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Whereas, Believing that our New England Colleges have been eminent- ly instrumental under God, in the advancement of the Redeemer's King- dom, and thoroughly pursuaded of the noble work which the Western College Society is doing in the establishment of Christian Colleges in our new States,
Resolved, That we earnestly recommend that this society be placed side by side with the other great benevolent societies, and that all our churches contribute annually to it.
Rev. Mr. Tunnell offered the following resolution, which was adopted.
We recognize Christian Colleges as an absolutely necessary instru- mentality in all true progress and an ally of the Christ an Church, and Whereus, Washburn College, a child of the Congregational Churches of Kansas, now needs not only our sympathies and prayers, but immediate pecuniary aid to the amount of $12,000.
Resolved, That this amount be apportioned by the chairman of the Home Mission committee to the several Associations on a fair and equitable basis, an.l that he notify each church of the amount apportioned to them and re- commend that the Pastors appeal to their churches immediately, to raise that amount.
16
GENERAL ASSOCIATION.
The committee on New Boundaries, would report as follows. Report adopted.
Eastern Association, Leavenworth, Wyandotte, Johnson, Miami, Franklin, Douglas, and south half of Jefferson.
Central .. Shawnee, Wabaunsee, Riley, Clay, Dickinson, Davis,
Morris, south half of Pottowattomie and the north halves of Osage and Lyon.
Northern Atchison, Doniphan, Jackson. Marshall, Washington, Republic, Nemaha, Brown, north halves of Jefferson and Pottowattomie.
Southern Linn, Anderson, Coffey, Marion, Chase, Sedgwick, Sumner, Cowley, Butler, Greenwood, Howard, Mont- gomery, Wilson, Woodson, Labette, Neosho, Allen, Bourbo,n Crawford, Cherokee and south half of Lyon. All west of the 6th Principal Meridian.
Western
The following resolutions, offered by Mr. C. B. Lines, were adopted.
Resolved, That the By-Laws be so amended as to read as follows:
Section First, The first evening of the session shall be spent in devotional exercises and social greetings.
Section Ninth, On Thursday evening the sermon to the Association shall be preached by the retiring Moderator or by a substitute procured by him. Also,
Resolved, That it be made the duty of the publication committee to pre- pare, each year, and publish with the minutes, a list of the churches and ministers in actual membership with the Association.
Rev. J. G. Dougherty offered a resolution relating to change of constitution. Adopted. See appendix No. 8.
Resolved, That Revs. Dougherty, Ingalls, McVicar, Tunnell, Officer, be appointed a committee to consider the expediency of so altering the consti- tution, tliat,
First, Membership in this Association shall depend solely on member- ship in the local Associations.
Second, That the hours from two to five, each afternoon, and from seven and a half to nine o'clock, each evening, be devoted to exercises which shall be of general interest. That all matters of business be excluded from these hours.
Third. That any change of the constitution, shall be conditioned on the giving of one year's notice.
Fourth, Any other changes in the Constitution which in their opinion will increase the efficiency of this Association.
Resolutions of thanks were offered by Mr. C. B. Lines, to Rev. Dr. Storrs, the Press, Brethren and Friends in Lawrence, the Ladies and Railroads, and adopted.
Thanks voted to the publication committee.
The following resolution was adopted.
Resolved, That we recommend to our churches that they observe the Weekly Meeting preceding the annual meeting of the Association, as a season of special prayer for a blessing upon its deliberations, and that the Pastors be requested to call attention to the matter.
The Association then adjourned to meet at Topeka, the second Wednesday in June, 1874, at half past seven o'clock P. M.
L. B. WILSON, MODERATOR MILAN C. AYRES, Clerk,
WILLIAM HAYDEN, Ass't Clerk.
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APPENDIX.
APPENDIX.
No. 1.
CENTRAL ASSOCIATION REPORT.
Reports of the Churches, limited to three minutes.
1. Bala. Not represented-a Welch Church in Riley county. & or 10 miles from Milford. Rev. H. Davies. Pastor.
2. Bavaria. Not represented. Rev. J. H. Payne has gone east, and Rev. Henry M. Jones, recently a farmer, is supplying the Church.
3. Burlingame-Brother Griswold reported the Church in a good condi- tion. except financially, not a large community to work upon. The wealth is mostly in the other churches. Members. intelligent and harmonious. number. 36. audience quite small. but improving. Rev. Mr. Scotford has recently taken charge of the church. On his arrival there. he found Union meetings in operation. which resulted in about 30 conversions. Union ser- vices every Sabbath evening. still continued. The Church edifice needs $500 worth of repairs.
4. Cawker City-No representative. Brother Officer reported that Bro. Safford went east to collect funds. and has money enough to complete the church.
5. Junction City-Brother Jacobus reported matters going on as usual. Church membership 26. Though poor. financially, they are a Very spirited church.
6. Louisville-Brother Hopkins reported. The membership of the church a year ago was 17. Brother Scribner conducted revival meetings last May. and the membership was doubled. Since Bro. Hoddle came. 13 have been added. + dismissed. Spiritual state of the Church good. Sunday School averages 35. Prayer meeting on Thursday, Teachers meeting on Satur- dav.
7. Manhattan-Prof. Slie reported. Church holds its own. Sunday school 60 to 80. some 50 additions during the year. present S. S. member- ship 108. Morning service largely attended. They have also preaching in the evening.
8. Milford-Bro. Humphrey reported. Membership 22. Sunday school well attended. Bro. Esler took charge in Feburary.
9. Ogden-Prof. Slie reported. No special interest. People attend church Well. Sabbath school flagging. about 20 members. Large foreign element.
10. St. Mary's-Not represented.
11. Topeka-1st Church-Rev. Mr. Blakesley reported a year of progress. $1500 repairs on the building. Church harmonious. Sunday school in- creasing. larger than ever before. about 170. They have recently largely increased their library, which adds much to the attractions of the school. They have adopted the envelope plan of weekly collections for church ex- penses and find it works admirably. They have adopted the plan of sys- tematic benevolence, which has increased the collections. The money is thrown into a common treasury, and is voted out by the Church. Prayer meetings are a very interesting feature, and a great success.
12. Topeka-2d Church-Colored-No representation. No stated supply. Church very weak.
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GENERAL ASSOCIATION.
13. Topeka-North-Rev. Jones reported. Church building cost $8,000 and is paid for. Sabbath school increased 60 per cent., numbers over 100. One hundred and fifty volumes of select works lately added to their library. Members reeieved nearly every communion. Envelope system works well, its success was doubted at first, but it has tended to unite the Church.
14. Vienna-Rev. Sykes, reported condition favorable. Membership nearly doubled since April last, new members 36. They have not had much immigration. There is some prospect that the Church will be more favor- ably situated soon.
15. Wabaunsce-Rev. Officer reported 120 members, 30 added during the past year. During pleasant weather the audience in the morning is very good. Prayer meetings on Thursday evening, well attended by the young people. Women take part in the meetings. Envelope system works well, has wiped out the church debt. Sunday school 120. Two large Bible class- es. No other organization within five miles.
16. Wamego-Church struck from the list.
17. Washara-Not represented. The church is about to be abandoned.
18. Westmoreland-Rev. Scribner, reported. Preparing for recognition. Here the reporter seems to have got things somewhat mixed. The future of the church seems somewhat uncertain in his mind. For further infor- mation address Rev. Seribner, Leghorn P. O.
NEW CHURCHES FORMED DURING THE YEAR.
19. Dover-20 members. Rev. H. Jones, supplied.
20. Clear Creek-20 members. Rev. Scribner has charge.
21. Russell-Rev. Annis supplies.
22. Hays City.
NEW CHURCHES TO BE SUPPLIED.
23. Leghorn-L. M. Seribner-not recognized yet.
24. Brookville-Rev. Mr. Jones.
25. Osborne City-Rev. Mr. Foster.
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON TEMPERANCE.
We accept the notable revolution, which, within the past fifty years, has been wrought in Christian publie sentiment and practice respecting intoxi- cating drinks, as an earnest of what may yet, by persistent endeavor, be accomplished, in the complete extirpation of this form of iniquity from the earth; and we re-consecrate ourselves to the sacred task of saving our coun- try and the world from the unutterable woes of the intoxicating eup. In so doing, we renew our protest against the employment of fermented wine at the Lord's Table, against the unreasonable and excessive prescription of alcohol as a medicine, and against the use of tobacco in any of its forms. considering all of these practices as powerful incitements to intemperance: and we announce as our rallying cry in the temperance reform, "Total Ab- stinence from all intoxicants, whether Alcohol, Tobacco, Opium; Arsenic, Hashish, or any other poison, whose customary use injures the body, and enslaves the soul. We look to the Church of Christ as the foremost Agen- cy in creating publie sentiment upon this subject, and to civil legislation as that in which such sentiment should be embodied and secured. As Chris- tians therefore, we pledge ourselves to influence publie opinion toward temperance by all appropriate efforts.from thepulpit, in the Sabbath Schools, in the family, and as citizens, to seek the permanent effectiveness of such opinion, through the strictest prohibitory legislation, which can be wisely secured.
W. KINCAID, J. C. PLUMB, Com.
WM. CROSBY.
19
APPENDIX.
No. 8. REPORT OF EASTERN ASSOCIATION.
The Eastern Association is the oldest of our four local Associations, and for many years was practically the only one. It is also the smallest in ex- tent; while the other three have room for indefinite expansion, and are con- stantly pushing their churches into the regions beyond-the limits of the Eastern are very rigidly defined.
There have been three churches organized during the year within the bounds of this Association, at High Prairie, Tiblow and Valley Brook. The churches at Wakarnsa and Osawka have become extinct by the removal of their members, and should be stricken from the roll. This will leave an aggregate of twenty-five churches connected with the Association. Three churches have been building houses of worship during the year. These are the churches at Tonganoxie, Stranger and Wellsville. The Church at Paola have been repairing their house. There are sixteen church build- ings within the Association, with an aggregate valuation of about $115,000. Every church but one is regularly supplied with preaching-either by it- self, or two or three connected. The exception alluded to is the church at Olathe, whose newly installed pastor has just resigned to enter another denomination.
We regret that we are able to report no revivals, and no large additions to the churches. Last year nearly 500 were added to these churches as fruits of the revivals which so blessed the eastern part of the State one year ago. But few have been added to the churches since these large addi- tions-the churches never were in better condition, taking them altogeth- er. They have been growing, though not increasing in numbers. As one church reports : "They have been training in stability and usefulness the members received a year ago." They were never in a better condition for an onward advance, which we confidently expect to see before another year shall close.
To come to particular churches, Wyandotte reports a prosperous year. They have installed a new pastor, and are happy. They have also paid off their old debt. The congregation have increased-prayer meetings have grown larger, and better, the Sabbath School is also growing rapidly, and harmony and good feeling prevail. A good work is before them.
Vinland has been pastorless most of the year, but is now supplied.
Olathe has lost one pastor, installed another and lost him. Bro. Ingalls accepted a call to Atchison, and the church at once called Bro. F. W. Ad- ams, of Lathrop, Mo. Three months ago Bro. Adams was installed, and almost at once began to think he had got into the wrong fold, and went in- to another. The church at Paola, which has been struggling in weakness for several years, seems to have taken a new lease of life under the minis- trations of Rev. A. B. Jordan, their new pastor. They are trying to pay their debts and put up their house.
The church at Wellsville is small, but hopes to be larger. They have been mainly engaged in building and re-building. Thrice the gale has blown down the frame of their little church, and each time they have put it up again. They hope soon to be able to worship in it. The church at Ottawa, little over two years old, has built a house of worship and secured a per- manent standing in the community. They and their pastor entered hearti- ly into the revival work a year ago, in which all the churches united. As a result, their congregation was very much blessed, and a large addition was made to the church, more than doubling its previous membership. In building their house of worship they incurred a debt which was beginning to trouble them, but, with some help from abroad, they have managed to put matters on a safe basis. From the church at Pomona we have no report except the statistical, which will appear in its proper place. A elmireh has been formed at Valley Brook, one of the out stations, by the pastor, Rev. 1 .. Newcomb.
Of the church at Ridgway we have no report except that Rev. A. Counett supplies it. The church at Grasshopper Falls, which was vacant one year ago, has called Rev. L. B. Wilson, D. D., and he has accepted the call. The church is rejoicing in its good fortune, and is prosperous and hopeful.
20
GENERAL ASSOCIATION.
, A church of eleven members has been formed at Tiblow, 17 miles west of Kansas City, on the K. P. R. W. Rev. Joseph Mason, from Illinois, now ministers to the church. The church at Stranger, founded a year ago, has nearly completed a very tasteful house of worship, and expect to dedicate it in a few weeks.
The church at Tonganoxie has been pressed forward literally against ad- verse winds. Said adverse winds blowing recently, lifted the roof from the church they were building. They at once put it on, however, and are push- ing the work toward completion.
A church has been formed at High Prairie, and they are making arrange- ments to secure a house.
The churches at Lawrence are prosperous. The Plymouth church is steadily gaining. Its prayer meetings never were so well sustamed; its Sab- bath schools so efficient, or its general organization so complete.
The second church has now no pastor, and makes no report.
The Pilgrim church report a prosperous year ; some additions and growth in Christian vigor and efficiency. They have made improvements in their house of worship, and have adopted the envelope system of finances, and find it to work well.
The First church at Leavenworth reports a gratifying. growth in converts received a year ago, and also in the perfecting of their whole work. A ti- nancial crisis threatened in the spring, there being a deficiency of some 1400 in the year's expenses, but the members nobly rallied and made up what lacked. They have adopted the envelope system.
The Second church is heavily burdened with a debt which both troubles and threatens them, but they are hopeful, and expect to work through.
No. 4.
REPORT FOR THE SOUTHERN KANSAS ASSOCIATION.
The distribution of our churches over so large a territory as is included in this Association makes the churches and Ministers strangers to each oth- er, and renders it very difficult to secure such information as ought to be embodied in this report.
We have had a year of growth, though not such as with our material and moral means we ought to have had.
There has been no general revival among our churches during the past year. Few of the older churches of our Association are stronger in men- bership or ability to pay their own expenses now than a year ago.
In a territory where five years ago there were but five Congregational churches, and not more than a hundred members, there are now thirty- eight churches and more than a thousand members.
Nine churches were added to our number last year. They are the fol- lowing: Cedar Grove, Chase county. Cherry Creek, Woodson county. Elk Falls, Howard county. Gove's, Sumner county. Great Bend, Barton county. Hill Springs, Morris county. Peace, Rice county. Sedgwick, Harvey county. Sycamore, Montgomery county.
In addition to this, three Ecclesiastical Societies have been formed in an- ticipation of the organization of churches. A Society at Parsons has been ministered to nearly a year, by Rev. P. M. Griffin. They have built a neat and commodious church edifice, and expect soon to call a council to recog- nize them as a church. and assist in the dedication of their building.
A Society at Coffeyville has employed and paid the whole salary of their Minister. Rev. J. G. Schaeffer, for some six months.
An Ecclesiastical Society of twenty-eight meinbers at Centre Park school house, Montgomery county, shares with the' Sycamore church, the ministrations of Rev. John M. Cheeseman.
Your committee would commend to our Ministers the policy of organi- zing Societies in advance of the organization of churches, at such points as they expect to occupy permanently.
21
APPENDIX.
There have been added to the Ministerial force of the Association but four names, Bro. P. M. Griffin, of Parsons, Bro. Schlichter, of Peace, Bro. . I. Miles Ashley, of Sedgwick and Bro. John M. Cheeseman, of Sycamore, Montgomery county. Rev. Albert F. Hale of the De Kalb Presbytery, Ill., is acting pastor of the church at Emporia and a corresponding member of the Association.
Rev. George B. Hitchcock, of Tennessee Prairie, a veteran Home Mis- sionary, died last September, while on a visit home from his field of labor in Howard county.
During the year two churches have been built, one at Parsons, and one at Council Grove. The churches at Fort Scott. Independence and Sedg- wick, are building, and the church at Cottonwood Falls intend to com- plete their unfinished building during the year they have just entered on. The church at Emporia having long feit their edifice too strait for them, hope soon to build a house fit for their home, and an ornament, to their beautiful city.
The church at Peace, on the Arkansas River, are making preparations to build soon.
Your committee would not deem it advisable to report specifically of each church if they could, and they could not, if they would, for many of the churches have furnished no data for such a report.
We regret more keenly than words could well express, the meagerness and insufficiency of this report.
It ought to bristle with facts instructive aud suggestive. For our future reports we hope to gather from our wide and rich field, something more worthy of permanent record than anything contained in this our first re- port.
To our brethren of the Southern Association, Laymen, as well as Minis- ters, we would say, we are all, in some way agents of our Home Mission- ary Society. No matter about commissions or special authorization, when the time and opportunity come to you to work. Dont wait when God sends yon an opportunity to do his work, for tardy human sanction and authority. You may not be a Minister and a Home Missionary, but you may be called to lead same christian community in the organization of a Congregational Church. Congregationalism is strong only as the Christian brotherhood appreciate it, and make it earnest and aggressive and spiritual.
We, of southern Kansas, have a rich field, as well as a large one. "Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it."
R. M. TUNNELL, S. G. WRIGHT,
G. A. BECKWITH.
Home Missionary Com. Southern Kansas Asso- ciation.
No. 6. REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PUBLICATION AND FINANCE.
Your committee submit the following statement of receipts and expendi- tures for the past year.
DR.
To printing 1000 copies of the minutes of 1873 $145,00.
" postage and Express for their distribution. 8.20.
" twine and paper for wrapping. .75.
" Book for Treasurer 1,75.
" Circulars and postage of Treasurer .6,55.
" Statistical Secretary for printing and postage. 10,00.
CR. $172,15.
By amount received as per Treasurer's account. 142.41.
BALANCE DUE 29,84.
We regret to be obliged to present a report that leaves a balance "on the wrong side. It would certainly have been much more gratifying, could we
GENERAL ASSOCIATION.
have announeed the Association out of debt, and money in the Treasury. and we cannot avoid the conviction, that with a little more effort and promptness, this result might easily have been reached. An assessment of ten cents per member was made at our last annual meeting, amounting to $293,30. Of this amount only $72,10 have been actually paid into the treas- ury. While the minutes have been liberally furnished to the churches, they seem to have overlooked the fact that they were expected to pay for them.
We assume that it was unintentional negligence, and trust the fact will be made apparent, by the promptness with which they will hasten to repair the error. We recommend the adoption in future, of the "pay as you go" system, and that the Publishing Committee furnish the minutes only to sneh churches and Ministers, as will be responsible for payment for the same.
A. M. RICHARDSON - F. T. INGALLS, Coll. . T. D. THACHER.
No. 7.
WASHBURN COLLEGE.
When the last report on Washburn College was submitted to the Associ- ation, at Fort Scott, on the 11th of May, 1872, the new College Building then projected, was still on paper. On the 30th of May, a little over a year since, the contracts for completely enclosing a building one hundred and thirty feet long, by fifty four feet wide, and four stories high, including the base- ment story, were let at a cost of about forty thousand dollars.
The building is now virtually enclosed.
Sinee the last meeting of the Association, the Trustees of the Collegehave paid out on expenditures connected with the building. nearly thirty-four thousand dollars.
A college campus, also, of forty acres, including streets and roads, has been plowed, and enclosed with a pine board fence, and a thrifty hedge of Osage Orange. The College grounds have been set out with two hundred and fifty white elm trees, and two hundred cottonwood trees, arranged in three rows 25 feet apart, along the four sides of the College campus, which is laid off' in the form of a paralellogram, 100 rods long by 64 rods wide. The College owns one hundred and twenty acres contiguous to the campus. The trustees at their last meeting appointed a committee to mature a plan by which the whole tract shall be divided into dwelling sites, and if deem- ed advisable, leased on long time, subject to re-valuations and wholesome restrictions, so that by the lessee paying a certain per cent annually on the valuation, all the land could be converted into a perpetual and perpetually increasing endowment for the College.
Mrs. Washburn, widow of the lameuted Deacon Ichabod Washburn, of Worcester, Mass., recently donated two thousand dollars, as an addition to the endowment fund of the College, and specially as a nucleus for the en- dowment of a Ladies Department. The productire endowment of Wash- burn College amounts to about $31,000 .. The beneficiary fund established by Charles Boswell, Esq., of Hartford. Connecticut, with the condition that it shall be loaned and compounded until it amounts to $10,000, has increas- ed to $6,500.
The great need of the institution at present is to get the building ready for occupancy. The Trustees are desirous of vigorously prosecuting the work, but they cannot proceed without the necessary means, unless by in- eurring a debt, which might prove disastrous to the institution.
At a recent meeting of the Trustees, the following resolution was adopted.
"RESOLVED, That in view of the fact that the interests of Washburn College urgently demand the speedy occupancy of the new College Build-
23
APPENDIX.
ing, the Congregational Churches and brethren throughout the state he earnestly solicited to contribute as soon as possible. so much of the 225,000 pledged and re-pledged by the General . Association, as shall be sufficient to prepare the new College Building for occupancy by next fall. It will take about $20,000 to complete the building, or $5,000 less than the Associ- ation two years in succession, pledged to raise for this object. This pledge was on condition that the citizens of Topeka should make up $40,000, inclu- ding the proceeds of the Academy Building. This condition has been vir- tually fulfilled in the erection and enclosure of one of the finest and most substantial College edifices in the State, as some of the brethren present. and members of the Association, who have seen the building. can testify.
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