Norwich bulletin., 1917-03-08
County Ministers Consider Programme
Hubert C. Herring D. D., Addressed Gathering What Church is Trying to Accomplish Before Morning and Evening Sessions of Conference Held Broadway Congregational Church.

Devotional exercises opened the ev- ening session of the Ministers con- ference of the New London County Congregational churches in Broadway church Wednesday evening. Rev. H. s. Worcester spoke a few words ofi the Tencentenary anniversary of the Congregational church in this country and introduced Rev. F. w. Hodgdon. D. D.. representative of the Annuity fund for ministers. Df. Hodgson
 spoke on the Need of Recruits for the
 Ministry and Missionary Work. say
 ing: The need of young men and women for these branches is one of church has to contend with. The need
 is so great that the board in charge of this branch has to. go outside the church to get persons to do this work One third of those recruited every year are outsiNers. This is one of the points which we are. trying to
 overcome in this period before the tercentenary celebration. The so- lution of the problem lies with the members of each individual church. Parents of young men and women can. if they will. instfll in their children that spirit which will lead them to to give their services to God and His Work.
 Paths Are Hard; Salary Small.
 The ministers of today do not come from the families of the rich; they come from the humber walks of life. No man of the rich ever goes into the ministry; they have money and take the easy paths of life. The ministers paths are hard, his salary is small and when he gets to an age where his services are no longer needed he has expenses are as large as anyone's ex- penses, but his salary is small The street sweeper in New York city re- ceives more than the average preach CT. It is this which keeps many from going into the service of God Now in this period 1t would be we'll to eliIn- mate these things and provide for the mag who has given the best that ,s in him to further the work of Christiani- ty in his old age. We will have min isters anyway, but let us help to make their lives more attractive and thus the need of leaders will be somewhat de- creased.
 Rev. Hubert c. Herring. D. D., of Boston, secretary of the National Council of Congregational Churches was the next speaker and he spoke of the Tercentenary programme.
 Dr. Herring said in part:
 It is proposed that we give much effort to clear our minds and increase our influence in the lines of the Pill grim outlook on church and state Theirs was no petulant revolt against personal tyranny. Ft was the delib- crate endeavor to institute a better human order. There was not much leisure on the Mayf1ower, or in their wilderness home, to put their thoughts were sufficient. With easy minds ;Tsy cast off the old feudalism of church and state and moved toward freedom and democracy.
 If we are to celebrate their memory by following their example, we must find a way in our complex age to se- cure an ampler freedom, a more per- feet democracy, truer fraternity. There is great need of it. The church of Christ, has only begun on it's social task. Let us. therefore, fill these an uiversary years with "an intelligent study and setting forth of those po litical and religious convictions which brought the Pilgrims to America" And let us apply them to the needs of Inc world of today.
 There is upon us the ever present duty of recruiting the ranks of the army of disciples of Christ. We must make this an evangeHstic era. To bring people to Christ as their Saviour and Lord, to enroll them as disciples and fellow workers is our Fundamental business. Right along with it is the Leakage has been very heavy. Last year 22.96S names were "revised' from our rolls. So it runs every year. Peo- pie lapse from church membership Letters lie in trunks. Therefore, a goal is suggested which includes acces- sions both by letter and confession. The figure is half million-one hun dred thousand year for five years. Flaw shouid it be divided? Last year 10000 were added, and of these 43, 900 were on confession. Suppose instead of following up and bringing in 27,0o0 by cetter we made it 37,000. That would leave 63, 900 to be won on con- about one to every thir- teen of us. Not an excessive task, sure1y-if we really believe in it and work at 1t.
 And shall we then try to win people merely in order to make big numer- whether there. is anybody in our fel- 1 lowship who is capable oi such folly. | But it may fairly be hoped that a | goal will help us to keep in l mind the primary duty of winning peo- pie to Christ.
 We need ministers, missionaries 1 parish assistants. We need many more l shan we have and the best we can possibly get. What shall we do about 1 t? Why not tell our young people | md their parents and their teachers md their pastors? Tei1 them how great is the harvest, how few the la | oorers, how blessed the task. Tell | hem we are increasingly trying to | ,s:a blish conditions under which they | ,an work with hope and power.
 All this it is proposed to do. Through | svery part of our fellowship by means | # all our agencies we must sound out |
 
 mt time something over 400 young | congregationalists are in training for | he kinds of life work above mention | d. There ought to be by the end of | 920 just twice as many. This would | rive us 2S5 recruits each year to fiji | he gaps made by death and other | osses and to take up new work.
 We must raise more money for this | york. Twelve years ago, after careful consideration, we adopted an appor- in all gifts of the living, | which really help toward the current 'udget of our boards, we are raising | bout s1,500 .ooo We have a half mil ion to go. Some doubt whether we an do it. What they mean is that hey doubt whether we will do it.
 For. of course, when one realizes hat 7Se,0o0 Congregationalists multi flied by 52 weeks, multiplied by Is ent ,swi1 produce $2, ,0ee, 900, he knows hat the only question before the house 8 whether we want to do the thing r not. Let us agree that we want to 1 ,1d ern 1F l