The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1919-09-26
M. E. CONFERENCE NOTES

Cflt TeIneuleS lOT UIl6Se dllnenCS were
discussed by the noted Sunday school
workers at the Thursday evening ses-
sion Of the Detroit conference. The
speakers were DR.. Peter S. Stair of
Detroit and Superintendent DIR. A. l..
Bovard, Of Chicago.
DIR. Stair took as his subject, "The
Weak Salient in the Sunday school
Line This weak salient, he said, was
the failure of the Sunday schools to
hold their members between the ages
of IL and 20 years. The cradle roll,
he declared, is the most essential part
of the Sunday school for the reason
that it is the spring that feeds the
higher up departments and with the
desertion of two thirds of the Sunday
school members after the age of IL
years, the Sunday school would soon
cease to exist were it not for the
cradle roll, he declared.
He asserted that no problem so con-
Germs the church as that of the youths.
He said that the fact that the great
majority of those who leave between
IL and 70 never return to church life,
is fatal weakness because nine out
of 10 church members became men,
bers before they were 20 years of age,
only one out of ten being converted
after that age.
He asserted that the Sunday schools
do not have the number of adult MEM
bers that they. should have and ex-
pressed the belief that one reason why
the children do not stay in Sunday
school after reaching the "teen" age
is because of the lack of appreciation
of their mental ability by the Sunday
school heads and teachers.
The report Of the statistican show
ed that the present total church men,
bership of the conference is $4,000,
net loss of about 1,500 members in
the past, year. The Sunday school en-
rollment is $4,000 a loss of 322 in a
year.
The fifteenth anniversary of the
founding of the Woman's Home and
Foreign Missionary societies of the
Methodist church was observed Thurs
day, the afternoon being given over
to the societies by the conference Mrs.
Oliver j. Trollope, of Detroit presided
over the first part, of the program, de-
voted to home missions and Mrs. Jas
/. Murry of Detroit, occupied the chair
during tha* part devoted to foreign
missions.
The feature of the home missionary
program was the address by Mrs. Dan
Brummitt of Chicago, national field
secretary. Mrs. Brummitt voiced an
appeal for more work among those of
foreign birth in the United States, and
asserted that the failure of patriotic
and home missionary societies to put
forth every effort to Americanize
aliens, are partly to blame for the
| fact that million and onerhalf aliens
are today awaiting passports to return
to their native lands, taking with ther
three billion dollars.
The class ordained as deacons con.
sisted of F. j. Cox, Victor G. Darling
Port Huron; Herbert Hitchins, Ed
ward Hooking, Port Huron; Harry j
Lord, Detroit; John Meredith, Ria
Simmons, Hartland; Harry M. Smart
Bay City; Thomas Rice, Headley Ben
nett; Vanderbilt; J. Hermon Baughm
Tri-M Mountain.
Those ordained as elders and int
the full ministry of the church were
E. M. Brown and Joseph Dibiden. Th'
two young ladies ordained as deacon
esses were Miss Irene Frink and Mis-
Flossie Hawse. Miss Frank who hat
been acting as deaconess here fo1
some time was probationary deacon
ess.
The following men were received in
to the full ministry of the church: F
]. Cox, Victor G. Darling, Port Huron
E. B. Dixon, Mackinaw City; H. M
Kitchens, Edward Hooking, Port Hu
ron; Harry j. Lord, Detroit; Johl
Meredith, Roy Scott, Napoleon; Ryl
Simmons, Hartland; Harry M Smart
Bay City; Thomas Rice, It. S. Bout
trell, 'Tri Mountain; and Headley Ben
nett, Vanderbilt.
A large proportion of the class ar
foreign born, most of them being o
English nativity, fact comments
upon in connection with the choice o
the ministry by comparatively fey
young Americans.
1t was wonderful service that a
audience which packed every inch O
space in the large edifice, witnesse
at the First Methodist Episcops
church Sunday afternoon when score
J bowed before the altar and promise
to do whatever, whenever and wher,
ever God wanted them to do Th
conservation ceremonies in which ele,
en- young men were ordained as deat
ons, two as elders and two young We
men consecrated as deaconesses. Br
the most impressive part of the SCI
, vice was that when more than &c
, young men and women, walked dow
, the aisle in response to the plea (
Bishop Henderson for those WI
would do His will, when and wherev'
He chose.
0 At the first M. E. church, there WI
conference Love Feast, in char,
: of Rev. w H. Rider of Clevelan
y Bishop Henderson preached at Il
: regular morning services. Followil
tba orJ;nof;on oarvicac q ra11v of 4,