Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-05-23
HUNDRED YEARS OF
MISSIONARY WORK
Centennial of Vt. Domestic Mis-
sionary Society Observed at
Lynd0nville Conference

Lyndonvllle. May 23.-The 123rd annual
meeting Of the Vermont Congregational
conference and Tooth annual meeting
of the Vermont Domestic Missionary So
ciety closed two days sessions here TO-
night.
A resolution was adopted by the CONFER
ence endorsing the national prohibition
amendment and urging the support only
Of those candidates for the Legislature
who will vote for the amendments rati-
f1cation
A resolution was adopted strongly en-
dorsng the administrators conduct OF
the war.
The conference will meet next year at
Essex Junction.
| The Rev. Charles H. Merrill OF st.
Johnsbury was elected president OF the
next convention and N. G.. Williams OF
Bellows Falls was reelected president OF
Vermont Domestic Missionary society.
CENTENNIAL. MEETING.
| An interesting feature Of the Congrcga- !
tionalists' gathering here was the CEN
tennial meeting Of the Vermont Domestic
Missionary society. The historical address
was given by the Rev. Charles II. Merrill
d. D.. of st. Johnsbury. for thirty-one
years secretary of the society. DR.. Merr,ii
said in part: Mission work was first done
In the state by pastors sent from Con-
| nectlcut by local associations and later
by the Connecticut Missionary society to
visit and minister to their parishoners
who had cmigrated with others to the
Champlan valley and regions above. In
1904 this work of itinerant visitation by
pastors in their vacations was taken up
by the Western Association Of Ministers
| in Vermont. and in 1907 n society was
formed for this purpose. This gave way In
| 1873 to n new society which in 1896 TOOK
| tho present name and one year later be-
came auxiliary to the national society.
During the more than one hundred
| years these societies have aided In or
ganizing and supporting upwards OF 1876
churches, some Of which have become
extinct. OF the 215 now in existence. 1t Is
estimated that not more than 81 have
never been aided, though some Of these
were doubtless visited by itinerants dur
ing their early days. Two methods of
work have been in operation the itinerant.
which is pioneer and aggressive like the
circuit visitation. and the sustentation
which aids in securing a permanent pas
torate. Under the former method, pastors
in the early days spent their vacations In
this way. since then students from the
, seminaries have been employed. and later.
young women from the training schools.
The sustentation has taken precedence In
Importance since the churches have once
| been established.
During the same period $1,02o.397 has
been contributed for home missions. a
portion of which has been sent to the
national society for work in the West.
In addition to this, the society has been
the recipient Of trust funds to be held
for the benefit of local churches. In all
} the society holds funds in excess Of
| 900, the most of which has come in
during the last three decades.
The society has adapted its work to
varying conditions during the century,
| changing from itinerant to sustentation,
later taking up again the itinerant work
during the period Of decadence the mid
die Of the last century, AMI since bal
= ancing the two as needs required. 1t
has acted as publishing society. dis
| tributing tracts and catechisms. and sub
sidizing monthly publication. 1t was
d first to adopt the plan OF conditioning
8 grants of aid to pastors upon a stand
t ard Of giving by the members Of the
, church. 1t has held partnership with
s various Sunday school societies. the Sun
d day School Union and the Congregational
3 Sunday School society, in the employ
d field "children's minister" and "fnan.
cial evangelist" 1t has commissioned
q State evangelists and was the first tc
d employ young women for visitation and
d evangelist work. sending them out two
d by two. Through all it has been the
d financial support in the last resort Of
y all the varied schemes that have beer
d devised for the promotion Of the inter
20 ests of the whole body Of churche.
{. throughout the century. II has been the
n one agency through which the churches
70 too often independent in their spirit ant
i action, have been enabled to do team
y work and express in a practical wa,
8, spirit OF fellowship and brotherhood
II THE NEXT TWENTY FIVE YEARS
- The principal address given this aft
- ernoon at the centennial meeting wa
q by the associate secretary. the Rev
"A Charles c. Merrill of BURLINGTON OF
=. The Next Twenty-Five Years Of Ver
n mont Congregationa.is,a. Mr.. Merrill
"A said that there was only ono sufficien
IN reason for considering this subject an,
r. that reason was not concerned at al
"a with Vermont Congreg ationalism a. al
N end IN itself What Is at stake nov
Is no. any ism" or denomination. o
% any church 1t was the world whic
was at stake. The qeust;on was "wha
can wa Vermont Consregationalist
do during the next quarter century t
taks convenient space of time tina
10 not too long-as q real and worth
contribution toward saving ths worl
~ from the hell In which IT now Is an
from the future hell in which IT vii
IFS be unless the trend of civilized III
he during the last fifty wears can b
"a radically changed?"
At Mir. Merrill said that during the pas
he year. emphasis had been placed on tn
to State work on these six principles q
a Community service on the part OF tn
of local church. (2) Cooperation with 9th
n. or denominations so as TO attain the goa
a. for one Protestant church for the sma
ha community and unified plan of work 10
nv two or more churches In the larger com
munity G) Adequate provision for tho
h. towns and 65 communities or parts c
,.. towns where our church Is practically tn
10 only Protestant church. O Thoroug
100 plans for securing and insuring compt
NC tent ministry for its increasingly impoi
- tant and difficulty task. G) Vitalizin
~. all plans, methods and activities wit
~ prayer. (6 A deeper and more emcier
"0 fellowship illustrated in part by the IRA
ternal visiting of the churches by IN
oi' State secretary.
"" These principles had worked so we
-" during the year that 1t seemed clear the
he should be still further developed and CA