USA > Indiana > Indiana Baptist history, 1798-1908 > Part 9
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This Association was organized in 1824, and was formed of that part of the Wabash District Associa- tion that lies on the Indiana side of the Wabash river. It began with eight churches, six ordained ministers and 360 members. Ten years after the organization another Association was formed from it-Curry's Prairie-including the churches lying east of the Wa- bash river, and north between Vincennes and Terre Haute, including the latter. The Union Association had to contend with the teachings of Alexander Camp- bell also, and although some inroad was made into the membership, the Association grew steadily in num- bers and efficiency; in 1847 the statistics being sixteen churches and 644 members. At the Jubilee meeting in 1874 the reports showed twenty churches and 1,380 members; the Rev. J. L. Irwin was moderator and Hamlet Allen, clerk. At this session a historical paper was read by the Rev. T. N. Robertson, one of the oldest and ablest ministers of the Association. In an incidental way he gives many facts of interest as to other Associations: "In 1826 she, that is Union Association, opened correspondence with Lost River, Salem and Little Pigeon Associations, which was con-
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tinued for a time with apparent harmony, but owing to missionary proclivities of the Union Association correspondence was dropped by Salem Association at her meeting in 1827, she having embraced the 'two- seed' doctrine of Daniel Parker."
Wabash District Association was organized in 1809 and opened correspondence with the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions, and continued correspondence till 1819. In 1820 the name of Daniel Parker ap- pears on her minutes ; he circulated in her midst, his pamphlets on Anti-ism, and the two-seed doctrine which she embraced, and thus dissatisfaction arose, and hence the necessity of the formation of Union .Association in 1824.
"The doctrines of Parker spread to some extent over Blue River, Lost River, White River and Salem Associations, hence they all dropped correspondence with Union as she would have nothing to do with Parkerism and its blighting influence; but the Lord has blessed Union Association notwithstanding the many trials she had been called to pass through
Blue River Association was organized in 1816; she opened correspondence with the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions and continued till 1824 when she dropped the correspondence without assigning any reason. Lost River was formed in 1825 with a mem- bership of 548, and she also opened correspondence with Union and Flat Rock Associations, both mission- ary bodies; but in 1833 Lost River declared non-fel- lowship with all benevolent institutions, as Bible So- cieties, publication societies, Sunday schools, etc., .
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so we see that the very first Baptists in In- diana were missionary. Other Associations in south- ern Indiana spoke against missions-Little Pigeon, Salem, Danville, and Eel River, all small bodies and some of them extinct."
The oldest church in Union Association was Wa- bash Baptist church, organized some time prior to 1809. Maria Creek was the next, formed in 1809. A con- siderable notice of Maria Creek was given in the be- ginning of this work. Veals Creek was organized in 1823, Mount Olive in 1825, Indian Prairie in 1832 and Washington in 1840; others still later.
Among those whose names would most readily oc- cur as leaders in building up Union Association would certainly be Elder William Stansil. In the Associa- tion minutes of 1855 is to be found an obituary notice from which the following full extracts are taken :
"He was born in North Carolina in 1800, came to Indiana in 1808, was married to Celia Barber in 1818, became a member of the Shiloh Baptist church, Perry county, in 1821, was licensed to preach in 1823 and was ordained in 1824. He was truly a pioneer preacher, laboring under many difficulties and disad- vantages, traveling through cold and heat, mud and snow; crossing swollen streams and facing fierce winds that he might preach the word of life to the lost and perishing. Three score years he zealously labored for the Master, and as a tangible result of his labors two thousand persons found peace in believing in Christ ยท He was buried in Sullivan cemtery, having died in his 85th year."
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In Hamlet Allen's sketch of the churches of Union Association it appears that Elder Stansil was pastor, in turn, of the following churches-Wabash, Maria Creek, Washington, Aikmans Creek, Shiloh, Sullivan, Wilson Creek and Edwardsport.
Elder Samuel Anderson preached the first sermon, and was the first moderator of the Association. He was called on to preach the introductory sermon on nine different occasions; he was a member of Maria Creek church.
Elder Abram Stark was also one of the pioneer min- isters in the Association; he was elected moderator at nine successive sessions.
Elder Joseph Chambers had the confidence of all his brethren; he was made moderator at eight differ- ent times.
The Rev. Elijah Sanford was pastor of Maria Creek for several years; and of Prairie Creek church for six years; he has laid the Baptists of Indiana under deep obligation for his excellent sketch of Maria Creek church.
Professor Hamlet Allen, of the Washington city schools has been clerk of Union Association for over thirty years, and if he will consent, will be elected that many times more. The reason of his great accepta- bility is his interest in the work, and his efficiency. He is intensely interested in the progress of the Asso- ciation-and he knows what progress is. His record as an educator is also State-wide.
The following beautiful testimony is found as to the interest a Sister Hubbard, of Vincennes, mani-
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fested in the building up of a Baptist church in that place: "She worked for its welfare long and earn- estly; and dying she gave $2,150 for a bell and the upholstering of the pulpit and pews." She remem- bered other interests as well. She left $425.00 for the Richmond Baptist Church; $425.00 for Chester- field church; $225.00 for the Cambridge City church; and $170.00 for the Indianapolis Female institute.
LOST RIVER ASSOCIATION-(COUNTIES OF WASHING- TON AND ORANGE).
This Association was constituted in 1825. The min- utes of 1826 record seventeen churches and 548 mem- bers. Elder Abram Stark was moderator and Elder James McCoy clerk for several years in succession. Nearly all the Circular letters are a platitudinarian plea for peace and love, and yet there is a great deal of internal trouble-largely because the churches are not doing any worthy work for the Association nor the Master. In 1832 Elder Royce McCoy presented the much maligned Circular letter, advocating family religion, sending Bibles to those who do not have them, sympathizing with missions at home and abroad, etc. The Association, through its committee said "away with all such things."
It is a coincidence that about this time Daniel Parker visited the Association, and after this no Mc- Coy's name appears on the minutes ; they were all and always for missions. In 1833 the churches were warned against missions Tract societies, "Temperent" societies and such things. After ten years from the
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organization the Association reported eighteen churches and 575 members; after twenty years fifteen churches and 368 members, and after thirty years thirteen churches and 346 members. The last report to be found gives twelve churches and 113 members; the Baptists of that time and part of the country vio- lated the condition of spiritual growth in a marked degree-and died. A quotation from the Circular Letter of 1837 allows us to see how far off the churches had wandered from right conceptions and purposes :
"For it is a well known fact that the doctrine of Mr. A. Campbell, and what are called the benevolent institutions of the day have brought more distress and division among the people called Baptists, in America, than everything else put together."
INDIANAPOLIS ASSOCIATION-(COUNTIES OF MARION, HAMILTON, HANCOCK, JOHNSON AND SHELBY).
This Association was constituted in 1826. The or- ganization was effected at a church called Marion in Shelby county. The constituent churches were Blue River, Indianapolis, White Lick, Union, New Hope, Marion, Liberty and Union of Blue River. Elder John Caldwell was chosen moderator, and Elder James McCoy, clerk. Correspondence was opened with White Water and White River Associations; also by means of the minutes with Lost River and Silver Creek. The Constitution, Articles of Faith and Cir- cular Letter are fully set forth in the first printed pro- ceedings of the Association ; the membership was 207.
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The next copy of the minutes accessible (1833) states that the session was held at Lick Creek, in Marion county, and that Elder Nathaniel Richmond preached the introductory sermon; there were sixteen churches and 698 members.
The more prominent ministers were Elders Ezra Fisher, Nataniel Richmond, Thomas C. Townsend, and closely associated with them, though working some of the time in other fields, were Elders Lewis Morgan, Samuel Harding, J. L. Richmond and John Hobart. The minutes for 1843 report sixteen churches and 1,015 members; also that Elders G. C. Chandler, Madison Hume, E. B. Smith and J. R. Williams have come into the Association. One hundred and three persons had been added to the churches during the year ; and as the minutes were printed at "Anderson- town" the ready inference is that at that time the facilities for printing were better than at the "village" of Indianapolis !
Correspondence was maintained with the following Associations-Flat Rock, Salamonie River, White Lick and Tippecanoe. The resolutions passed at this session allow us to see the spirit of the churches :
"I. Resolved that this Association consider it ex- pedient to make an effort to obtain a minister to travel and preach within the bounds of this Association. and we appoint a committee of five brethren to obtain such a minister, and to obtain funds for his support."
The committee appointed was Elders N. Richmond, T. C. Townsend, J. Smock, and J. R. Oliver and Deacon H. Bradley. The second resolution was to
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`the effect that the Association approves the effort to publish a Baptist paper at Madison. Two other reso- lutions, passed later in the session, were a recommen- cation of the American Indian Mission, and the Man- ual Labor Institute at Franklin under the administra- tion of Elder G. C. Chandler. The Circular letter was an attempt to show that according to our church polity the majority should rule. The proceedings for 1845 do not' indicate any radical changes; there were nineteen churches and 1,058 members; and Madison and Union Associations were added to the list of cor- respondents.
The session for 1855 was held with the Lawrence church; the number of churches was twenty-two and of members 1,837; the new ministers in the body were the Revs. Sidney Dyer, J. S. Gillispie, A. C. Hume and A. Whitman. The Circular letter advocated the duty of supporting foreign missions, and urged that "nothing less than the salvation of the world should be our aim." At the session of 1857, the Rev. M. G. Clark was present as editor of the Witness, and the brethren were much encouraged that "we are to have a paper of our own, published in Indianapolis." The Rev. U. B. Miller wa- present as the representative of the American Baptist Home Mission Society, and the Rev. Silas Bailey as president of the Franklin College.
The proceedings for 1859 mention that the Rev. A. S. Ames is representative of the Missionary Union, and the Rev. U. B. Miller of the State Convention. The Circular letter, written by President S. Bailey,
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was a plea for the financial support of the ministry. The Rev. J. B. Simmons was pastor of the First In- dianapolis church, and the Rev. I. N. Clark was pastor at Southport. At the session in 1860 a committee to which the work was assigned reported that there are six churches in the Association that are entirely destitute of preaching, viz .: Pleasant View, North Union, Pendleton, Greenfield, Eagletown and West- field. An effort was made to revive the work in all these churches, and to this end certain brethren of the ministry were requested to visit them.
Among the Institutions of learning commended were Franklin College, Indianapolis Institute and Ladoga Seminary. In 1865 the number of churches was twenty-two and the total membership 1,790; the ministers who had come within the bounds of the As- sociation were the Revs. Henry Day, D. D., E. S. Riley, J. M. Smith, A. H. Dooley, T. S. Husted and M. D. Gage. The Association was always prompt in expressing its sympathy for the brave men who were defending the country's flag; this is what was said in 1866:
"We do hereby express our heartfelt gratitude to God for these inestimable blessings; and we will pray for and sympathize with our loyal countrymen in their noble efforts to perpetuate these blessings and liber- ties to all the inhabitants of this country, irrespective of race and color."
The Book Depository established at Indianapolis by Todd and Carmichael was heartily endorsed and com- mended. The Indiana Baptist Ministers' Institute was
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organized, the first session to be held at Franklin. The proceedings of 1870 show that the following min- isters have come into the Association-the Revs. Wil- liam Elgin, F. M. Buchanan, A. C. Edwards and J. H. Razor. The proceedings state also that the Wit- ness has died-or rather been sold to the Standard.
The minutes of 1874 contain a history of New Bethel church; it was organized in 1827 with eight members; in 1834 the "Reformers" presented a letter to the church claiming half the house as their right, when the church appointed a brother to notify them that they were mistaken in their claim. In 1875 there were twenty-six churches in the Association, twenty- three ordained ministers, and five licentiates. First In- dianapolis was numerically the largest, having 528 members ; Franklin was next, 222. From this time on Sunday school conventions were held regularly in connection with the Association, and the administra- tion of H. Knippenburg of Garden church was a suffi- cient warrant for success. In the list for 1880 are found the well known names of the Revs. A. B. Chaf- fee, I. N. Clark, E. W. Clark, T. J. Connor, L. E. Duncan, G. H. Elgin, A. J. Essex, C. H. Hall, N. Harper, R. N. Harvey, F. M. Huckelberry, H. C. Mabie, J. L. Matthews and W. N. Wyeth. In 1885
the total membership of the body was 3,032. In 1886 a committee of five-previously appointed-submitted a report as to the case of the Rev. F. M. Buchanan, said to be living in unlawful wedlock. Here follows the report in full :
"Whereas it is believed that the Rev. F. M. Buchan-
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an, the pastor of three churches in the Association, is living in a marriage relation forbidden by the law of Christ; therefore: Resolved that we the Indian- apolis Baptist Association put ourselves on record as standing firmly for Christ's law of marriage and divorce. That it is our conviction that any minister maintaining marriage relations such as are sustained by Pastor Buchanan, is disqualified thereby from fill- ing the high position of a minister of Christ, and that we cannot recognize Pastor Buchanan as a Baptist minister in good standing. That we recommend to the churches served by Pastor Buchanan that they call a council at an early date for investigation and advice; and that we withdraw fellowship from Pastor Buchanan and his wife as delegates to this body."
This report was signed by the committee. The final result of the matter, without giving details, was that the following churches withdrew from the Asso- ciation and organized the Central Association-Frank- lin, Greenwood, First, North, South-street, Garden and German Indianapolis, Lebanon, Southport and Mount Pleasant. This left the Indianapolis Associa- tion with fourteen churches. The minutes for 1895 give the number of churches as eleven and the mem- bership 1,143; those for 1906 report nine churches and the total membership 864.
Among the laymen of Indianapolis Association prob- ably no one held a higher place in the esteem of his brethren and sisters than Deacon J. R. Osgood of the First church, Indianapolis; he came to the city in 1847, and was soon identified with the church and
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Sunday school; in fact it was soon understood that he was a superior Bible teacher.
"He was the beloved superintendent of the Sunday- school for more than twenty years, and his name is held in affectionate memory by hundreds who knew and loved him in that office. He was always among the first in every good work. For many years he was at the same time deacon, chorister, superintendent of the Sunday school, Bible class leader, chairman of the board of trustees, the pastor's first counsellor and dearest friend, a practical and successful business man and patriotic citizen. In 1885 he instituted the annual festival of the Sunday school, and for per- haps thirty years these were held. He went home May 23d, 1871, mourned by the citizens of Indianapo- lis, as well as by the First church and Sunday school."
There were many able men in the ministry in the Indianapolis Association; some of these deserve special mention. It is reasonable to expect that some of our prominent leaders should gather at the capital of the State. Among these the first to be mentioned is Elder Ezra Fisher who was born in Massachusetts in 1800, was graduated from Amherst college and from Newton theological seminary ; and then longed for some open- ing in the "great valley" by which was meant the Mississippi Valley. In 1832, having done much to awaken the missionary spirit in his own church he mentions that the mission offering has been increased by $35 and two strings of gold beads, he was invited to visit Indianapolis. He came as a missionary of the
-
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American Baptist Home Mission Society; in his re- port for the quarter ending June 22d, 1833, he says :
"When I learned the great variety of religious sen- timents embraced by members of this church, I had but little hope of uniting all the members on the doc- trines of the gospel as embraced by the Regular Bap- tists. Also as I saw the determined efforts of a brother . to draw all our members to A. Campbell's faith, my hopes of success were diminished. In May, Henry Bradley commenced labor with Brother Saun- ders for industriously propagating Arian and Camp- bellite doctrines; it came before the church in June, but we were unsuccessful in our efforts to dislodge him from membership."
As a resort they adopted Articles of Faith so radi- cal that the said Brother Saunders could not remain in the church. In speaking of his confidence in the fidelity of the members of the church he says: "We feel confident that no ordinary obstacles will induce us to abandon the work"; and still later: "The church of this place will probably soon be freed from con- flicting opinions and troublesome members."
In his report for the quarter ending December, 1834, he gives some account of his work; "preached 24 sermons, attended General Association, also Dan- ville Association, helped organize a Sunday school and attended the General Meeting of Western Bap- tists at Cincinnati, Ohio." It seems that up to this time he had not given his full time to the Indianapo- lis church, for in his report is this entry: "In March the church asks me to preach all the time." He was
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one of the founders of the General Association-Indi- ana Baptist Convention-in April, 1833, and also one of the founders of Franklin College in June, 1834. He was held in high esteem by the citizens of Indian- apolis, as is manifest in the fact that one of the bank- ers sold him lumber with which to build a residence, taking his note at six per cent, at the same time saying that he would rather give him the lumber than have him leave the town. In 1845 he crossed the plains in an ox-team caravan to Oregon and had the privilege of planting the first Baptist church west of the Rockies, organized in Washington county, Oregon. After a life full of labors in the kingdom he loved, he fell asleep November 1st, 1874.
Elder Lewis Morgan was born in Greenville, Ten- nessee, in 1788; he came to Indiana and settled in the woods of Shelby county in 1816. He at once identified himself with Baptist interests-was one of the founders of the General Association, and of Franklin College. He was at the front in all the ad- vance moral movements of the time-as temperance, Sunday schools, missions, etc. He was a man of fine presence and intellectual power. Elder Ezra Fisher records his high estimate of Elder Morgan in these words:
"Brother Morgan was with us at the Cincinnati meeting ; he has been discontinued from his agency in the service of the American Sunday school Union, we all suppose, through the influence of the General Agent for Indiana. Brother Morgan wishes to de- vote himself to the cause of Christ; but he says that
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unless he has some assistance he must do it at the sacrifice of part of his farm; which he is determined shall be done if assistance comes from no other quar- ter."
In 1833 he uses this language in describing the condition of the churches when he first began work in the State :
"When I commenced about nineteen months ago in this State I was received as a hireling in disguise, or at best as a dupe of a party, particularly amongst the Baptist denomination, with few exceptions. The whole of the benevolent institutions of the day were considered to be a plan of speculation and intended only to answer the purpose of designing men, and were in the end to prove subversive of our civil and religious liberties."
After a long period of labor in Indiana and Iowa he died at Bellevue, Iowa, in 1852.
Elder Samuel Harding was born in Kentucky in 1787, and came to Indiana in 1825, settling on lands seven miles southeast of Franklin on Blue river. He was active in the organization of Blue River church, of which the Franklin church was at first a mission, or "arm." He also assisted in the organization of several churches in the counties adjacent, and was one of the founders of the General Association, and also the college. He is said to be foremost in the loca- tion of the college at Franklin, and was pastor of the Franklin church from 1833 to 1835. His friends re- member him as a good speaker, a sociable friend and earnest Christian worker. Elder Fisher says of him:
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"Brother Harding is a tried friend to the benevolent operations of the day-has acted as agent one year for the A. S. S. U. and is highly approved in the churches ; and is as generally known as any minister in the State."
Elder J. L. Richmond, M. D., was born in Chester- field, Massachusetts, in 1785, settled first in Ohio, then in Pendleton, Indiana, and at length in Indian- apolis, uniting with the Baptist church in 1835. He was a master in his profession of medicine and sur- gery, and equally a master in the gospel ministry. While pastor of the church at Indianapolis he prac- ticed his profession as a means of helping to support his family, and for such benevolence as he was in- clined to. It is said that he borrowed funds with which to send Judson Benjamin, a student in Franklin col- lege, to Brown University to fit himself for Foreign mission service. He was in complete sympathy with Isaac McCoy in his mission work for the Indians.
Here is a tribute to his worth from Nicholas Mc- Carty, of Indianapolis, as he sent him fifty dollars- "have heard as profitable sermons from him as from any other, and the gift is not a deed of charity, but an honorable one of justice." His active career was closed by a stroke of paralysis in 1847, and eight years later he passed away at the home of his son-in-law, Deacon Albert Henderson, then living in Covington, Indiana. The Western Journal of Medicine and Phy- sical Science for 1830 is authority for the statement that in 1824 or '25 he performed the "Caesarian sec- tion," saving the life of the mother; and this is said
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to be the first time the operation had been performed in this country. He was a commissioned surgeon of the war of 1812, being assigned to service on the lakes; he also was one of the founders of Franklin college.
Elder T. C. Townsend was born in Virginia in 1799. He came from Kentucky to Indiana, and was ordained to the Baptist ministry by the Lick Creek church, four miles south of Indianapolis, in 1834. In the record of Pleasant View Baptist church is this entry: "We have this day settled with Elder T. C. Townsend as pastor of this church for his faithful services for one year, having never missed a meeting; we paid him ten dollars."
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