USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wakefield > History of the First Baptist Church in Wakefield, Mass., 1800-1900 > Part 5
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In the early summer of this year Jonas Evans, a prominent member of the church, passed away in his eighty-fourth year. He was the author of the Historical Sketch of this church published in 1841, and of an unpublished Sketch of the church continued from 1840 to 1867, and a Memoir of Dea. Jacob Eaton, published in 1859. To these contributions of his pen the writer is largely indebted in the preparation of this work. Besides the books mentioned above he published other works of a similar character, exhibiting in all a good degree of literary ability and an extensive and painstaking collection of facts. The records of the church show that he was an active member, maintaining throughout his life the esteem and confidence of his brethren.
In the spring of 1878 the church extended a call to Rev. R. R. Riddell of South Berwick, Me., who entered upon his pastorate the first of June. In the fall of this year the Salem Association met with this church the third time in its history. The fol- lowing year was one of quiet growth.
In the spring of 1880 the church, after a careful revision of their Articles of Faith adopted those in use at the present time.
The first Sunday in June the church enjoyed a service of deep interest. At the Covenant meet- ing, the Friday evening previous, Albert H. Sweetser, a son of Hon. Paul Hart Sweetser of this town, who had been a Universalist minister for ten
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years, related his experience and was accepted for membership after baptism. Sunday afternoon he occupied the time of the sermon in stating to a large congregation his reasons for renouncing the faith of the denomination with which he had been connected so long and conspicuously, after which he was baptized by the pastor, and later in the month received from the church a license to preach.
Another interesting service was enjoyed by the church the first of the month following in connec- tion with the ordination of Frank L. Sullivan, of whom previous mention has been made in this history. The son of Dea. Sullivan, born and reared in this town, the church felt a deep interest in him and assisted him in securing an education. Now, at the conclusion of his school life he sought ordination at their hands. The sermon on this occasion was preached by Rev. Heman Lincoln D.D., of Newton Theological Institution, and the charge to the candidate was given by Rev. William Hague D.D. of Boston.
In the closing month of the year Rev. Richard M. Nott, who since his resignation in 1874 had dwelt among this people, passed on to his reward in the fiftieth year of his age. Mr. Nott was born in Nashua, N. H., in March 1831. At the age of eleven he was converted, and soon after baptized by his father who was then pastor of the Federal Street, now Clarendon Street, church, Boston. He graduated at Waterville, now Colby, College
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when about nineteen years old. After teaching seven years he entered Rochester Theological Sem- inary, Rochester, N. Y., where he graduated in 1859 and entered immediately upon the pastorate of the First Church in that city to which he had been called before his graduation. After six years of a delightful ministry with them his health failed and his appreciative people sent him abroad for recuperation. The physical vigor was never re- gained. Resigning his pastorate in Rochester he was successively settled at Atlanta, Ga., and Aurora, Ill., coming from the latter place to the pastorate here. "He was a superior scholar and a clear thinker. His early promise was un- common. Few men were his equals in critical scholarship and logical acumen. In the Boston Ministers' Meetings, which he constantly attended, the great worth of his utterances was readily con- ceded by all his brethren."
STEPHEN W. LUFKIN.
SAMUEL L. WHITE.
ALBERT G. SWEETSER.
ROBERT N. HOWARD.
HARVEY B. EVANS.
PRESENT DEACONS OF THE CHURCH.
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CHAPTER IX.
The year 1881 is memorable for the culmination of a period of self denial and sacrifice such as but few churches, we hope, are called to pass through. As previously stated, when the present house of worship was dedicated December 11, 1872, there rested upon it a debt of $40,000 of which $20,000 was borrowed on a mortgage, and $20,000 became a floating debt. It was then necessary to raise annually about $2,500 to meet the current expenses and about $3,000 to meet the interest on the debt. At that time the Society was in a strong and prosperous condition. Then came the hard times. The panic of 1873 ruined financially some of the most valued among the members. In 1874 the floating debt was reduced by the payment of $1,300 which was raised by subscription. In 1876 a herculean effort was made under Dr. Keyser, then pastor, to raise the entire amount. Sacrifices followed and as the result the whole amount of the debt was subscribed. This was a happy day. But the remorseless enemies, death and the hard times, came in and many were obliged to fail on the payments. In 1879 the amount of principal and interest had increased to $27,000. Another effort was made under Mr. Riddell and $7,000 was
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paid, reducing the debt to $20,000. This debt was upon the church January 1, 1881. The burden of it was crushing out the best life of the church. This was felt by the pastor and others. Then came, in the providence of God, Mr. Edward Kimball, a man signally blessed in raising church debts. Sunday, February 13th, he appeared before the people, and under his guidance an effort was made to raise the debt. In the evening of that day the pledges amounted to $14,250. The effort was continued during the week and at the afternoon service the following Sunday it was announced that the pledges, thus far, amounted to $18,000. A letter was read from Rev. D. N. Beach, pastor of the Congregational church, pledging his people for upwards of $1,400. A little later a communication from the same source was handed in pledging an additional $90, swelling their gift to $1500, bringing tears from the eyes of the grateful congregation at this expression of fraternal sympathy. Only $500 was needed to complete the work and more than this amount was quickly pledged. These pledges were speedily redeemed. But the sacrifices made in the last decade to accomplish this result can never be told; nor can the present generation realize its indebtedness to the noble men and women who made it possible for it to enjoy, with- out encumbrance, this beautiful sanctuary.
The following figures are eloquent with meaning. The total sum of money paid into the church since
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its erection began, including interest, outside of running expenses, etc., was $90, 100.14; including insurance, current expenses, etc., $125,000, besides from $5,000 to $8,000 for benevolent purposes.
None except those who have passed through a similar experience can understand, or appreciate, the Jubilee service held in the church Sunday evening, January Ist, 1882 when, the pledges redeemed and obligations met, the auditorium of the church was filled by a grateful and enthusiastic people. We shall not attempt to describe that service, nor a similar one held later by the Sunday school which had furnished the bell at a cost of $1065.74.
Nov. 5th of this year (1882), Rev. R. R. Riddell tendered his resignation which was reluctantly accepted the following evening ; and two sets of resolutions, "highly appreciative and complimen- tary to the pastor " were adopted. The same month brethren Stephen A. Lufkin and Robert N. Howard were elected to the diaconate. The committee who presented their names was divided in its report on the question whether they should be elected for life, or for a term of years. The church decided on the former course which had prevailed hitherto and which obtains at the present time.
The next pastor of the church was Rev. Roland D. Grant whom the church called and settled in the" spring of 1883. Early in the summer following the church received a bequest of $1000 under the will of
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Cornelius Sweetser, a former resident of this town and late of Saco, Me., the interest of the same to be applied to the purchase of books for the use of the Sunday school. The annual income is used exclusively, by vote of the church, for the replen- ishing of the Sunday school library.
Probably no pastor of the Congregational church in this place ever endeared himself to this church as Rev. D. N. Beach ; not only by the earnest and enthusiastic leadership of his people in their generous contribution to the liquidation of the debt upon this church in 1881, but by the kind, fraternal spirit he manifested in many ways, especially in his tender ministrations to the sick and bereaved of this congregation when they were destitute of a pastor. And when in the fall of this year the church learned of his resignation they gracefully expressed their esteem for his christian character and work, and their deep feeling of gratitude, and sense of loss, in a series of resolu- tions, so warm in spirit, and happily worded, as to leave nothing to be desired.
In the spring of 1885 Mrs. Eunice Hill, an aged member of this church died, leaving her homestead, corner of Main and Pearl streets, to this church and the American Baptist Home Mission Society, the income from the property to be divided equally between the church and the Home Mission Society. Also at the expiration of twenty years from the death of the donor (May 4, 1885), the
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property to be sold, if the church so desires, and the proceeds divided equally between the church and the Home Mission Society.
Mrs. Hill and her husband, Charles H. Hill, joined this church by letter in 1855, his death pre- ceding her own but a few months.
The balance of the year was clouded with long and painful cases of church discipline, with seeking delinquent members, and revising the church list.
In February of the following year brother Sam- uel L. White was elected to the diaconate. At the annual meeting in April the following important resolution, introduced by Dr. Samuel Abbott, was adopted : "Resolved, That after this date (April 8, 1886) wine containing alcohol shall not be used by this church at the ordinance of the Lord's Supper." Rev. Mr. Grant having previously pre- ferred a request to be released from the pastorate, the church, at this meeting, declined to grant the request and earnestly entreated its withdrawal which was accordingly done.
The month following the Sunday School Con- vention of the Salem Association met again with this church after an interim of thirteen years. Notwithstanding the weather was unfavorable there was a large and enthusiastic gathering, the church entertaining about four hundred persons in the large vestry, for whom ample provision had been made.
An animated church meeting was held the 27th of this month in response to a petition of seventy
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members for a change in the order of the Sunday services. The order then existing was a preach- ing service in the forenoon, a Sunday school session in the afternoon followed by a preaching service, and a prayer and conference meeting in the evening. The change desired was that during the months of June, July, August and September of the present year the following order should be substituted : preaching at half-past ten in the morning, Sunday school at noon, prayer meeting. at half-past six in the evening, and preaching at half-past seven. The meeting closed without final action. Two weeks later, after another long dis- cussion, the change was effected by a vote of thirty-seven to twenty-four.
This was the beginning of repeated and unsuc- cessful attempts to permanently change the old order of services until the present order was estab- lished six years later.
The year 1887 opened auspiciously. There was an increasing interest in the church and several baptisms, and many were secretly inquiring after the way of life. The first of May Mr. Grant left for a tour of three months in Europe. About the middle of June Mr. William Cossum, a student at Colgate University, and a friend of the pastor, came to supply the pulpit a few weeks, and during his stay labored earnestly, in the pulpit and out of it, to reach the hearts of the unconverted and, as the result of his labors, half a score gave evidence of a change of heart and, on the return of the
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pastor, ten candidates were awaiting baptism at his hands.
At the covenant meeting in August of this year Rev. Willis F. Thomas was received into the membership of the church.
It seems eminently fitting that in this place we insert a brief sketch of the life and labors of brother Thomas who, with his wife, holds a large place in the hearts of this people.
Rev. Willis F. Thomas was born in Henthada, Burma, in September, 1855. His parents, Rev. B. C. Thomas and wife, were missionaries of the American Baptist Missionary Union.
When Mr. Thomas was about twelve years old his parents were obliged to return to America on account of ill health ; his father died just as they were approaching New York harbor. After some years Mrs. Thomas returned to Burma, leaving her son to complete his education at Brown Univer- sity and Newton Theological Institution. While in America Mr. Thomas joined the Harvard Street Baptist church, Boston.
After his graduation from Newton, and short periods of service at Kingston and Winthrop, Mass., he sailed for Burma in the fall of 1880 and began his missionary labors at Henthada, Burma.
Miss Emma L. Upham, a member of this church, was one of the same missionary party which arrived in Burma late in 1880. She was stationed at Toungoo, Burma. December 25, 1883, Rev. W. F. Thomas and Miss Emma L. Upham were
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united in marriage at Toungoo, Burma. Their first station was at Henthada, Burma. Early in 1884 their attention was called to the work among the Chins of Arakan, Burma. At that time there was no mission station or missionary for these wild people ; but much pioneer work had been done among them by Mr. Thomas' mother. In 1885 Rev. W. F. Thomas and wife started a mission station at Sandoway, Arakan, about four hundred miles from their former home in Henthada. They were completely isolated from all other mission stations and their mission suffered much from the depredations of the dacoits, or wild robbers of the mountains, but God blessed their labors and many converts were made.
In 1887 Mr. Thomas and wife, with their son, were obliged to relinquish their work for a needed rest in America. They made their home in Wake- field with Mrs. Thomas' mother. During their stay here Mr. Thomas joined this church by letter from the Harvard Street church, Boston.
In the fall of 1888 Mr. Thomas and his wife returned to Sandoway, Burma, where they labored among the Chins until about 1894, when Mr. Thomas was called to Rangoon, Burma, to take charge of the Burman Bible class. This class was soon after consolidated with the Karen Theological Seminary at Insein, Burma.
In 1896 Mr. and Mrs. Thomas again relinquished their work and spent a year and a half in America,
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with their three children. They returned to In- sein, Burma, in the fall of 1897, leaving their son Albert to receive his education in our Wakefield public schools.
Mr. Thomas is an earnest, indefatigable worker, and has done successful work as pioneer mission- ary and also in the educational work at the Semi- nary. His love for music is a great help to him in his labors, and his knowledge of the Chin, Karen and Burman languages is of great use in the Seminary where students of many races are received.
For this interesting sketch of Rev. Mr. Thomas and his wife we are indebted to Mrs. William C. Campbell, sister of Mrs. Thomas.
At this same Covenant meeting in August, 1887, brother Herbert J. White, son of Dea. Samuel L. White, was given an unlimited license "to preach the gospel as Providence may afford him oppor- tunity." Three deacons of this church have fur- nished each a son to the ministry, all of whom have honored their worthy sires in their calling and given abundant evidence that they were sent of God. In December the church granted a license to brother Fritz C. Gleichman, whom we shall mention more fully later in this history.
The interest developed under the labors of Mr. Cossum continued after the return of the pastor in August, and before the close of the year a number were received into the church by letter and baptism.
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CHAPTER X.
In the spring of 1888 the Congregational church having in contemplation the removal of their old house of worship to erect another on its site, this church promptly offered them the use of their meeting house during the process of rebuilding. This offer was gratefully recognized and in due time accepted. Steps were also taken towards the dissolution of the Baptist Society which, since the founding of the church, had existed as a distinct organization, holding the legal title to all the property of the church, and responsible for all legal claims against it. As the members of the church were members of the society, and the acts of the society were practically the acts of the church, there seemed no necessity for its existence, neither did the laws of Massachusetts require it. This dissolution of the society was accomplished by the action of the church March 30th.
During this same month Rev. S. Hartwell Pratt, assisted by Mr. Birdsall, a gospel singer, spent two weeks with the church conducting evangelistic meetings which were greatly blessed. On the Communion Sunday in May the pastor gave the hand of fellowship to twenty-seven persons who had united with the church since the close of the
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meetings, twenty-four of them by baptism. One interesting feature of the meetings was the im- pression made upon persons of mature years. Of the twenty-four converts who were baptized, thir- teen of them were over twenty years of age, and of these, two were fifty years old, one fifty-six, and four had passed three score years.
If we would labor as faithfully, in the pulpit and out of it, for the conversion of those of mature years, as we do now for the conversion of children and youth, believing that God can save a man as easily as a boy, we are convinced that we should see a far larger number of men and women con- verted and gathered into the churches than obtains today under the impression that children and youth are especially subject to the influences of divine grace.
ยท Early in the summer Mrs. Harriet N. Flint donated $1,000 to the church, "the interest or income of the same to be applied towards the pay- ment of insurance, repairs, and other improvements on and about the house of worship."
The 9th of August appropriate and deeply interesting exercises commemorating the one hun- dredth anniversary of the birth of Adoniram Judson were held in Malden, the place of his birth, on which occasion this church was represented by deacons A. G. Sweetser and S. L. White.
Sunday, the 12th of this month, Rev. R. D. Grant read his resignation to take effect at the
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close of the month, he having received a call to the pastorate of the First Baptist church in Beverly, Mass. The resignation was accepted on the 25th of the month, the church passing appropriate reso- lutions expressing their appreciation of his ability and fearlessness as a preacher, and their continued interest in him and his family in the future.
Mr. Grant's pastorates, previous to his coming here, were at Broadalbin and Poughkeepsie, N. Y. Since leaving here he has been in the pastorate at Beverly, Harvard street, Boston, Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, B. C., his present pastorate. While in Portland he received the degree of Doctor of Divinity. Dr. Grant is a magnetic speaker, commanding a large hearing and is independent and fearless in the expression of his thought. He is a lover of nature and has traveled extensively. He has fine powers of description and is in large demand as a lecturer.
Sunday, October 21, Rev. N. R. Everts of Albany, N. Y., supplied the pulpit. The imme- diate circumstances leading to his appearance before the church on that date are not generally known. The Sunday previous to his coming the pulpit was occupied by a candidate for the place. His name, when given the church, was accom- panied by such flattering testimonials that the Supply Committee was led to engage him for two successive Sundays. His sermons that first Sun- day were so very unsatisfactory that at the close of
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the second service the committee met and with one voice expressed an unwillingness to hear him another Sunday. But how to get rid of him was the question. Said one, "Pay him for the two Sundays and let him go." This was done. Then the question arose of a supply for the following Sunday. Looking down the list in the hands of the committee the eye fell upon the name of Mr. Everts and some one suggested that they "send for that Albany man." He came and preached that Sunday and was requested to remain in town and preach the following Sunday, resulting in a call and an entrance upon his ministry here the first of December following.
Upon the dissolution of the Baptist Society it became necessary for the church to frame new rules for its government in order to transact the business and manage the affairs that hitherto had been conducted by the Society. Consequently a committee was appointed at the annual meeting in 1888 to prepare such rules and present them at the next annual meeting, or at some meeting prior thereto, for their adoption. At a special church meeting called for the purpose, March 20th, this committee made their report, resulting in the "Rules of Order Governing the Church" which, with amendments adopted the following year, are now in use.
Sunday evening, November 17th, the church celebrated the one hundredth anniversary of the
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first Sunday evening prayer meeting believed to have been held in this town. An account of the origin of this meeting and its results is given in the first chapter of this history and need not be re- peated here. As the seed of this church lay imbedded in those Sunday evening prayer meet- ings, which, since its organization it has studiously maintained, it was fitting that this centennial celebration should be peculiarly its own. At this meeting the clerk of the church, Dea. Mansfield, read a sketch which he had prepared, giving a history of the appointing of that first prayer meet- ing, with the names of the persons calling it and the circumstances leading to it. He also exhibited a little book, about the size of a pass book, con- taining the original Covenant then made, and the fifty-seven names then, and afterwards, attached to it. He also gave an account of the most promi- nent prayer meetings and revivals connected with the Baptists of this town up to a recent date. Aged members followed with thrilling recitals of the past, drawn from personal experiences, with which the present generation was unacquainted. It was a memorable service and worthy of the occasion.
The spring of 1890 the church received a fine crayon portrait of Dea. David Smith, the gift of his grandson, Mr. Thomas J. Skinner of this town, as, the donor states, " a token of regard to the church of my boyhood days." With other portraits of
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those old-time worthies it looks down upon the present generation in the vestry of the church.
At the annual meeting this year the church took an important step in deciding to withdraw from the Salem Association and join the Boston North. The reasons for the proposed change were that this church was geographically out of the bounds of the Salem Association and within the bounds of the Boston North; the meetings of the Salem Association were reached with difficulty, and to avoid returning home late at night the delegates and visitors from this church were obliged to lose the evening sessions. Because of these conditions very few of the members of the church attended the Associational gatherings. The meetings of the Boston North were easily reached with oppor- tunity for attendance upon all its sessions without inconvenience.
Very naturally some of the aged members of the church were not in sympathy with the proposed change, this church having been one of the original number of which the Salem Association was composed at its organization in 1827 and these faithful ones had been constant attendants upon its meetings since their entrance into the church.
At this meeting the subject of the change was thoroughly discussed and then referred to a com- mittee to report at an adjourned meeting. The writer distinctly remembers the meeting of that
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committee of which he and Deacon Mansfield, who was not in sympathy with the change, were members. During the discussion of the subject the deacon sat in silence. When asked to state his views he only said, reluctantly, "Brethren, I wish that I had better arguments to advance in opposition to the change than I am able to give."
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