To the Brethren in Michigan.
The Michigan Conference Committee, feeling that some arrangement should be made by which meetings among the churches should be more systematically and regularly held than heretofore, propose, as a matter of experiment, to district the State, putting a certain number of churches into each district as they would most naturally be divided, and assigning a district to the care of some messenger for one quarter. We have accordingly arranged the churches for labor in the following order: Western District. Colon, Parkville, Otsego, Allegan, Watson, Monterey, Caledonia, Bowne, Lowell, Orleans, Fair Plains, West Plains, and Wright. Central District. North Liberty and Salem Center, Ind. Burlington, Newton, Hillsdale, Hanover, Jackson, Tompkins, Bunkerhill, Charlotte, Windsor, Oneida, and Convis. Eastern District. Orange, North Plains, Greenbush, St. Charles, Chesaning, Owasso, Woodhull, Locke, Tyrone, Milford, Shelby, Oakland, Lapeer and Memphis. A portion of the present quarter of the Conference year has already gone; hence in this quarter, it will be necessary for two or three churches in some instances to meet together, so that the field may all be passed over, and the quarter end at its proper time. Nov. 21, 1864; and as it is advisable, for the same reason, to have this district labor commence with as little delay as possible, the committee take the liberty to appoint the two first meetings in each district as follows: Western District, Joseph Bates, first meeting at Caledonia, Sept. 24, Wright, Oct. 1. Central District, John Byington, Convis, Sept. 24, Jackson, Oct. 1. Eastern District, R. J. Lawrence, Milford, Sept. 24, Orange and North Plains, Oct. 1. The remaining appointments in each district, those who labor in the several districts will arrange to suit themselves, being careful as above stated to so arrange it, that the quarter shall end Nov. 21. We make the above appointments simply to expedite the matter as much as possible. The committee suggest that soon as tent season closes, Bro. I. D. Van Horn should visit Memphis Lapeer and Oakland. The brethren at Hadley, and Vicksburg, should be visited by the messenger who holds meetings nearest to them. This arrangment is not designed to exclude the churches from having a visit from any other laborer except the one assigned to their district for any given quarter, but it is that the churches may know what to depend upon, and not become discouraged under the idea that perhaps no one will visit them, and also that they may see that the committee are not wholly unmindful of their wants. but are endeavoring to make arrangments to supply them as well as our available means will permit. As above stated, the present arrangement is only for one quarter, and is by way of experiment. Now we want both ministers and people to report in regard to the success of these meetings, and how they are pleased with the arrangement, that we may know whether or not to continue it. And we pray that the blessing of God may rest upon all the means used to advance his cause, revive and encourage his people, and prepare them for the soon-coming translation. U. SMITH, } Mich.,
JOHN BYINGTON, } Conf.,
R. J. LAWRENCE, } Com.