USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Lowell > Historical sketch of the First Baptist Church, Lowell, Mass. centennial anniversary > Part 5
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We come now to a detailed picture of the First Baptist Church as she stands today. We shall consider the present from the point of numbers, of financial support, of spirit, of Christian edu- cation, and of evangelism. The total on our roll today is about 1500. This number embraces about 500 separate families in all parts of the city. The accessions during the past year and two months have been 179. If the church should continue through a period of eleven years at just the rate she is now going, instead of having 900 accessions to show, as in the fruitful days of Eddy, we would have about 1650.
In financial support, the church has given to current expenses from 1901 to 1926, $247,090.41. Of this amount the Society paid $202,265.60, while the church paid $44,824.81. The Mission contributions from the church for this length of time amounted to
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$127,819.02. Thus, the total contributions to all purposes from 1901 to 1926 have become $374,909.43. A record well to be proud of! Of the present church year, not complete until next April, the figures now stand : For current expenses $13,896.70, of which amount $5,000.00 represents an amount paid in to date on extensive recent building repairs; for missions to date $2,211.60. Doubtless, the mission amount for the current year will be greatly improved before we make final report to our board. In the recent building repairs, amounting to $10,000.00, we find that there were more than 125 worthy givers. In the regular church budget there are now over 400 regular contributors, and the church intends to put on a concerted effort to double this number next April.
We shall not go at length into the numerical and financial status of the church. There are other things that we value more. Behind all these quantitative measures there is a wonderful spirit. This spirit is a composite of many wholesome life-angles. The first I mention as aggressiveness. Almost every hour of the day, and practically every night in the week, this building is the busy scene of some group meeting relevant to general kingdom interests. The next angle that comes to my mind is hopefulness. You are not living in the past. With all its richness continually before you, your gaze is ahead and your heart forward. It is remarkable how few times you have even mentioned your past to your present pastor, not that you fail in any wise to value what your sires have done, but that you are so everlastingly busy improving upon it. You have thought, and thought wisely, that the greatest honor you can bestow upon their memory is to camp beyond where they camped and to extend gloriou ly what they could only begin. Your hopefulness and aggressiventes have been marked with your ability to work cheerfully together. Co-operation is often used promiscuously as a slogan, but at the First Baptist Church of Lowell it is an atmosphere. It fell .he lot of your pastor not many days since to fill out a questionnaire calling for a listing of all the organization and group interests clustering about the old church. The space alloted on the prepared blanks was by no means enough. After completing the list he was compelled to pause and thank God that so many and so much could center about his ministry, do work so effectively and so quietly, and, withal, in the spirit of the
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strictest harmony and esteem for one another. You have been co-operative in your hopeful aggressiveness because you have had, as a church, at your heart's center the spirit of the eternal Christ- mas, understanding and goodwill. Your services have attracted all races and all creeds because your comradship and goodwill beamed in everything you undertook to do. It is a matter of great gratification to your present pastor that this church is considered a sort of Mecca for all Christian interest during the hot months of summer when many other churches are closed.
All of this goes to say that you have appreciated your place in the Kingdom of God, your place in the city, your place in the hearts of one another. Our staff workers during these strenuous centennial days have been led to remark at times on the constant and heartfelt indications of appreciation that have already been forthcoming from every part of the organization. You have re- flected this genuine spirit in the very design of your book, which you have ordered prepared with a due and just regard to the va- rious activities, a book, whatever its faults may be, that is charged with loving recognition in a far more detailed form than is the wont in centennial publications. This spirit is not recent alone. but marks a golden thread running through eighty splendid years. From the time you surprised dear old Deacon Brabrook with an easy chair to the very last month when a similar thoughtful and useful gift was bestowed upon your pastor, this church has been noted for taking the jolts and jars out of life for one another. Whole organizations, with their flowers, friendship cards, and smiling faces, are now engaged in spreading this spirit over Lowell. If you are a stranger or a visitor in this church this morning, and are debating where you will place your church membership, if you are looking for an opportunity to spend and be spent in a realm of Divine opportunity and at the same time in an atmosphere of loving recognition, (and certainly our best work is never done in any other ), then I invite you to join us today. You are the person this church is designed to serve.
But no account of the spirit of this institution would be com- plete that did not speak of you as a democratic people. The re- sponsibility of church governance here is placed squarely and solidly upon the shoulders of all the people. This, with you, has
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been a growing ideal. When Mr. Cookson, your first pastor, came on the field a hundred years ago he received only six votes. Only nine votes were cast out of twenty-eight, and three of these were against his call. When the last pastor to date was called it is said that the vestry was crowded, and that when the question was put every man, woman, and child present immediately voted. A great principle of Baptists is that each church is a self-determining body, and that within each body each several member is a self-de- termining part. But Baptists have sometimes failed to live up to their principles, and have allowed themselves to be harnessed in the interests of cliques and parties. We are glad for your demo- cratic record. The master evidence of your love for the demo- cratic ideal, however, is not to be found in your church voting, but in your brave championship of these things in the affairs of life. Only a few short years ago our newspapers flared with the mes- sage that a weak and defenseless nation lay bleeding at the iron heel of a despot ; that plucky, thrifty, little Belgium had had her birthright of self-determination snatched from her by the hand of one who believed that "Might made right". It was then that the First Baptist Church of Lowell was called upon not only to show her love for democracy in the running of a church, but in the run- ning of a world. She was asked by Democracy to reply to Ger- many's threat that she would make Belgium as swept as a house frau's kitchen floor, and would, at the same time, bleed France white. One hundred sixty-three of the truest young men of the old First Church of Lowell and one brave young woman, Myrtle E. Mellen, who went out as nurse, in behalf of Christian democ- racy, replied to that threat. Of this number, seven, in token of their trust, now sleep where popies bloom on Flanders Field. The gold star boys that went out from us were :
JACOB SIMONIAN. HOWARD MCCOY, WALTER BRUCE, GEORGE GARNER, GORDON POPE, SEGUR SEVERSON, RALPH TEWKSBURY.
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"Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends".
It is perfectly beautiful to me to behold your personal love for this church as an institution. This church has become a part of the family traditions of some of you. Many families there are among us that have, within these walls, marked the baptisms of three generations. One family instance has come to my hand in which four generations are so marked. There may be others. I take the liberty of quoting this one :
1st-Amos Wright Dows and wife, baptized by Dr. Eddy. 2nd-Azro Milton Dows, baptized by Rev. O. E. Mallory. 3rd-Amos Hovey Dows, baptized by Rev. Smith Thomas Ford. 4th-Phyllis Ruth Dows, baptized by Rev. Grady D. Feagan.
There are individuals who have also seen long terms of service. For one, we think of Mrs. Craven Midgley, who has witnessed the 50th, 75th and 100th anniversaries. Some have said to me that, in the face of better business opportunities elsewhere, one of the determining factors in their remaining in Lowell was their love for the dear old church that has meant so much to them and to their fathers before them.
This church may also be viewed in another way. We have spoken of its numbers, of its financial support, of its spirit, but it now remains for us to speak a few words about the active chan- nels being used to "carry on" in the work of the Gospel. These are two, Christian Education and Evangelism. In both these re- spects this church is ready to be examined. All the latest and best things in Christian education have not as yet been installed among us, but, if any one will take the trouble to drop in on any one of our Sunday School Council meetings, he will go away impressed with the fact that our superintendents, teachers, and officers are thoroughly aware of the newest developments in this rapidly im- proving field, and that, if not already practicing this particular development or that, they have it under advisement or may be just waiting for the opportune time and place. In addition to the work in this field that is being carried on by Sunday school, missionary and auxiliary societies, this church has always demanded, and very wisely so, that the sermon itself from Sabbath to Sabbath shall be constructed with proper regard to teaching values.
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There was a time when our church and Sunday school main- tained a library that numbered 935 volumes. Mr. A. G. Pollard, who is now active among us, was our first librarian. But the library is now gone and his position has gone with it. Yet I am sure he does not feel that we have here indicated a step backward in our Christian Education. The fact seems to be that he was so successful in lending out good books and in encouraging people far and wide to read them that at length borrowing the book to them was not enough. They just kept them as their very own, an incorporate part of the private library, where they could be re- ferred to any time.
Our Christian education programs have been filled with pur- pose. We have directly aimed them for their connection with evangelism. We have felt that Christian education without evangelistic emphasis is weak while evangelism without Christian education is shallow. The Sunday evening services are given over to New Testament Evangelism. In addition to this, there is one season of each year given over to a harvesting of souls. We be- lieve that the plan of harvest-time in the spiritual order of things is just as logical as the expectation of such a season for the West- ern wheat belt. At the same time, we do not believe that Christian evangelism should ever be cheapened by the admission of squeam- ish, freakish, or erratic methods. Furthermore, our definition of evangelism is made to include more than the fact of salvation. An elemental experience of God's grace is, to us, one part of the evangelistic program of a modern church. The fostering of a sure and steady vital-growth in grace is the counterpart. Hence. we delight to "lead out" young Christians into the fuller life. There are at present more than 300 in this church representing men and women of all ages who can and do lead in public prayer ac- ceptably as well as give their public witness to the power of God.
But what of the future? The past has inspired us. The present gratifies us and brings us to humility and prayer. What shall the future be? Gustavus F. Davis, in his first sermon to the infant church, said "The little one shall become a thousand and the small one a strong nation". He spoke of the future. Half of his prophecy has long since been fulfilled, and the other half is now in process of fulfilment. Freeman with his dying breath spoke for
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the future when he said, "Tell my dear people to be humble, faith- ful, zealous, and united in love". Eddy dreamed of the days on ahead when he poured out his heart to God in prayer for the church of full centennial days, and, stretching his vision of faith across half a century, dared tell his audience that those days on yonder would be freighted with such importance as to warrant the earnest petitions of the church for them even then and there. Alden be- lieved in our future when, at a greatly advanced age and just be- fore his last sickness, he wrote, "May the Glory of the latter house exceed the glory of the former, and may the great Head of the Church there record His name!" Stanton passed warmly from retrospect to prospect when he said, "As I now review my long life, rapidly drawing to a close, I must say that the very brightest, happiest, and strongest days I ever spent were during those five years I labored in Lowell as your pastor. But the best of it is that you are not living in the past". Colwell saw the church of our tomorrow when he told N. C. Mallory that "the notable thing about that dear old church is the vast number of people that have gone out from its walls into every nook and cranny of the globe. and who now, from their several places on the far-flung battle line, cease not to pray continually for the old battle line as she crosses new trenches to newer victories".
And now, the old church is still here, and you and I are here. Will these prophetic visions actually be realized in us? Will we keep faith with the past? I believe we will.
True that the population of Lowell has recently shown a small decrease. But churches are not built upon the power of the census but upon the power of God and the loyalty of individuals. Let not a momentary industrial depression phase you. This church has lived through many depressions and will live through many more. Another reminds us that we have recently lost many great men from our midst by the hand of death. We know it and realize it all too well. But all the great men in our congregation are not dead. It is a common failing of humanity not to know a great man until he has passed on. I verily believe that there are at this very mo- ment within the sound of my voice scores of great men who, fifty years from today, will have joined the list of the immortals and have been accounted as Lions of the Tribe of Judah. Let each
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member of this church look away to the future, outward, upward, onward, and sing to his own soul the divine music of the poet :
Somewhere out on the blue seas sailing, Where the winds dance and spin, Beyond the reach of my eager hailing,
O'er the breaker's din ; Out where the blinding fog is drifting,
Out where the treacherous sands are shifting, My ship is coming in !
Breasting the tides where the gulls are flying,
Swiftly she's coming in ;
Shallows and deeps and rocks defying,
Bravely she's coming in ;
Precious the love she will bring to bless me, Snowy the arms she will bring to caress me, In the proud purple of kings she will dress me, My ship, ship that is coming in !
And to you, veterans in the business of living, members of this church and congregation who, yourselves, have attained an eightieth birthday and more, invited here this morning as this church's very especial and honored guests, seasoned with years and ripe with experience, laureled today as the living witnesses to the glories of both the old house and the new, I say :
O steadfast trees that know
Rain, hail, and sleet and snow, And all the winds that blow ; But when spring comes, can then So freshly bud again, Forgetful of the wrong.
Waters that deep below
The stubborn ice can go
With quiet underflow, Contented to be dumb
Till spring herself shall come
To listen to your song.
Stars that the clouds pass o'er And stain not, but make more Alluring than before ; How good it is for us That your lives are not thus Prevented, but made strong !
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Give us your words of counsel. Your advice is seasoned with salt. We prize your tender words.
"Words are instruments of music; an ignorant man uses them for jargon; but when a master touches them, they have unexpected life and soul. Some words sound out like drums; some breathe memories plaintive as flutes ; some call like claronets; some shout a charge like trumpets; some are sweet as children's talk; others, as rich as a mother's evening prayer."
Various ones of you at varying times in life have used the door of thought expressed in all these ways, save the first. You are held today in the heart of a grateful people not only for what you have said and done but for what you are now in thought, in heart, in hope. We gladly conclude our last sermon on the history of this church with the mention of your dear names :
Mr. George L. Huntoon
Mrs. William Whitmore
Mr. Azro M. Dows
Mrs. M. T. Dows
Mrs. Thomas Walsh
Mrs. George W. Dutton
Mrs. Charlotte Hodgman
Mrs. L. M. Estabrook
Miss Mary A. Coburn, dating with Dr. Eddy
Mrs. John Hayward, mother of Arthur Hayward, minister Mrs. F. E. Harmon
Mrs. Theodore Gardner, teacher in Sunday School many years
Mrs. Jennie Meserve, singer many years
Mrs. Jesse Parker
Mrs. O. D. Coburn
Miss Sarah Crosby, who came in 1861
Deacon and Mrs. Wm. D. Sheppard
Mrs. Edmund Brickett
Mrs. William N. Hannaford
Mrs. V. B. Perkins
Mr. and Mrs. Elbridge Hutchinson
Mr. A. G. Pollard, recently 83 years old. Constantly active 33d degree Mason, donor of our beautiful organ First organist in the Sunday School First Sunday School librarian Outstanding member in First Baptist Society
Member of congregation from before Eddy Always true to the church with his counsel, presence and support
May God spare you all for yet many more months and years and when He shall at length be pleased to call you home, may the mantle of your patience and grace rest mightily upon all whom you leave here behind !
A resume of the Boards of Deacons of the First Baptist Church reveals a personnel of sterling calibre, which calls for our rarest devotion to the memories of those who have entered into their heavenly reward ; and our highest regard and loyalty to those who are serving today.
The distinctive characteristics of the deacons of the past and the present are here recorded with gratitude for their constant un- selfish service, and with appreciation for their magnanimity and charity.
Devotion to the First Baptist Church
E rudition in the World of God
A lleviation of the pain of sorrow
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Consecration of service seriously assumed
O bligation of duties tactfully met
Negotiations for Church skillfully consumated
Subjugation of self for others' interest
B enefaction to the poor and needy ones
Observation of Church's discipline A dministration efficiently executed R eclaimation of moral wanders D edication to God
First Baptist Society
At the annual meeting of the Society held April 8, 1841, we find a reference to a committee known as "Tithing Men", for at that meeting four men were elected as such a committee, and a similar committee appears to have been elected from year to year. In 1854 thirteen men were elected to serve as Tithing Men. At the annual meeting held March 15, 1859, it was voted "That the Tith- ing Men be requested to ascertain their duties by law." As to why such a vote was passed, or what its effect was, nothing appears on the official records, but no such committee was ever elected after 1859 so far as we can find.
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1926
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BOARD OF
DEACONS
Top Row-WILLIAM D. SHEPPARD, GEORGE W. HUNT
Second Row-ARTHUR J. FRENCH, Chairman ; CRAVEN MIDGLEY, THOMAS BROWN. Third Row-EDWIN W. PARSONS, WARREN F. SANBORN, Clerk; FRANK E. KIMBALL, WILLIAM W. BUZZELL. Bottom Row-MAYNARD J. BEAL, REV. G. D. FEAGAN, Pastor ; LORING L. TRULL.
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At the annual meeting held April 13, 1858, it was voted that "Congregational Singing" be adopted.
The first official salary given to the pastor appears in the records of the annual meeting of March 23, 1837, when the amount was fixed at $1,000. In 1857 the pastor's salary was fixed at $1500 and two weeks' vacation, the vacation being allowed at the request of the pastor.
On March 4, 1826, "An Act to incorporate the Proprietors of the First Baptist Meeting-House in Lowell" was passed by the Legislature.
The following men were elected as clerk on the dates specified :
Feb. 1, 1826, J. C. Morrill Apr. 27, 1827, Benjamin Mather Nov. 5, 1834, Alvah Mansur Mar. 23, 1837, Benjamin P. Brown Mar. 28, 1839, Alvah Mansur Apr. 8, 1841, Benjamin Watson
Apr. 6, 1848, Samuel C. Pratt Apr. 10, 1856, Joseph Merrill Apr. 13, 1858, Edward Kavanaugh Mar. 20, 1860, James S. Welch
Mar. 21, 1866, William W. Sherman
Mar. 12, 1873, Frank T. Jaques
Apr. 6, 1880, Henry L. Tibbetts
Apr. 1, 1908, Edward W. Trull
The Church Treasurer, Mr. W. W. Buzzell, reports :
1901-1926
First Baptist Society-To current expense. $202,265.60
First Baptist Church-To current expense 44,824.81
First Baptist Church-To all missions. 127,819.02
Total $374,909.43
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A Brief History of the First Baptist Church Sunday School 1826-1926
As we review the past records of our school they reveal the fact that the First Baptist Sunday School was organized May 26, 1826, a little less than four months after the church came into existence.
Mr. J. C. Morrill, postmaster of the town, and one of the founders of the church, was chosen as the first superintendent.
The choice seems to have been a wise one, for he had at least three qualifications rather necessary for a man who might hope to successfully conduct a Sunday school. He had ability, experience, and a very highly developed sense of duty.
Although a Baptist, he had been prevailed upon to become superintendent of the first Sunday school organized in Lowell ( St. Anne's Episcopal) ; thus it will be seen that he was the first Sunday school superintendent of the town, as well as our pioneer super- intendent.
Just how long he continued in the school is not known, but from an old church report we learn that he withdrew from the church to enter the ministry, and continued in this chosen field successfully for 30 years.
From 1826-1836, a period of ten years, no records have ever been found to give us a clear idea of what progress was made.
In various ways, however, we have been able to discover practically to a certainty the names of those who led the school as superintendents through this period, but we are not certain of the length of time, or the order in which they served.
During the early part of our school existence there were two separate schools, each having its own superintendent-one was called the Adult school and the other was known as the Juvenile school.
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SUNDAY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT AND DEPARTMENTAL SUPERINTENDENTS Top-MRS. THEODORE F. GARDNER, Home Dept.
Second Row-HAROLD F. HOWE, Senior and Adult Dept .; THOMAS JOHNSTON, Intermediate Dept.
Third Row-MISS LOUISE PERRON, Beginners' Dept .; THOMAS A. WHELAN, General Superintendent; MRS. GEORGE A. SIMMONS, Cradle Roll.
Bottom Row-MISS ALICE HENDERSON, Junior Dept .; MRS. T. A. WHELAN, Primary Dept.
The Juvenile school was the children's division very similar to our primary department today.
Just when this division came we are not absolutely sure, but the Juvenile school is spoken of as early as 1836, and again in 1837, as having 75 members, divided into 12 classes, five boys' and seven girls.'
In the beginning the school was governed by the church and school officers, but in 1837 the management of the school was taken from the church and put into the hands of a committee of fifteen men chosen from the Church and Society.
This method continued until Jan. 1, 1849, when the manage- ment of the school was taken from the committee of fifteen and put into the hands of the newly-organized First Baptist Sunday School Society, with a constitution providing that the pastor of the church should be the president.
This organization was in existence until 1868, when the two schools were united again under Geo. A. Weed, as superintendent.
Special mention was made of this man in the 75th anni- versary report of the school as being one of our best beloved super- intendents, and that there was great regret when he resigned in 1872, because of ill-health.
This Sunday school seems to have been particularly blessed in the men and women who have willingly served and sacrificed time and strength for the benefit of all.
Eighty-five per cent. of the teachers in the school are women, and it is needless to say that a large share of the success of the past has been due to their hearty support.
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