Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1908-10-08

ERVANCE
ADDRESS BEFORE FREE WILL
BAPTiSTs At STANFORD


STORY ofthe Formation Of the Year
~ Meeting. Some Interesting Tales
Of early Times. = Denomination was
Once Large end Flourlshlna in YER
n1ont.--Now only Three Associations.
personal Reeoliections.
- The centennial Of the Vermont yearly
meeting OF the Free win Baptists was
celebrated recently In South STAFFORD, on
which occasion Dea. n. A. Blake OF SUIT
ton read the following history Of the
formation and growth Of the organiza-
ton.
II has been known for years that the
records Of the yearly meeting from the
time Of lie iirst session 10 1908 to 1926
were missing. Committees have been APP
pointed and a faithful search was made
but not successful. Il was ascertained
that from 1908 to 1928 our yearly meeting
was not an independent organization but
a part Of the ". II. Y. NJ, and its ses-
siona were one Of the four annual sessions
Of the mother " M. The records OF the
Y. NJ were kept In the same book with
those Of the n. II. Y. NJ. up to 1875.
The n. II. Y. NJ. book OF records that
contained our records Is also lost. And
" M. are lost and search for them has
proved unsuccessful; SO that from 1908 to
is47 We have no record or papers on file
for information. From this fact II has
been somewhat difacuit to prepare a brief
sketch Of the ". NJ. The circumstances
that prepared the way ia gathering the
fret Free Baptist church in the state were
evidently an instance Of divine overrul-
ingn
In 1871, pious young man from New
Hampshire came to STAFFORD as hired
laboror aud, witnessing the great wicked
ness in the place and no meetings Of wor-
ship. he felt constrained to exhort the
people 10 repent and seek the Lord. His
efforts we're bleat Of God, powerful re-
vival followed aud a. the fruit OF the re-
vivnl a Freewill Baptist church was or
eanized Ia July, 1872, By Elder Benjamin
Randall and Elder John Buzzell. This
was the drst church Of our faith IN the
state. In 1898. q church was gathered at
Corinth, consisting Of IS members. One
Of the number. Daniel Batchelder, soon
commenced preaching and was a very
successful minister Of Christ. In a few
months be was ordained, being the first
BY our people IA the state. In fs00, sew
erai churches were organized In different
parts 81 the state and the number rapidly
increased from year 10 year. At the June
session Of the N. II. Y. NJ. In 1907, q re-
quest was received from STAFFORD and
Wheolock, asking that @. NJ. be organ
lied ia each place. The Y. M. appointed
Elders Tingiy and John and Aaron Buzz
zeli committee 10 visit the churches In
Vermont, with instructions to organize q
q. n. 10 Ia their judgment Il was deemed
advisable. The committee met delegate.
from the churches In STAFFORD, Vershire
Corinlh, Tunbridge and Brookheld
June Is, 1901 the same committee mel
with the STAFFORD church and ordained
Nathaniel Brown. AT Tunbridge, July /,
1902, Nathaniel King was ordained b.
the same council The @ NJ. then had
Ave churches, four ordained ministers
and = membe lip Of $50. During thil
time, Elder j. Body and others were do
ing a good work In the northern part o
the state and several churches were gath
cred July a, 1902, brethren from Hard
wick, sutton. Sheffield and Danvilh
churches mot in Wheelock and Q. NJ
was organized, consisting Of above name,
churches, by Elders j. Body and J
Body, IT., called the Hardwick @. NJ
(now Wheelockl association. AT thi
meeting, four churches were received
making eight churches. four minister
and 26O members. The q. M. now de
sired and requested that one OF the fou
annual sessions Of the Y. NJ then holt
lts frst session 10 the state with til
church in Bradford. Elder John Buzzel
served as moderator and Elder Simeoi
Dana a. clerk. From this time, yearI,
sessions we're held in February until ISL
or 1919, when the time was changed t
October. The change from October Il
September l. supposed to have been mad
IN 1926, when the Y. M. became an indie
pendent organization and kept its owl
records. The sessions OF the Y. NJ. wer
regularly attended and regarded witt
special favor among our people. The at
tendance was usually large and the ses
sions OF great interest, usually attends
with powerful revival. The Februar
session IN 1917 was held at Tunbridg
and on the Sabbath 1900 persons attend
d. The session in October, 1924, wa
held at Corinth and 1900 people wer
present on the sabbath.
In 1916, Elder Charles Bowles (a col
ored brotherl visited Huntington and i'm
mediataly commenced holding meetings
An extensive revival attended his labori
Soon a church OF 90 members was organ
lied. He visited other towns In the v
entity. His labors we're greatly blessed
The revival spirit prevailed and churchs
were gathered. Two years later, Q. NJ
consisting Of four churches, gathere
mainly through the instrumentality {
Brother Bowles, was organized, an
called tho Huntington Q. NJ. At the o.
tober session in 1918, the q. M. apple
for admission and was received.
As early as 1902, churches were organ
lied In Hatley and stanstead, P. O., NJ
der the labors Of Brothers Avery Mou
ton aud others. but they united with Il
Hardwick @. M. The first ordinatio
among our people 10 the Province vi
that OF Brother Avery Monlton In 180
father Of Elders Abial, j. +. and A.
Aoulton. Other churches were orgai
lied In the Province, but the Stanstea
q. NJ. was not organized until Februar.
ISIS. when organized, the number
churches were seven, ministers tire
membership about 225. The same year
was received as member Of the Y. M.
While the borders Of our Zion were 81
larging ia the eastern, western an