Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-19
Meeting Under Auspices
Of the American Board.
Purpose Is to Stir Congrega-
tiona| People TO Action
In Renewed Efforts in Promoting
Home and Foreign Missions.

j lie HOME NliSStoHdTy
Society and the American Missionary
Association, all of the Congregational
churches, which has started campaigns
at zoo Congregational centers IN the
United States, and with a session at
the Congregational church In this city
Thursday.
The churches in the Waterville
group are: Augusta, Benton, Bing
ham, Gardiner South Gardiner, Halo
well, Madison. North Arson, Nor
ridgewocl<, Riverside, Skowhegan, Vas
salboro and Winslow. Many of these
We're represented by either pastor or
delegates and in some instances both
The purpose of the campaign is to
stir in the Congregational host new
sense Of missions, home and foreign
together, as the chief end for which
the churches exist; to present in COM
blned view the present unparalleled
opportunities in these missionary fields
and the crying reed of more etfectual
measures to meet them; 10 remove by
one strong lift together the total
debts Of the American Board, the
Congregational Home Missionary So
cicty and the American Mission AS
ISOLATION; to prevent the recurrence of
debts, and to place the work of all sew
en- Congregational societies on
stronger basis by establishing the ap-
pcrtionment plan.
The plan of the campaign includes
a day Of meetings at each Of 200 Con-
gregational centers from New England
to the Pacific, at which there shall be
delegated conferences upon the appor-
VII To- 4
dresses by prominent missionaries, sec
retaries and others, and generally
social evening with more informal talk
around the supper table; no public
soliciting of gifts or church collections
in connection with these meetings; the
following up of these meetings by a
comprehensive and systematic erfoYt
to raise through private gifts, and as
an extra above the regular gifts of
churches and individuals the sum of
100000 to be applied as follows: To
pay the debt of the three societies
above named, s273,094.Sf, and to divide
the balance of $226, 90515 among the
seven societies according to the ratio
plan Of the apportionment plan
The seven Congregational societies
which have merged in this great
campaign are: The American Board
Of Commissioners for Foreign Mis-
sionS, the Congregational Home Mis-
slonary Society, the American Mission
airy Association, the Congregational
Church Building Association. the Con-
eregational Educational Society, the
Congregational Sunday School and
Publishing Society and the Congre-
gational Board of Ministerial Relief.
These societies have banded together
with one end in view, that of raising
the necessary amount to pay the total
Ccbt of the three societies and divide
the remainder between all seven.
The financial creed of the campaign
has four articles which are commended
to the churches for adoption: That
every church should have q mission
airy budget; that is, at the beginning
of the year, it should determine its
missionary responsibility in dollars to
eacn OF the Congregational societies,
adopting, so far as possible the ap-
rortlonlnent plan and then It should
make determined and busnesslike
effort to raise this budget for these
accepted lines of work; that every
church should have missionary COM
mttce; this committee should prepare
tie budget and should promote and
oversee its raising; that the mission
airy committee should aim to secure,
so far as possible, gift from every
individual in the congregation, making
z personal canvass, if necessary; that
the weekly envelope system IS the best
way 1n the average church to collect
the pledges that have been made.
The conference was opened at II A.
NJ. with but few delegates in at
tendance. After a short song and
praise service, led by Rev. F. f. En-
rich, ID. D., secretary of the Massa-
chusetts Home Missionary Society.
Rev Mr. Enrich explained to those
present the meaning of the joint mis-
s1onary campaign and went into de-
tail concerning the debt of the three
societies and how they came by that
debt. He stated that the missionary
societies were determined not to over
lap in their work but at the same
time were not going to overlook places
that needed attention, where mission
aries have been called to go. The
Congregational Missionary Society is
often obliged to refuse to do work in
N''| 1'teii anu WeSI OII account OF the
financial need
Rev. G. H. Gutterson, Eastern secre
tary of the American Missionary AS
ISOLATION. stated that the National
Missionary Association cannot sustain
it's work unless the present demands
are met. He stated that at first the
society. to which he belongs, was not
favorable to merging with the other
societies for this great work but later
laid aside its Individual purposes for
the one cause. He explained how tn,
debts were incurred, the principal
cause the shrinkage Of revenue in
comparison with the expanded needs
He stated that the revenue to the
American Association has fallen Off and
that money has been devoted toward
other objects. He fully explained the
budget system, how it is made up and
how expended. He stated that during
the. past this association was forced
to turn over to other societies ana de-
nominations. missions that 1t was I'M
able to support on account of the
falling Off Of the revenue. He explaip-
cd the apportionment plan, how each
and every church would receive a sep
1rata nortion at tho Hrcr - ax,o.,.