The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-12-03
CONFERENCE OF BAPTIST
CHURCHES,

Missionary zeal was thorou ghly
aroused among those who attended
the conference of Baptist churches,
held at the First church in this city
on Tuesday, and as result the
churches represented are pledged to
livelier interest in the cause The
attendance was larger than was an
ticipated. The programs of the morn
ing, afternoon and evening sessions
were fully carried out and were ex-
ceptionally interesting. Rev. DR.. w.
f.. Witter of Boston, the New England
district secretary, was present and
his addresses and practical suggestions
were very helpful. The conference
voted to assume partial support of q
foreign missionary and pledged $3.50
for the purpose The particular work
er or field to receive this sum has not
yet been determined, but an assign
ment will be made soon. Representa-
tives were present from the churches
in Groton, Plainfeld, Barre, Sharon
and Burlington, and the ladies of the
First church served a chicken pie
dinner and a supper for the visitors.
In the evening Rev. Mr.. Lamson
presided and DR.. Witter gave brief
Introductory address in which he re-
ferred to missions as the greatest en-
terprise of the century, and illustrat-
ed the difficulties of missionary work,
by saying that in England and Ameri-
ca there IS one pastor for every 900
people, while in the heather countries
there is. but Aone missionary to every
loo, 600.
Rev. A. f. Groesbeck of ing
kung, China, gave very inter
esting address on his work in that
country. He said when he went to
China ten years ago there were only
fifteen native Christians III the dis
trict, and now 600 are connected with
the church, and the fifteen stations
that have been established are under
native preachers. The work of mis-
sionary, he said, is not confined to
preaching, but the main task is to
superintend the building up of
church that will perpetuate itself.
Converts don't know how to be evan
gelistic and the missionary has to
train them for the duties. In the
work among the Chinese, the speaker
said he had found it best to begin
with the first verse of the Bible and
teach the character of God, then to
introduce the doctrine of sin, and
finally to teach of Christ and redemp-
ton. The greatest number of con-
verts are made among the old men,
instead of from the ranks of young
girls, as in this country. The reason
for this is that the old men have lost
faith in the native gods, and besides
they are more easily reached, for the
younger men are continually at work.
The women are excluded from the
meetings by native custom.
Mr.. Groesbeck was in China during
the Boxer difficulties and he gave a
very interesting description of the
| causes leading to the outbreaks and
in regard to their effects on mission
airy work in China, he said, the work
in most districts is back again where
it was before the trouble. In the
district where his chapels were burned
he baptised twenty persons last year.
Mrs. Groesbeck gave talk on the
work among Chinese women and told
of the many difficulties attending it.
She said there was an impression
abroad that the custom of mothers
killing their girl babies was thing
of the past in China, and that the
missionaries kept the story alive to
arouse sympathy. This, she said, is
untrue, for among the women with
whom she worked there was one who
had murdered five of her little daugh-
tiers, and scores of others we re guilty
Of the same crime; and because Of
this custom the young women were SO
scarce that the young men were
obliged to 20 into other districts to
find wives. In closing Mrs. Groes-
beck made an eloquent appeal for
greater interest among women in the
cause Of missions.