USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wakefield > History of the First Baptist Church in Wakefield, Mass., 1800-1900 > Part 6
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It was characteristic of this good man to yield sentiment to duty, and submit gracefully to the inevitable. When a member of the church called on him the morning after the adjourned annual meeting and said, " We must fight this change," he answered, "No, my brother ; it is a foregone conclusion, and I am not going to place myself in a position where I shall lose my influence with the members of the church." The attitude of this brother did more than all else to quiet opposition and bring about the desired change in a harmonious spirit.
The following month the church received a portrait of Dea. Martin Stowell, the gift of his two sons, John D. Stowell of Chicago, Ill., and Rev. Alfred S. Stowell, at that time pastor of the Baptist church in Montville, Conn. The presenta- tion, in behalf of the donors, was happily made by Deacon Mansfield and gracefully received by Deacon Sweetser.
Sunday afternoon, May the 18th, farewell services were held in the old Congregational meeting house, which was erected in 1768, prior to its being torn
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down to give place for the erection of the beautiful structure in which that church now worships. The Sunday following, having accepted the offer made them two years previously, they worshiped in the Baptist church. The arrangement for the services of both churches during their occupancy of the house was as follows : The Congregationalists occupied the house in the forenoon with their preaching service, followed by their Sunday school at noon, and the Baptists occupied the house in the afternoon with their Sunday school and preach- ing service as usual. Sunday evenings the churches united in the prayer service which was conducted alternately by the two pastors. The monthly missionary concerts of the two churches were held, alternately, the first Sunday evening of each month. The mid-week meetings of the Congregational church were held in the vestry of the Universalist church. This arrangement between the two churches, which proved satisfac- tory in every respect, prevailed during the twenty- two months in which the new Congregational church was in process of erection.
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CHAPTER XI.
Thursday afternoon, August 28th, a council convened in the church to examine brother Fritz C. Gleichman for ordination to the gospel ministry, he having completed a course of studies in Colgate University preparing for missionary labor in the foreign field. The examination was highly satis- factory and the ordination services followed in the evening with the sermon by Rev. C. H. Spalding D.D., District Secretary of the American Baptist Home Mission Society, the ordaining prayer by Rev. J. N. Murdock D.D., Foreign Secretary of the American Baptist Missionary Union, and the charge to the candidate by his pastor.
The Sunday evening following, after a sermon by the pastor, addresses were delivered by Rev. Mr. Wallace, pastor of the Congregational church, and brother Gleichman. These were followed by baptisms, when brother Gleichman administered the ordinance to his wife whom he had lately married in Hamilton, N. Y., and who was received as a candidate for church membership the Friday evening previous.
The following morning brother Gleichman and his wife left for their field of labor in the Congo valley, Africa, from which he never returned,
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dying at the mission from the fatal fever of the country, June 17, 1893, aged thirty-eight years.
Sunday evening, September 17, 1893, a memorial service was held in the church. The pastor preached from Psalm 46 : 10, "Be still and know that I am God." The devoted friend of brother Gleichman, Mr. George H. Smith, read a sketch of his life which he had prepared, which was followed by a tender and appreciative address delivered by Rev. E. F. Merriam, Recording Sec- retary of the Missionary Union.
Rev. Fritz Charles Gleichman was born in Copenhagan, Denmark, November 13, 1855.
The first we know of him is as a little child, not eight years old, standing on the streets of that city in mid-winter selling matches and soap; a father- less boy whose mother with her children had been turned into the street a few nights before because of arrearages of rent. This is all we know of his childhood. In his youth he was successively a waiter in a public house, cabin boy aboard ship, and finally, as steward of a vessel, he entered a port of Nova Scotia. Here, with difficulty he found employment, having abandoned the sea. Later he came to Boston where, learning of an extensive Rattan factory in Wakefield, he journeyed to this place on foot and secured employment in the fac- tory. One Tuesday evening, a few weeks after his arrival in town, oppressed with a feeling of loneliness he strolled upon the streets. On Main
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street, opposite the Baptist church, he was arrested by the ringing of the bell, and paused to listen and watch the people entering the church. When the bell had ceased ringing he crossed the street, passed up the walk to the church door, and looked in. At this moment an elderly gentleman coming up invited him to enter and gave him a seat by his side. For weeks afterward, at every prayer meet- ing, the young Dane could be seen sitting by the side of his new-found friend, brother Asa Newhall Sweetser.
In due time he was converted, and was baptized January 25, 1880. He embraced an opportunity to study the English language by the help of a young man in the church, and later went with Dr. Phillips to Roger Williams University, Nashville, Tenn. From there he went to a school in Pella, Iowa. After two years he returned east to earn money to continue his schooling and finally entered Colgate University at Hamilton, N. Y., where he completed full courses in the college and Theolo- gical Seminary, graduating from the latter in June, 1890. Early in his christian life he longed to become a missionary, and this purpose controlled all his preparation in the schools.
The chief characteristics of Mr. Gleichman were a cheerful spirit, an indomitable will, untiring energy and an undaunted courage that laughed at difficulties. He had supreme faith in prayer and found no greater pleasure than in seeking, by
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personal efforts, to win souls to Christ. His widow, Mrs. Boletta Gleichman, and their one son are residing, at present, in Hamilton, N. Y.
The increased representation of this church in mission fields, through the appointment of Mr. Gleichman, suggested the idea of a church mission museum, to be supplied by articles from the mis- sion fields in which its members were laboring, which led to the present exhibit in the vestry of this church, nearly every article having been fur- nished by brother Thomas from Burma, or by the lamented brother Gleichman, or his wife, from the valley of the Congo.
In October the Salem Association, at the request of this church, held its annual meeting with them again before the separation. At the evening session, when the request of this church for dis- mission was under consideration, kind words of parting were uttered by representatives of other churches in the Association and by Dea. Sweetser of this church who spoke, with deep feeling, of his life-long interest in the Association and of the hallowed memories of the past.
In the fall of this year the small vestry, in which the prayer meetings were then held, was refinished and decorated, largely through the generosity of Mrs. Harriet N. Flint who, though residing in later years in this town, the home of her childhood and youth, still retained her membership in the little Baptist church in North Reading with which
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she united, on removing to that town, in 1841, that they might feel at liberty to call upon her for any assistance she could render them, while resid- ing and worshiping here and contributing to the support of this church.
A union Thanksgiving Day service of the Con- gregational and Baptist churches was held in this church in which the pastors of both churches de- livered addresses. It was the first Thanksgiving Day service in which the two churches had united in sixteen years.
The year was one of interesting events, crowned with the quickening of the spiritual life of the church and the conversion of sinners. Fifteen were added to the church by baptism.
The year 1891 opened with delightful union services during the Week of Prayer, conducted by * the pastors of the two churches. The summer passed pleasantly with no special incident to be recorded.
Learning that the Congregationalists purposed entering their new house of worship in the fall the pastor felt that the time had arrived when, if ever, a successful effort could be made to adopt a new order of Sunday services to be followed when the church should again have entire control of the house. The proposed change, substantially the same as that observed at the present time, was submitted to the church committee and after full consideration was, by them, recommended to the
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church and went into effect the following year. The results have proved the wisdom of the change. A few years since an aged member of the church, and a teacher in the Sunday school, said to the writer "I never enjoyed my Sunday afternoons as I do now, in the quiet study of my Sunday school lesson for the following Sunday."
In September the church entered the Boston North Association at its annual meeting held with the Old Cambridge church, Cambridge. There was a large attendance from this church and much satisfaction expressed with the change.
In December a Baptist Young People's Union was formed out of the young members of the church and brother Clarence S. Delfendahl chosen its first president.
Sunday evening, March 6, 1892, a memorable service was held in the church. For nearly twenty- two months the Congregationalists had occupied the church a part of every Sunday for their services and united with this church in the Sunday evening prayer meetings. These union prayer meetings had brought the churches very closely together in chris- tian fellowship. A warm friendship had grown up between the pastors who had labored together in the most cordial relations. The new edifice of the Congregational church was now completed and ready for occupancy the following Sunday.
The union meeting this evening partook of the nature of a farewell service. The audience was
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very large, completely filling the large vestry and overflowing into the small vestry in the rear.
Rev. R. W. Wallace, pastor of the Congrega- tional church, read the following paper :
At the morning service of the Wakefield Con- gregational church on Sunday, March 6th, 1892, it was unanimously Resolved : That the following minute be adopted for insertion in the church records, and that a copy thereof be transmitted to the Wakefield Baptist church, signed by the pastor, the Church Clerk and the Clerk of the Parish.
Christian kindness is one of the queenliest of virtues. To simply witness its exercise is a glad- dening sight. But to participate in it, to have it meted out to us with no narrow heart or stinted hand, is an experience to be sacredly cherished. It "blesseth him who gives and him who takes."
To us as a church, throughout the many months in which we have been without our own sanctuary, such christian kindness has been cordially extended by our Baptist brethren, by pastor, offi- cers and members alike. It has made the time of our sojourning pass more swiftly and pleasantly, to feel that a sister church offered us so willingly a sanctuary in which to praise, an altar at which to pray.
Profoundly sensible of this courtesy, we-the members and adherents of the Congregational church -embrace this opportunity of recording
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our appreciation of, and gratitude for the good will of our Baptist brethren, and assure them that their fraternal act will be cherished as a memory worth preserving.
Not the least among the blessings of this affiliation will be the knowledge that these churches - each in its own way -are laboring for the extension of the Kingdom of Christ, and look- ing for the victory of righteousness in the community to which they belong. Henceforth there will be greater interest in each other's suc- cesses and more of prayer for each other's enlargement.
"He that receiveth you receiveth me," once said our Lord. And as a church, we remember that the honor done to us in the name of christian fraternity is not only done to us, but also to Him whose name we all honor, and whose glory we all seek. And He who does not overlook even the gift of a cup of cold water, in the name of a disciple, will not fail to reward this act of christian courtesy and grace.
Finally, and as we say " farewell," we commend our hospitable friends to God, and to the word of His grace, desiring for them the realization of that word's great promises, and of the blessings which our God is so ready to give.
ROBERT W. WALLACE, Pastor.
JOHN W. WHITE, Clerk of the Church. E. E. EMERSON, Clerk of the Parish.
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Mr. Wallace followed the reading of the paper with a warm, appreciative address, to which responses were made by the pastor of this church, deacons Sweetser and Mansfield, and brother Henry L. Haskell. But more expressive than these addresses, though heartfelt, were the hand- shakings, and the kind informal words of separation spoken by the lingering people after the benedic- tion. The delightful relation formed at this time between these churches has continued unchanged, and found frequent and courteous expression.
The Thursday evening following their departure from this church the Congregationalists dedicated their house of worship with deeply interesting exercises. The sermon on the occasion was by their former pastor, Rev. D. N. Beach, and an impressive prayer of dedication was offered by their pastor, Rev. R. W. Wallace. Each of the local pastors delivered short addresses.
A good religious interest prevailed in this church during the year and fifteen persons were added to its membership by baptism. Near the close of the year Dea. S. L. White tendered his resignation as deacon of the church, owing to ill health, and that he might be relieved from the sense of responsibility connected with the office. The church reluctantly accepted his resignation and passed appropriate resolutions expressing their regret at his resig- nation, and their sympathy with him in his feeble state of health.
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CHAPTER XII.
Rev. Mr. Wallace resigning his pastorate of the Congregational church early in the following year (1893), this church bore testimony to their esteem for him, and well wishes for his future, in resolu- tions adopted at the Sunday morning service January 22d.
The Boston North Association, into which this church entered from the Salem Association in 1891, had grown to such dimensions, embracing fifty-one churches and sixteen thousand one hundred sixty-two members, that a satisfactory division was made this year, and a new Association formed, called the Boston East, numbering thirty churches, with a membership of seven thousand four hundred fifty-nine. In the division thus made this church became a member of the new Association which, at the close of the century, reported thirty- seven churches with a membership of nine thousand four hundred sixty-nine. An increase, within a decade, of seven churches and two thousand ten members.
This year the Congregational, Baptist and Methodist churches united in Thanksgiving Day services for the first time in nineteen years, since
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which these churches have united in worship upon that day.
The year throughout was a quiet and prosperous one, with a growing interest in the prayer and conference meetings and thirteen were added to the church by baptism. The year was, however, one of unusual mortality, the pastor being called upon to officiate at thirty-four funerals, of which eleven were of members of this church, embracing several of the aged and most esteemed among them.
For a long time the church had felt the need of electing a deacon to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Brother White in 1892, the full board at that time consisting of but four members. The election occurred in January, 1894. The meeting was tender, solemn and impressive. After the reading of appropriate selections from the Scriptures a half hour was devoted to prayer for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the selection to be made. With marked unanimity the choice fell upon brother Harvey B. Evans who had been a long time in the minds of the members for the position, but who had not been brought forward earlier because of his known objections to assum- ing the responsibilities of the office. In the hush following the announcement of the vote the mem- bers were led in a tender and impressive prayer, for the blessing of God to follow the selection made, and to rest upon him who had been called by his brethren to the solemn office.
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The history of the past shows that in no matter has this church shown greater care and discrimi- nation than in the choice of its deacons, with the result that they have been judicious leaders of the church, and safe counsellors and warm supporters of its pastors.
The following month the first session of the Boston East Bible School Convention was held with this church. The attendance was large and the exercises of deep interest. This school reported at that time a total membership of three hundred ninety-seven. At the seventh annual Convention in 1900 it reported a membership of four hundred seventy-one, not including a Home Department of ninety members. The church clerk reporting this meeting, closes his record as follows: "And the entertainment was highly commended by the five hundred visitors present."
In the latter part of May the Town celebrated the two hundred fiftieth anniversary of its original settlement and incorporation as the "Town of Redding." The Congregational church, whose organization dates with the settlement of the town, celebrated its two hundred fiftieth anniversary Sunday, the 26th, with impressive services. This church, in common with the other churches of the town, accepted an invitation by representation to the evening services, when congratulatory ad- dresses were delivered by the pastors of the local and neighboring churches.
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In the fall Rev. Albert P. Davis, a late graduate of the Divinity School of Vale College, was called to succeed Rev. R. W. Wallace in the pastorate of the Congregational church. His ordination and installation occurred Nov. 22d, and the Congrega- tional brethren, in recognition of the kindness of this church in the past, courteously invited its pastor to participate in the installation service and deliver the address to the church, and welcome the new pastor to the churches and pastors of the town.
The deepening spiritual interest which had characterized the church the past two years devel- oped in a precious work of grace this year and twenty-five persons were added to the church by baptism.
The year 1895 was marked by no special inci- dents, although the church services were well attended and maintained.
During the pastorate of Mr. Grant a Young Men's Association was organized in the church, under whose auspices Sunday religious meetings were held in the school house in the Woodville district. The organization lapsed, but the meet- ings, together with a Sunday school that was formed, were still continued by the young men, but with frequent abandonment of the field from the want of interest by the people of the district. In time the upper room of the school house, where the meetings had been held, being needed for
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school purposes, there was no place available for their continuance. In the winter of 1895-6 the Massachusetts Baptist Sunday School Association, looking over the field, decided to buy a plot of ground and erect on it a chapel for the mainten- ance of a Sunday school, and other religious ser- vices, under the supervision of this church. The chapel was completed and dedicated Sunday after- noon, February 16, 1896. Stephen Moore, Esq., of Newton, president of the State Sunday School Association, and State Secretary William W. Main were present and delivered addresses. Brother Wilbur H. Flanders of this church was elected superintendent of the Sunday school, which office he has held, to the satisfaction of the school and others, to the present time, and under whose faith- ful labors the school has steadily grown in numbers and interest.
At the annual meeting this year (1896) the church was notified that a legacy of $1000 had been received from the executor of the will of the late Mrs. Eleanor B. Toothaker, widow of the late Dr. Samuel A. Toothaker, "to be used by the Baptist church in Wakefield, Mass., for the sup- port of public worship."
Dr. Toothaker and wife were members of this church from September, 1838, to November, 1841.
At this same meeting a proposition was made that the church appoint deaconesses. The propo- sition was referred to a committee which, after
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consideration, reported adversely, and the matter was dropped.
Sunday evening, April 12th, the Sunday school held interesting exercises to the memory of Miss Georgie L. Heath who died January 19, 1886. Miss Heath -a sister of Mrs. Joseph Morton - was a talented lady, of a strong personality, who thoroughly identified herself with the activities of the church and Sunday school. She was a gifted writer and the contributions from her pen not unfrequently enriched the services of the sanctuary and the exercises of the Sunday school. The ex- ercises this evening consisted of recitations from her poems and a concert exercise arranged by her, entitled "The Christian Life in Praise and Prayer."
The evening was a delightful testimony to the large place she still held in the memory of those she had so faithfully served.
She originated the Messenger Corps, whose beautiful ministrations are well known to the sick and suffering of this church and congregation. It sprang from her own private ministries to the sick and needy, in which she enlisted the co-operation of a few lady friends who finally organized, about two years before her death, under the significant name which she chose for the society. It consists of a limited number of ladies, whose names are unknown outside of their circle, and whose bene- factions are mainly from their own private purses. A few weeks before her fatal illness Miss Heath
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remarked to a friend "I hope that I have now established the Messenger Corps on a permanent basis." A hope in which all may fervently join. The writer has had frequent opportunities to know how gratefully the loving ministrations of this organization are received and appreciated.
Nov. 3, 1896, another of the aged members of the church passed away, sister Charlotte N. Evans. She was a devout christian, and devoted to the church with which she had been connected nearly half a century. She was a constant attendant upon the services of the sanctuary in which she delighted. Few, if any, of the hearers could give as complete a report of the sermons preached, of which she was accustomed to take notes for her own pleasure and for the benefit of those who were unable to hear them. At her death she left to the church $1,000, the income to be used for the general purposes of the church.
The last of this year Mrs. Harriet N. Flint, whose gifts to the church have been mentioned in this history, followed her sister, Miss Charlotte N. Evans, into the other world. She left a consider- able fortune and in her will made Newton Theological Institution and this church residuary legatees ; two thirds going to Newton to aid indi- gent students preparing for the ministry, and one third to this church, the income to be used for the general purposes of the church. She was a woman of remarkable business sagacity, and her
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religion was eminently practical. Her benefac- tions, which were numerous, were carefully considered and intelligently bestowed.
During the summer and fall of this year frequent conferences were held by the pastors of the churches over the advisability of union evangel- istic meetings, to be conducted by an accredited evangelist. The matter was submitted by them to their respective church committees, or official boards, upon whose recommendations the churches arranged for three successive weeks of union evangelistic meetings to be conducted by Rev. C. L. Jackson. They were the first union meetings of this character ever held in the town.
Rev. Mr. Jackson began his labors, with the assistance of Mr. Crowell, a gospel singer, Sunday evening, February 14, 1897. The first week the meetings were held in the Congregational church, the second week in the Methodist church, and the third week in the Baptist church. The conduct of the meetings was far from any sensational methods. The sermons were forcible presenta- tions of Scriptural truth, with direct appeals to the consciences of the hearers. The interest developed slowly, but steadily to the end.
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