Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-09-09
METHoDIsTS HAVE ESTABLISHED
NEW RECORD DURING
THE YEAR.
THE ALBA CONFERENCE
Interesting Addresses are Made byMen
Connected With the Outside Work
Of the Church at Today's Session
Freedmen's Aid Work.

Abba, Sept. 7.-(Special) The
work of the Methodist Episcopal
church outside of it's own absolute
limits has been increasing steadily for
the past .everal years. according to
speakers who appeared before the con-
| ference now in session here this morn
ing. There have been greater contrl-
buttons for missions throughout the
country this year than ever before,
while the work among the negroes OF
the south is resulting in great good.
Or. Craig Conducts Service.
The morning session of the confer
ence today was opened with devo-
tional service, conducted by DR.. A. E.
Craig, pastor of the First Metho-
dist Episcopal church of Ottumwa.
He delivered a short sermon, after
which the conference took up the
business of the session. The greater
portion of the morning was given over
to the reports upon the individual rec
ords of the various ministers who are
members of the conference The case
of Rev. L. Hughes, of West Grove, was
referred to a committee for future re-
port
Rev. A. M. Smith, of Birmingham,
was named as assistant secretary of
the conference to take the place OF
Rev. H. A. Ingham, of Keosauqua, who
was compelled to give up the work.
The Freedmens Aid.
DR.. M. c. B. Mason a colored divine
who is one of the corresponding sec
retares of the Freedmen's Aid and
Southern Educational society, adj
dressed the conference.
This society was organized in 1866
and maintains in the sixteen southern
states. forty-three distinctly Christian
schools whose aim is the intellectual
moral, and spiritual equipment and
uplifting of the ignorant and needy
people of the south. There were II, 161
students in attendance last year. an
increase of S32 over the previous year
and the largest number in the history
of the society; 500 teachers were EN-
ployed. The Bible is used as text
book The religious spirit in these
schools. Joined with high moral ideals
and evangelical work, resulted in 62e
conversions last year.
The Missionary Work.
DR.. j. M. Trimble, field secretary O
the missionary society in the De:
Moines conference, addressed the min
;. listers upon the subject with which he
, is so closely associated. He brought
the good news that the collections II
the Methodist churches through the
country for the missionary work home
and foreign, have been greater thi:
year than ever before.
Jubilee Next Year.
In this connection Bishop Warner
mentioned the Methodist jubilee
which will be celebrated by the church
next year and will commemorate the
, fiftieth anniversary of the beginning
of foreign missionary work by The
Methodists. In 1916 the first Meth
; odist missionary, Rev. Butler begar
, his work as missionary in India ant
since that time the work has grow
until it is one of the greatest depart
{ ments of the church work.
This is missionary day for the con
ference This afternoon the anniver
sary service of the Woman's Foreign
| Missionary society was held. conduct
ed by Mrs. Ella Pichereau Of Ft. Mad
/ ison. Addresses were made by Mis-.
Mary e. Gregg, returned missionar,
t and by Miss Frances H. Hitchcock, o
) Muscatine, a newly accepted voluntee
in the missionary work.
The evangelistic service this after
: noon was conducted by Rev. w. G
| Wilson, of Mt Pleasant
This evening the service will be il
. the interests of the Freedman's Aid
: Rev j. G. Caughlan, of Moravia, will
preside and the principal address will
be made by DR.. Mason.