OF
Rev Frederick W. Perkins of Haverhill.
Mass MIR Perkins spoke also upon the
tonic. "The old Doctrines and the New
Times
The second speaker of the evening was
Rev. J. Harrys Holden of Attlcboro, Who
business" and az the close Of this address
a general discussion ensued. which was
participated IN hy Hon. Henry u. Met
calf Of pawtuCket and Rev. ~ |. Cush-
man. u. D. pastor OF tho First Univer-
Tbe exercises Of the evening closed with
singing aud The benediction by Rev. +.
W. Perkins.