St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-04-22
Vermont Methodist Conference.


The annual conference of the Metho-
dist churches of Vermont was held last
week at Barre, opening Wednesday,
presided over by Bishop Earl Cranston
OF Washington, d. c., who presided
over the Conference held at Lyndon
vile in 1901. Among those to Join on
trial is Arthur w. Hewitt of Glover, who
is called the best Greek scholar ever
graduated from Montpelier Seminary.
Announcement was made Wednesday
morning OF the death of Rev. Isaac Nc
Ann, one of the Oldest members of the
conference, at Moncton, n B. At one
time he was pastor at Barre, and later
presiding elder of the Montpelier district.
Upon organization of the conference
these officers were elected: Secretary,
Rev. F. w. Lewis, of St. Johnsburv;
assistant secretaries, Revs K. ]. Chrystie
of Newport and William Shaw of Lyn-
don; statistical secretary. Rev. Fred
Daniels Of Chelsea; assistant secretaries,
Revs E. A. Legg, of bradford, and F. A.
Woodwork of Ludlow; treasurer, Rev.
F. II. Smith of Rochester; assistants to
treasurer, Rev. {. D. Pierce of Johnson,
and J. w. Miller of Bethel recording
secretary, Rev. W. N. Roberts of More
town; biographical secretary, Rev. DR..
A. L. Cooper of Randolph.
Charles K. Morgan, New England
agent for the Methodist Book Concern
announced that the profits of that in
stituton to be divided among the con-
ferences amounted to $160, 900, of which
sum the Vermont Conference would re-
ceive over 5000.
A memorial service was held when
memoirs of Rev. c. p Taplin, Rev. and
Mrs Isaac McAnn, Mrs. Laura Hitch
cock, Mrs. F, M. Baker, and Mrs. ]. c.
Hazelton were read.
The(Barre Times says of the report of
the St. Johnsbury district. which was
read by Presiding Elder Lewis, Thursday.
who is also secretary of the Conference:
1T was not only an excellent resume of
the work of the past year, but also a
fine literary production. Mr.. Lewis is a
past master in the art of gentle sarcasm,
and delights in pilloring shams and
puncturing foibles."
After speaking of the many changes
necessitated by various causes during
the year, he spoke as follows; ut may
be said that all the men have done good
work; some on hard fields entitled to no
less credit, possibly to greater, than
others who will have more TO show in
tangible results, because of more favor
able conditions. There have been differ
ences in the excellence of the work, of
course; there may yet be Methodist
preachers who need to learn more per-
iectly the lesson that energy diverted to
fault finding and to framing excuses for
failure, il turned into the right channels
might often bring grand success; also
that honey still catches more flies than
vinegar. Yet some experiences that come
to Vermont pastor might well acidu-
late the sweetest temper and turn the
milk of human kindness to bonny clabber
We have many laymen and laywomen;
yet it may still be said with truth that
if our lay membership were as uniformly
and fully consecrated to the work OF the
Lord as are our preachers, it would
speedily transform conditions and give
us New Vermont we'll worth the
having And many an obscure preacher,
who never had bouquets or a brass
band here on earth, will wear a diadem
in glory. and sweep the strings of a
golden harp to enthrall an angel, while
some of his critics will not get near
enough to know there is any music in
progress.
Mr.. Lewis also reported concerning
the work on the district and specified an
excellent increase in salaries following
that of So, 900 of last year, some debts
paid, nearly $1,000 spent in improve
ments on church property, new par
sonage worth $4,000 at Barton Land
ing, good amounts for the benevolences,
something of a revival in Epworth
League interest, good results from the
Bible school and campmeeting at Lyn-
donvilIe, several new castles OF the
Knights of King Arthur formed, one of
the Brotherhood of st. Paul at Barre, a
good revival interest at Island Pond,
Newport, Sheffield. and elsewhere. the
federation of the Congregational and
Methodist churches at Guildhall, the
largest Sunday school class in the state
at Barton Landing. and other items OF
progress. In closing he said that the
greet need of the work here, as every
where, was men, men in the pulpits and
men in the pews.
Several ballots were necessary for the
election of delegates to the general con-
ference to be held at Baltimore next
May. The choice fell upon Principal E.
A. Bishop of Montpelier Seminary, on
the second ballot, and Presiding Elder
George w. Hunt OF st. Adams, on the
fifth ballot. Other candidates were
Presiding Elder F. W. Lewis, OF St.
Iohnsbury, Presiding Elder W. 5.
Smithers of Montpelier, Rev. A. H..
Webb of Brattleboro, and Rev. A. ].
Hough of Montpelier. Rev. F. w.
Lewis and Rev. A. H. Webb were elected
alternates.
The question of petitioning the gener-
al conference for the election OF presiding
elders came before the conference after
the election of delegates, and on
motion of G. w. Hunt it was voted to
adopt a substitute recommending that
the conference be authorized to nomin-
ate three or more candidates for the
consideration of the bishops. This was
adopted by vote of At to 2.
The proposition of the New Hamp-
shire conference to district the bishops
to the conferences for four years each
was amended on motion of Rev. K. r.
Lowe of St. Adams. who proposed the
following substitute: eve recommend
to the general conference that the
bishops be requested to so arrange their
conference visitations that so far as
nossible the same bishops hold four con-
secutive conferences. The resolution as