USA > Indiana > Marion County > Indianapolis > History of the Presbytery of Indianapolis > Part 8
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April, 1866, J. J. Smythe was released from the pasto- ral care of the church at Shelbyville. April, 1867, he was dismissed to the Presbytery of Erie.
September, 1866, R. M. Overstreet was received from the Presbytery of Central Texas.
April, 1867, C. P. Jennings was received from the Presbytery of Logansport. He labored in connection with the church at Shelbyville. Dissatisfied with the reunion of the Presbyterian church, he united with the
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Protestant Episcopal church, and his name was dropped from the roll of the presbytery April, 1870.
April, 1867, Isaac W. Monfort was received from the Presbytery of White Water. His labors were in con- nection with the church at Greenfield.
September, 1867, W. B. Chamberlain, a licentiate of the Presbytery of Madison, was received. He became stated supply of the Fifth Church of Indianapolis, and was ordained October, 1867.
April, 1868, L. B. W. Shryock was received from the Presbytery of New Castle. He was installed at Knights- town in the fall of 1868.
September, 1868, Robert Sloss, a licentiate of the Third Presbytery of New York, was received. Receiv- ing and accepting a call from the Third Church of Indi- anapolis, he was ordained and installed.
April, 1869, J. C. King was dismissed to the Presby- tery of Iowa.
April, 1870, J. R. Walker was received from the In- diana Presbytery of the United Presbyterian church.
DEATHS.
The death of John Gilchrist, pastor of Sugar Creek church, is recorded in the minutes of the sessions of presbytery in April, 1863.
In the minutes of the sessions of presbytery, in Sep- tember, 1864, the death of William Sickles, at the age of three score and ten, is recorded. Also the death of John F. Smith, in the prime of his life, and pastor of the church at Hopewell at the time of his decease.
STATE OF THE COUNTRY.
September, 1861, the presbytery passed the following resolution :
Resolved, That this presbytery hereby expresses its cordial ap- proval of the resolutions adopted at the late meeting of the Assem-
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bly, in regard to the state of the country, and express the hope that the churches under its watch and care will continue instant in prayer, that the constituted authorities of the nation may be sus- tained in their efforts to suppress this rebellion, and bring the con- flict which has been precipitated upon us, to a speedy and suc- cessful issue.
The following resolutions were also passed :
Resolved, That we are sensible of the evil effects of the present state of our national affairs upon the kingdom of Christ, and we do earnestly urge upon the churches under our care the necessity of frequent and persevering prayer for the presence of the Holy Spirit to withstand those worldly influences which threaten to secularize the church and render ineffectual the preaching of the word.
Resolved, That we recognize higher relations and duties than those imposed by civil governments, and would therefore earnestly ap- peal to our brethren in the Southern States to unite with us in sup- plications to our common King and Saviour, that he may bless our country with a speedy, righteous and permanent peace.
Resolved, That we recommend to all our ministers and churches the propriety of observing the day of prayer appointed by the Pres- ident of the United States.
April, 1863, the following resolutions were passed :
Resolved, Ist, That presbytery enjoins upon all the churches under its care the full and faithful observance of the day of fasting and prayer, as recommended in the recent proclamation of the Presi- dent of the United States.
2d. This presbytery, as an ecclesiastical court, called to witness for Christ before the world, cannot refrain a public expression of its gratification that the resolution of the Senate of the United States, asking the appointment of a day of fasting, makes such distinct mention of our Lord Jesus Christ as the heaven-appointed way of access to God the Father. This recognition of our Divine Mediator by our national authorities is as gratifying as it is rare. Our hope for our country grows strong as we see our rulers giving heed to the divine injunction : Be wise, now, therefore, oh, ye kings; be instructed, oh, ye judges of the earth ; serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and ye per- ish from the way when His wrath is kindled but a little.
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REVIVALS.
In the year 1862 a quiet, but efficient work of grace was wrought in many of the churches. Christians were revived. This was the especial feature of the work, a deepening of the piety and a quickening of the activity of Christians. Sinners also were converted. In the church of Hopewell forty were added to the church on the profession of their faith.
In the year 1866 " blessings of more than ordinary magnitude and preciousness " were bestowed upon the majority of the churches. One church received into its membership, upon examination, forty-eight, another thirty-eight, another thirty, another twenty-seven, other churches less numbers.
Of the beginning of 1869 it is said: "During the latter part of April the city of Indianapolis was visited by a remarkable outpouring of God's spirit. During the refreshing which followed in the month of May, June and July, the churches in that city under the control of this presbytery received a special blessing, both in the ingathering of new members and in a general quicken- ing of spiritual life among the members."
In the spring of 1870 it was reported that in nearly all the churches there had been a deep religious interest, and in many of them most remarkable works of grace. In the churches of Franklin and Hopewell, immediately following the week of prayer, God's spirit had been poured out above what they could ask or think.
In the Franklin church one hundred had been received on examination ; in the Hopewell church, sev- enty-seven ; in the Fifth Indianapolis, thirty-five; in the Third, one hundred and thirty-two.
REUNION.
April, 1865, Rev. C. H. Marshall and Elder W. N.
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Jackson, of the Indianapolis Presbytery, N. S., appeared in the Old School Presbytery, and presented the action their body had taken on the subject of reunion. The following action was taken :
Resolved, Ist, That this presbytery hail with unusual pleasure the presence in our sessions of the brethren, Rev. C. H. Marshall and Ruling Elder W. N. Jackson, corresponding delegates to this body from the Presbytery of Indianapolis, N. S.
2d, That we heartily reciprocate the action of that presbytery looking to a harmonious and honorable blending of the two branches of the Presbyterian church in the United States.
3d, That the Rev. George C. Heckman and Ruling Elder James Blake be appointed principals, and Rev. A. B. Morey and Professor Daniel Kirkwood their alternates, as delegates to convey our Christian salutations and brotherly love to the Presbytery of Indianapolis, N. S., at its next stated meeting at Edinburg, on the 15th of September next, with the expression of our earnest, prayer- ful desire for an organic union between our respective bodies, when such shall be the will of our Lord Jesus Christ.
As the subject of reunion came up time after time in its progress toward consummation, there were various discussions, and various resolutions were passed. The record of the final and decisive vote in September, 1869, in response to the action of the General Assembly, is : Resolved, That we answer the overture of the General Assembly on the subject of reunion of the two bodies claiming the name and rights of the Presbyterian church in the United States, in the affirmative. Ayes, 15; nay, 1.
FIRST CHURCH OF INDIANAPOLIS.
The Rev. J. Howard Nixon, of the Presbytery of Troy, was called to the pastorate of this church, Decem- ber 17, 1860. This pastoral relation was dissolved April 14, 1869. The Rev. R. D. Harper, D. D., was called April 22, 1869. The membership of the church in 1870, was three hundred and fifteen.
8
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In the fall of 1864, the foundation of the third church edifice erected by this church was laid at the corner of Pennsylvania and New York streets. The following year the chapel, containing a lecture room and Sabbath School rooms, was erected. The corner stone of the main portion of the building was laid July 23, 1866. The edifice was completed and opened for the worship of God, December 29, 1868. The cost of this building . was between one hundred and four and five thousand dollars.
SEVENTH CHURCH OF INDIANAPOLIS.
One Sabbath day, early in the year 1865, Wm. R. Craig, a resident of the south-eastern part of Indiana- polis, was much disturbed by a rude and lawless troop of boys. Their repeated and flagrant violations of the Sabbath, and unruly conduet generally, had often out- raged the feelings of the staid old Scotchman, but never to such a degree as on this occasion. He now for the first time began seriously to debate with himself the question of a remedy. He finally decided that a Sab- bath School, by reaching the consciences of the offenders would, in the course of time, effeet a thorough and last- ing eure. Being an elder of the First Church, he ap- plied to his brethren for help. They willingly co-oper- ated with him. A Sabbath School was established. Its first session was in the room of a carpenter shop, be- longing to Peter Routier, on Cedar street. The number of scholars at the first session was seven. The school rapidly increased. Through the exertions of James M. Ray of the First Church, a site was seenred in Fletcher's addition, donated by Calvin Fletcher, Sr., A. Stone, W. S. Witt, Elisha Tavlor and James M. Hough. The Board of Church Extension pledged five hundred dol- lars to the erection of a building, and the First Church
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took upon itself the responsibilty of carrying the enter- prise through. A building was erected at a cost of over three thousand dollars, and December 24, 1865, dedica- ted to the service of God. The First Church appropri- ated five hundred dollars to the support of a mission- ary in the field. W. W. Sickles first undertook the work. Becoming discouraged, he resigned in the spring of 1866. Thomas Galt, a licentiate of Chicago Presby- tery and member of the Theological Seminary in Chi- cago, labored in the field during the summer of 1866. September, 1866, C. M. Howard, from the Presbytery of St. Paul, was invited to occupy the field. November 27, 1867, a church was organized with twenty-three members. Six of these, including an elder, W. R. Craig, were from the First Church. Mr. Craig was the first elder of the Seventh Church. Mr. Howard served the church as stated supply until October, 1869, when, on account of failing health, he withdrew from the field. He was succeeded by Rev. J. B. Brandt, who served one year, when being elected Superintendent of the Young Men's Christian Association of the city, he resigned. He was succeeded by Rev. L. G. Hay. From April, 1868, to April, 1869, sixty-three were added on profes- sion of their faith, and a membership of one hundred and twenty-two reported in the spring of 1869. The membership reported in 1870, was one hundred and forty and four.
BROWNSBURG AND CLERMONT.
The church of Brownsburg was organized in 1867, with seventeen members. It was ministered to by Rev. George Long. It erected a substantial brick edifice, and reported in 1870, a membership of thirty. The neigh- boring church of Clermont, reported in 1870, a mem- bership of fourteen.
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GREENCASTLE.
The Second Church of Greencastle continued under the ministry of Dr. Fisk until the reunion. He then became stated supply of the united church, which re- ported in 1870, as has been already stated, a member- ship of two hundred and fifty. The membership of the Second Church reported in 1869, was one hundred. Du- ring the winter of 1869 and 1870, eighty persons were received upon profession of faith into the united church.
CARPENTERSVILLE.
The church of Carpentersville reported, in 1870, a membership of seventy-one.
BLOOMINGTON.
In 1863 a new church edifice was dedicated to the worship of God. This church edifice was built under the ministry of T. M. Hopkins, whose energy and zeal in the work were untiring. During the ministry of Mr. Hopkins one hundred and seventeen members were added to the church, sixty-one upon examination, fifty- six by letter. In January, 1869, Mr. Hopkins, accept- ng a call to the First Church of Piqua, Ohio, was released from the pastorate. In March, 1869, A. Y. Moore, of the Presbytery of Lake, was called to the pas- torate. As pastor elect of the First Church and stated supply of the Second, he ministered to the united con- gregation from October, 1869, to April, 1870. During this time the Spirit of God was poured out upon the people, and thirty-two persons were received into the two churches upon profession of their faith, twenty-five, to the First Church, seven to the Second. In April the two churches became united as the Walnut Street Pres- byterian Church of Bloomington. A. Y. Moore was called to the pastorate, and installed by the Presbytery
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of New Albany. The Second Church, during its his- tory, had received into its communion, up to the fall of 1869, one hundred and four persons by examination and seventy-four by letter. At the time of the union of the two churches it had a membership of sixty-eight. Up to October, 1869, there had been received into the com- munion of the First Church, from the time of its organi- zation, four hundred and eighty-nine persons. Of these, two hundred and sixty were received upon profession of their faith, two hundred and twenty-nine by letter. The membership of the First Church at the time of the union was one hundred and sixty-eight. In the spring of 1870 the Walnut Street Church had a membership of two hundred and thirty-six.
NUMBERS.
In the Presbytery of Indianapolis, O. S., there were, in 1870, eleven ministers and fifteen churches, with a membership of two thousand one hundred and sixty- seven. Of these churches twelve were within the bounds of the present presbytery. They had a membership of eighteen hundred and thirty-one. The other Old School churches in the bounds of the present presbytery aggre- gated a membership of nine hundred and twenty-six, making a total membership in the Old School churches of two thousand seven hundred and fifty-seven. The membership of the New School churches, within the bounds of the present presbytery, seventeen hundred and seventeen, added to the membership of the Old School churches, gave a membership of four thousand four hun- dred and seventy-four to the churches within the bound- aries of the present presbytery at the time of its organi- zation, July 5, 1870.
The population of the counties within the presbytery was, in 1870, 188,729. It was, in 1860, 158,534. The
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increase was between twenty-five and thirty-five per cent. The membership of the churches in 1860 was 2,850; in 1870, 4,474. The increase is between forty and fifty per cent. And the proportion of membership to population in 1870 is a fraction less than one to forty- five. In 1860 it was one to fifty-five; in 1850, one to sixty-five. Our church is thus seen to have been grow- ing, not only with the growth of the population of the country, but also at a steady rate of progress more rap- idly than that of the population of the country.
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CHAPTER XIII.
Indianapolis Presbytery-Its Boundaries, Members and Churches-Changes in Churches-Ministerial Changes- Missionary Work- Women's Presbyterial Society-Revi- vals-Progress.
1870-1876. PRESBYTERY OF INDIANAPOLIS.
AFTER the reunion of the Old and New School branches of the Presbyterian church, the Presbytery of Indianap- olis, as established by the Synod of Indiana, South, met in the Third Presbyterian church of Indianapolis, at 9 P. M., July 5, 1870, and was called to order and consti- tuted with prayer by Rev. Ransom Hawley, according to the following order of the Synod :
"That the churches located in the counties of Putnam, Hen- dricks, Marion, Hancock, Johnson, Morgan, Monroe, Brown, Bar- tholomew, containing about thirty-two ministers, be constituted in the Indianapolis Presbytery.
" That the Presbytery of Indianapolis, as this day erected and defined by this Synod, is declared to be, and is the legal successor to the Presbyteries of Indianapolis, O. S., and Indianapolis, N. S., formerly occupying in greater part the same territory ; and is enti- tled to succeed to, and does succeed to all the legal and ecclesiasti- cal rights, privileges, franchises, records, books, papers and property of each of said other presbyteries. And that Rev. R. Hawley be, and he hereby is, appointed convener, to convene, open and consti- tute said Presbytery of Indianapolis, in this house, this evening at 9 o'clock."
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Rev. R. Hawley was elected Moderator, and A. B. Morey Clerk.
The following was the roll of presbytery :
Ministers Present .- B. F. Woods, A. C. Allen, L. G. Hay, A. B. Morey, C. H. Marshall, H. A. Edson, S. E. Barr, N. S. Palmer, H. Bushnell, Jr., W. B. Chamber- lain, J. B. Brandt, R. Nutting, L. A. Aldrich, R. Sloss, N. S. Dickey, A. Y. Moore, R. Hawley, A. R. Naylor, R. D. Harper, D. D., E. W. Fisk, D. D.
Ministers Absent .- J. B. Logan, W. W. Sickles, J. W. Monfort, George Long, W. J. Lee, E. Ballantine, J. Greene, E. Wright, C. K. Thompson, John Scott, M. A. Remley.
Churches Represented .- First Indianapolis, W. Sheets ; Columbus, C. H. Paddox ; Walnut street, Bloomington, James Small; Southport, S. Moore; Greencastle, J. Allen ; Second Indianapolis, C. F. Smith; Brownsburg, E. D. Selent ; Carpentersville, G. H. McKee; Bain- bridge, J. Brown ; Third Indianapolis, J. Blake; Fourth Indianapolis, R. M. Stewart; Fifth Indianapolis, E. A. Cobb; Olivet, C. Wilson ; Seventh Indianapolis, H. C. Husted.
Churches not Represented .- Franklin, Greenwood, Hope- well, Shiloh, Acton, Highland, Bethany, Danville, Georgetown, New Pisgah, New Prospect, Boggstown, Union, Greenfield, Edinburg, Donaldson, Oak Grove, St. Louis Crossing, New Hope, Clermont, White Lick, Put- namville.
CHANGES IN CHURCHES.
September, 1870, the churches of New Pisgah and New Prospect were consolidated under the name of New Pisgah.
September, 1870, presbytery, by request, provided sup- plies for Stilesville, in Hendricks county, where a Sab-
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bath school had been organized, but where there was no church of Presbyterian order. At the meeting of pres- bytery, April, 1871, the organization of a church near Stilesville was reported. It was enrolled as the Hen- dricks County Church. The name has since been changed to Hebron. A church edifice has been built, and a mem- bership of forty-five was reported April, 1876.
September, 1871, presbytery appointed a committee to organize a church at Indianola. It has received the name of Eighth Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis. The field of this church was first occupied by the Meth- odists. It was an exceedingly hard field. Having been abandoned by the Methodists, three young members of the Third Presbyterian Church, H. H. Fulton, E. L. Williams and John G. Blake, established a mission Sab- bath school in the building that had been occupied by the Methodists. Out of their labors and this mission school grew the Eighth Church. The first report to presbytery, April, 1872, was a membership of twenty- four, eighteen received upon profession of faith and six by letter. April, 1876, the membership was one hun- dred and twenty-eight.
At a special meeting of presbytery, February, 1872, a committee was appointed to organize the Ninth Presby- terian Church of Indianapolis. April, 1872, the organi- zation of this church was reported, with a membership of twenty. Fourteen had been received by letter, and six upon profession of their faith. The field of this church was first occupied with a Sabbath school organi- zation. It was known as the " Saw Mill Mission." The first school was not prosperous, and becoming extinct, another was established in July, 1870. The leading spirits in the new organization were Gen. Ben. Harrison, Dr. C. C. Burgess, Ebenezer Sharpe, Capt. E. P. Howe,
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I. C. Hays and others, all members of the First Presby- terian Church. Rev. L. G. Hay took charge of the mis- sion, and after the organization of the church was its stated supply for several years. The membership re- ported April, 1876, was one hundred and thirty.
April, 1872, the church of St. Louis Crossing was dis- banded.
September, 1872, the Highland church was disbanded.
The Memorial Church was organized March 12, 1873, with thirty-one members, thirty received upon certifi- cate, one upon examination. The origin of Memorial Church is to be traced to the action of the session of the Second Presbyterian Church, in the winter of 1869-'70. It was the desire to signalize the memorial year of Pres- byterian reunion by another mission. Lots were pur- chased and a chapel erected in the north-east quarter of the city, and a Sabbath school established. The enter- prise was not at first successful, and it was proposed at one time to sell the property and abandon the mission. But better counsels prevailed. The Young Men's Asso- ciation of the Second Church was entrusted with the work, and it was prosecuted with vigor, resulting in the organization of the church. April, 1873, Rev. H. A. Edson, released from the pastoral charge of the Second Church, entered upon the labors of the field of the Me- morial Church. A site was at once purchased for a per- manent church edifice, and contracts let for the building. The corner-stone was laid for the new structure April 7, 1874. The chapel and Sabbath school rooms of the new building were occupied for worship for the first time Sabbath, March 7, 1875. The church has been self-sus- taining from the first. It reported April, 1876, a mem- bership of two hundred and eighty-eight.
April 18, 1875, the Eleventh Presbyterian church of
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Indianapolis was organized. It reported, April, 1876, a membership of forty, twenty-three had been received by letter, seventeen upon profession of their faith. Rev. B. F. Woods has been stated supply of the church.
June 14, 1876, the Twelfth Presbyterian church of Indianapolis was organized.
MINISTERIAL CHANGES.
The Emperor of Brazil, Dom Pedro, when he saw in Machinery Hall of the Centennial Exposition, the record of the number of the revolutions of the great Corliss en- gine, more than a million, that had been made from the beginning of its working wittily remarked, "that beats the South American Republics for revolutions." The frequency of changes among the ministers of Indianap- olis Presbytery, is a fitting subject for imperial wit. An acknowledged evil both to churches and ministers, it manifestly demands a remedy. We note these changes from 1870 to 1876.
September, 1870, I. W. Monfort was dismissed to the Presbytery of St. Paul.
September, 1870, W. J. Lee was released from the pastoral care of the church at Danville. April, 1873, he was dismissed to the Presbytery of Osage, Missouri.
September, 1870, L. A. Aldrich was released from the pastorate of the Sixth church of Indianapolis. Septem- ber, 1871, he was dismissed to the Presbytery of Cin- cinnati.
September, 1870, J. G. Williamson was received from the Presbytery of New Albany. He was supply of the Bethany church until failing health disabled him from preaching.
In the fall of 1870, E. W. Fisk, D. D., was installed pastor of the church at Greencastle. This pastoral re-
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lation was dissolved April, 1872, that Dr. Fisk might devote his labors to the Female College of Indiana.
October, 1870, W. B. Chamberlain was installed pas- tor of the Fifth Church at Indianapolis. October, 1872, he was released from this pastoral charge, and dismissed April, 1873, to the Presbytery of Mankato, Minnesota. September, 1875, he was again received from the Pres- bytery of Mankato, leave given him to labor without the bounds of presbytery, and September, 1876, he was dismissed to the Presbytery of Council Bluffs.
April, 1871, R. D. Harper, D. D., was released from the pastoral care of the First Church of Indianapolis, and dismissed to the Third Presbytery of Philadelphia.
April, 1871, Joseph E. Scott was received from the Presbytery of West Jersey. He was stated supply of the Sixth Church of Indianapolis for one year, and then entered upon the field of Foreign Missions in eastern Turkey.
April, 1871, Alexander Parker was received from the Presbytery of White Water. October, 1871, he was in- stalled pastor of the church at Columbus.
April, 1871, H. L. Dickerson was received from the Presbytery of Crawfordsville. After laboring as stated supply for two years with the Edinburg church, he was dismissed April, 1873, to the Presbytery of Crawfords- ville.
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