The Belding banner-news., 1922-01-11
TAKE FIRST STEP
TO FEOERATE ALL
PROTESTANT SfCTS
IN ANNUAL MEETING LOCAL
CONGREGATIONALIST BODY
FAVORS SUCH MOVE

The annual meeting OF the Con-
gregational church and society was
held at the church on Thursday ev-
ening, January 5th, 1922 with
large representation of the member
ship present.
A picnic supper preceded the bus
mess meeting at $50 o'clock which
was greatly enjoye. and afforded
opportunity for social greetings.
The reports showed an addition
Of forty members received during
the year with the church in an ex-
ceptionally fine spirit of harmony
and fourishing 'oondit on financial
been made to both church and par
sonage. The record of the last
annual and interesting meetings
were read by the church clerk, f. B.
Lapham.
The treasurer's report as given by
Henry A. SIN tn, showed that all in
bedtedness for repairs including in
surance on The church and parsonage
had been paid amounting to $448.78
that the pastors salary, janitor and
organisf were paid to date.
Mrs. M. A. Reed treasurer, for
the Lad es Social Circle, had by
their activities earned $52742, that
the amount on hand at the beginning
of last year was $124.21 out of
which they had pad $634. II leaving
balance on hand of $17.42.
Phillip Brown, secretary treasurer
of the Sunday school reported total
receipts for the year which includ-
ed amount on hand Jan. 1, 1921, of
$318.42. The expenditures for sup
plies and other expenses were $277.-
rs balance on and Of $20.67, with
all bills paid to date.
Byron F. Brown, supesnteri. ent
of the Sunday school, supplemented
the report by saying that the Sun
day school supplies for the ensuing
quarter were also paid, and that a
very fine spirit of loyalty and coop
Grafton prevaded the school with a
good corps of workers. he MOTEL that
one prominent feature was that 95
per cent of the membership were
young people under II years of age
The elect on of officers resulted in
the choice of f. B. Lapham for
clerk, Henry A. Smith, treasurer.
Byron F. Brown superintendent of
Sunday school; f. Sidney Washburn
assistant superintendent; Auditor,
Wilbur c. Whitney; Flower commit
tee, Miss Edna Wise; Trustees, Mrs.
NJ. A. Rec DIR. G.. +. Smith; Dea-
cons, Albin Johnson, and Wilbur c.
Whitney; Deaconesses. Mrs w. f.
Fisher, Mrs. Myrtle Hubbell
Considerable discussion was had
on the question of the federation and
MI fror r~f oh, til -.
favored and urged extensively thru
has already been accomplished. A
resolution offered by Byron F. Brown
was adopted as follows:
Whereas, in the present day and
age every great undertaking is plan
ned for and carried out in an inten-
sive. manner with all resources cen
tered or rather focused on the ul-
innate successes of that paticular of
ject. This very combination of for
ces makes it possible to carry on all
the great movements of the day and
bring them to successful termina-
tion. In the Protestant churches we
find a lack of this concentrated
movement, rather we are divideii
against ourselves in our eagerness
to emphasize our creed instead Of
the work of God. In our tile city
we find a multiplicity of creeds and
a new church founded every little
while an added liability to the
Christian work of Belding. The
five leading Protestant churches are
together raising from twenty to
twenty-five thousand dollars a year
for expenses and benevolent work
of various kin,s. What wonder
full missionary work we could carry
on right here in Belding with our
combined resuorces. financial, moral
and educational. Our own church
was never in better condition in all
these respects than it is today, yet
we must recognize the fact that
combined with the other Protestant
churches we couhi do much better
work, and did not Jesus pray re-
gard.ng his Disciples THAT they
may be one as we are? Such an
could command the best
in all its departments. pulpit, Chris
tian education and pastoral as well
as providing an adequate social CEN
ter equipped with gymnasium and
so forth. We truly believe that we
shall have taken a mighty forward
step in Christian work when we have
and think only of the work God has
given US to do. We therefor offer
the following resolution.
1t is the desire of the First Con-
church of Belding, that
there shall be formed a Federated
Protestant cu1ch in this city ,and
we invite all the other churches to
join in this movement. The matter
of creed and policy to be decided by
a committee composed of appointei
deputations from each church.
That copy be sent to each church
in the city and published in our To-
cal newspaper.