The Dickinson press., 1908-06-13
CHURCH
GROWTH
Reports of Rise of Congrnga'
tionalism in State at Confer
ence Here Last Week

A meeting of the Missouri River As.
sociation of Congregational churches
was held with the Congregational
church in Dickinson, Thursday and
Friday, June 4 and S. Every address
and report brought out the remark.
able growth of that denomination in
North Dakota, and the meeting was
a help and benefit to all present. The
bad condition of the roads and the
severe storm Of Friday afternoon in.
terfered to some extent with the num-
Der of visiting ministers, the size of
the audiences, and the holding of some
services. The Friday afternoon pro.
gram was given in part only on &C.
count Of the storm, and it was also
necessary to give up the evening ser
vice, the sidewalks around the church
were so badly flooded.
The conference opened Thursday
afternoon with organization and greet
ings to visitors. Rev. Alexander
Douglas Of Wibaux was made moder.
ator and Rev. Emil Dietrich of Glen
Ullin was elected secretary.
The meeting was carried out under
a general theme, "The Extension Of
the Kingdom There were two parts,
considering the subject intensively
and extensively. The first division
covered the services up to Friday aft
ernoon and the remainder of the meet.
ing was devoted to the second part.
Thursday evening the annual ser.
mon was given by Rev. E. L. Brooks
OF Washburn and Underwood, on the
subject: "The Hand Upon the Cross"
MI. Brooks was pastor of the church
at Fergus Falls, Mimi, until this
spring. The sermon was an excellent
one on the working out Of the Chris.
tian faith in all life. The musical part
OF the service was elaborate and fine.
ly rendered, consisting of selections
by the church choir and a solo by
Miss Margaret Stuart.
One of the most interesting features
of the meeting was the giving of the
reports from the different churches
in the conference. A wonderful
growth of Congregationalism has been
in progress in North Dakota during
the past year. Rev. E. E. Smith, gen.
eral missionary for the association,
reported the organization of twelve
churches within the year, two of them
over the line in Montana. These, add.
ed to ten reported at the last meeting,
make a total of twenty-five churches
organized in the past fourteen months.
Superintendent Powell is respon.
sible for the statement that North
Dakota is the record Congregational
state of the country, having the larg-
est number of Congregational church
es according to the population and in
having cen a hundred churches or
ganized in the past eight years. No
other state has seen so many in the
same length of time in the history of
the Congregational church in the
United States.
Rev. Alexander Douglas, pastor of
the churches at Sentinel Butte, Beach,
Wibaux and Rocky Butte, reported
large additions to the membership of
his churches, the organization of a
new church and plans for the cree.
ton of three houses of worship.
Rev. Emil Dietrich of Glen Ullin
reported the starting of the new
$40, 900 church building in that town.
One of the best reports was made |
of the progress of the Dickinson
church. Rev. w. J. Brown recently
came to this city to take up the pas
torate of the church, and beginning
his work under difficulties, he is al
ready making his influence felt in
the improvement of the parish. The
parsonage has been put into repair,
and the sum of between $1,000 and
$1,000 expended in the work. In the
church membership there has been
a healthy growth and an increased in
terest in the choir work, Sunday
school and other departments.
Rev. E. H. Stickney of Fargo, su.
.perintendent Of the Sunday school
work, was present and reported the
best year in all the history of his
work, both. in the number of Sunday
schools started. and tn, amount of
money received for Sunday school
missionary work in the state. He
made a plea for generous offerings
on children's day, which occurs to-
morrow. 4
Rev. Mr.. Dietrich read a most tx.
cellent paper on the common aim of,
the church and Sunday school. He
said the four-fold work Of the church
is to promote reverence and worship,
to stimulate and direct in the high.