Respectfully submitted,
| C. W. Hawley, |
| T. T. Benson, |
| Wilson Callen, |
| Committee. |
ATLANTA MISCELLANIES.
BY A RESIDENT.
—A Christmas concert was observed by the Sunday-school of the First Congregational Church of Atlanta, Georgia. It followed Dr. Vincent’s programme, which, with variations, was rendered with great success. The singing was excellent. The recitations and the responsive readings of Scripture were impressive. The recitations on the platform, of prose or poetry, a score or more, did not have a failure or a prompting. Every piece during the whole evening was about Christmas. The good reading and elocution were apparent as the result of the good training in the Storrs School, whose teachers are also instructors in the Sunday-school. Pastor C. W. Hawley seemed in his element as the leader of this service. Sup’t Roy made a talk at the close. The school numbers two hundred and twenty-five. It would greatly gladden the hearts of the friends of our work if they could only look in upon this and the many other such schools in the South.
Atlanta has a monthly Sunday-school Teachers’ Institute. Pastor Hawley attends it. Atlanta’s County, Fulton, has also a Sunday-school Association, which convenes in the city quarterly. At the last meeting, as interest was warming up in favor of taking some more practical measures toward helping the colored Sunday-schools, it was found that the constitution limited the membership to such schools as were “all white.” Whereupon a resolution of interest and of encouragement was adopted. At the last meeting of the State S. S. Association, held in Macon, a colored school in Savannah applied for membership. The matter was quieted for the time, but it is said that it will come up again. Upon the recommendation of Gov. Colquitt it is proposed to adopt the Brooklyn idea of a Children’s Day once a year; this not only for the City but for the State. In Atlanta there are fourteen colored Sunday-schools.
—At an entertainment at the Atlanta University, during the holidays, the Field Superintendent gave one of his addresses upon the map of the United States.
—At the watch-night service in the Trinity M. E. South Church, of Atlanta, one of the speakers, Rev. Dr. Potter, a Presiding Elder, dwelling upon the openings of benevolence during the last year, expatiated at length upon the million of dollars given by one estate to the American Board. Surely the children of light are beginning to do business upon something of the grand scale on which the children of this world project their schemes. It was stated at that meeting that during the year, under Pastor Heidt, the Trinity Church had received two hundred members, half of them upon confession of faith, and had paid off a debt of twenty thousand dollars. It seems that the M. E. General Conference, South, has abolished the feature of a six months’ probation. Only those are received who give evidence of conversion. The form in receiving a member that night was quite Congregational. This church has also advanced upon the policy of its sister at the North, in allowing a four years’ pastorate, instead of three.