Southern Conference – Meeting Minutes Apr 12 – 13, 1893 (Report by Church of Our Father)

Atlanta, Ga. Apr 12 – 13, 1893
Southern Conference of Unitarian and Other Christian Churches was held in the Church of the Messiah, New Orleans, La. April 12 – 13, 1893.

The Church of Our Father was represented by Mr. John Y. Dixon, President of the Association, Rev. William Roswell Cole and H.M. Currier delegates.

Mr. Charles H. Behre being unavoidably absent.

On the first day, Rev. Walter C. Peirce was installed as minister of the Church of the Messiah.

On the second day much business was transacted. Many interesting reports and addresses read.

The following clergymen were present.

Rev. W. W. Fenn Chicago, Ill.
Rev. George L. Chaney Atlanta, Ga.
Rev. Wm. Roswell Cole Atlanta, Ga.
Rev. F.W. Sanders Asheville, N.C.
Rev. Sam. F. Free Chattanooga, Tenn.
Rev. N. Shutlz San Antonio, Texas
Rev. Walter C. Peirce New Orleans, La.

The following report from the Church of Our Father was presented.

To the Southern Conference and Other Christian Churches in Session:

BRETHREN – In presenting the report of the Church of Our Father of Atlanta, we have few changes to note in the membership.

In the general work of the church we were never in better condition, and in order to report fully what the church has accomplished in the year, it will be necessary to call your attention to its auxiliary societies.

The Women’s Alliance consists of twenty-five members. They meet regularly every other Tuesday at 3 P.M. Their work in the past has almost entirely been for objects outside the church, the Home for the Friendless, Grady Hospital, Indian schools, etc. This year they have done a good work in furnishing the Carrie Steele Orphanage of their own hands. They are now employed in making fancy articles for the benefit of the church.

The Sunday school at present consists of about forty active members. Average attendance is twenty-seven. It is divided into five classes. Their studies are lesson papers and question books furnished by the Unitarian Sunday-school Society.

The teachers are faithful in their attendance and there is not lack of interest on the part of the children, who are painstaking and faithful, and are always ready to assist in making our special service successful.

The Fortnightly Club – While this club is an auxiliary of our church, its membership is not confined to the church or congregation. It was organized as a literary and musical society, with social features, its main object being to bring our people together and also to make others acquainted with our church and people. We have succeeded well in this direction, and the club meets twice a month with a literary or a musical programme and is will sustained and appreciated by our people and friends. The club has also assisted the church the past year in a financial way.

The Liberal Church League has been a very important auxiliary, and is composed of men who are willing to consecrate themselves to church work, under the guidance of the Executive Committee.

The object of the League is primarily the dissemination of liberal views and principles in the religion, and the sustenance and upbuilding of the Church of Our Father.

It has the standing committees as follows:

  • A joint visiting committee with the Women’s Alliance, whose duty is to visit new comers to the city and make all strangers welcome to our church.
  • A Sunday-school committee of three members.
  • A library committee of three and an advertising committee who have charge of all advertising and printing for the church and its societies. We have a library of 1,500 volumes, and the library committee has opened to the public, with a public reading room with the leading magazines and a distribution, which is open every Sunday afternoon and every Tuesday and Friday evening from 7 to 9:30 o’clock. We can already see the good effects of this arrangement. Since January first there have been 125 visitors to the reading room and fifty regular patrons to the library.

Another club has grown our of the Liberal Church League, which is called “Young Men’s Saturday Night Club,” a debating society, a majority of whose members are not of our church of congregation.

Our work in the year has been to bring our church to the attention of the people generally. We have kept our church open as much as possible, and in all of our society work have kept that object in view.

This report would be incomplete were I to omit to say that al all times and in all places our pastor is the leader, and that the harmony and good working order of the church is owing greatly to his earnest work and good judgment.

H.M. Currier

The visiting members were amply entertained by the members of the Church of the Messiah.

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H.M. Currier, Clerk

Physical Archive: UUCA   Box: 25  Folder: 03   Book: 01   Pages: 175
Citation: Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta Records, RG 026, Archives and Manuscripts Dept., Pitts Theology Library, Emory University, Atlanta GA