The Republican journal., 1907-05-16
CONGREGATIONAL CONFERENCE.

The S1st General Conference of tn
Congregational churches of Maine wa
called to order in Portland Tuesda
morning, May 18th, by the moderate
Rev. Bates S. RideOut of Norway.
An address of welcome was made b
Rev. Smith Baker, DID,, pastor of Viii
llstOn church, in which the conference
was held, and the moderator, Rev. Bate
S. RideOut of Norway, responded. Their
was an attendance of about 100,
Corresponding Secretary, Edgar M
Cousins of Thomaston, reported tn,
deaths the past year of Revs. David b
| Sewall at South Berwick, Benz. P. Snow
at Alfred, Ira A. Smith at Holden, Ed
ward P. Greene at Orrington and /. B
Stuart, at Boothbay Harbor. There i.
| total membership of 21,32S, a net gail
Of 81. Of this number, SOL are males
The number of installed pastors is "a. {
loss of 40 per cent the past decade.
The number of ministers supplying
parishes is al. The contributions fol
benevolence aggregated $50, 1928. Clever
churches received legacies amounting
to $1,000. In addition the church at
Bristol received $4,000 from living
donor.
AT the afternoon session the question
OF church union as proposed by the
New York conference was discussed
and Rev. Asa Anderson of New York
gave an address, after which a commit
tee was appointed to present resou.
ton instructing the delegates to the
Cleveland conference.
The report of the committee on syste-
matte benevOlence " as made and an ad-
dress on this subject was made by Rev.
c. M. Gates of Saco. A committee was
appointed to present a plan for consider
alton on the systematic benevolence
work at the Thursday session of the
conference.
The closing sessions were held Thurs
day morning, afternoon and evening.
Revs. E. l.. Marsh of Waterville and
}. Newton Brown of Eliot spoke on
''The Forward Movement" Rev. w.
q. Mallett of Pennington, G. A. Wright
of Hallowell and Samuel M. Came of
Alfred told about the business manage
ment OF church finances, and Revs. J.
c. Clancy of Portland and Warren
Morse of Brewer talked of the social
work of the church. The following
conference officers were elected:
Moderator, E. 7. Garland, Portland:
recording secretary, Rev. Charles d.
Crane, Waterville; corresponding sec
rotary, Rev. Edgar M. Cousins. Thorn
aston; auditor, John M. Gould, Port
land: treasurer, Oman Adams, Port
land; State superintendent young peo-
pies societies and work, Rev. |. A.
Flint, Deering; delegates to National
Council, Rev. E. w. Lyman, Bangor.
and Galen G. Moses, Bath; alternates,
Rev. Charles A. Moore, Bangor, and
A. W. Butler, Rockland Numerous
committees were appointed. 1t was
voted to meet next year at Bangor.
President ID. n. Beach of Bangor
Theological Seminary made strong
plea for an endowment of $4,000 for
that institution and the conference
voted to give its support to the raising
of such fund. A repor. was made
that Bowdoin College, a Congregational
institution, is in poor financial condi-
ton and that many of the professors
are greatly overworked.
The trustees of the Maine Missionary
Society held an important meeting at
which the financial policy for the ensu-
ing year was outlined and the amount
of aid to be given different churches
was determined.
Resolutions were adopted commend
Ing tne steps thuS far taken toward the
union of the Congregational churches
with the United Bretheren Christian
and the Methodist Protestants and
urging the pastors to bring the matter
before their churches at an early date.
The representatives to the national
council are expected to advocate and
support the movement
Resolutions were also adopted COM
mending Gov. Cobb for vetoing the bill
for the repeal of the Sturgis liquor law
enforcement act.
Rev. Smith Baker, D. d., Portland
roundly scored the members of the con-
ference on their alleged aristocracy,
saying the Congregational is the most
undemocratic denomination in the
world.
Rev. Nehemiah Bointon, D. D., of
the Clinton Ave, church at Brooklyn,
n. Y, delivered an address at the even
ing meeting.