USA > Missouri > Presbyterianism in the Ozarks : a history of the work of the various branches of the Presbyterian Church in Southwest Missouri, 1834-1907 > Part 22
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changes have been the occasion of genuine regrets on the part of his parishioners, but Mr. Williamson has insisted, "I know when my work is done." His is the power to develop rapidly the latent energies of a people, to arouse them to build a house of worship-to take them off of the Home Board and to get them to sustain the benevolences of the church generously. He has many of the essentials of an orator, magnetism, fervor, an au- thoritative bearing-a strong and well modulated voice, an ex- cellent command of language and an unusual command of similes and illustration drawn from observation. In my judgment the Presbytery has never known his equal in whipping into the line of generous activity and support ease-loving, well-to-do and some- what close-fitted men. I use the word "whipping" advisedly, though figuratively. In the building of his churches Mr. Wil- liamson has been able to draw the purse strings of many men of the world as well as of church members from other churches that he has served. A Carthage paper gave this characterization while Mr. Williamson was serving the Westminster Church :
"Mr. Williamson is a man, of far more than passing power. His ex- perience is wide, his sympathies true, his emotions deep, his diction pure, his voice cultivated, his Biblical study profound, his thought clear. His utterance is unusually rapid, but his enunciation distinct. He speaks not to a class, but takes it for granted that, as Mark Twain says, 'There is a common chord of human nature running through the lives of all men, and that which is beneficial to one will not prove injurious to another.' He recognizes no classes in his work, but considers the whole earthly family as the children of God. Mr. . Williamson is too broad for a creed and too independent to be a hired man. He looks upon every man as his brother and the philosophy of his Christianity would swing inward the door of eternal felicity to all, and he sepaks as one having authority, and not as one who, in a spirit of doubting, begs permission. He deals not in pyro- technics of oratory and labors not even by innuendo to make himself greater than the cause he pleads for or the Master he serves. He is one in life past the milestones labeled popularity and notoriety, but his pathetic earn- estness and zeal will unconsciously win for him what is sought for by others less gifted in vain."
Very few men of the versatile gifts and ability possessed by Mr. Williamson have been content to supply home mission churches and churches in our secondary cities as long as Mr. Williamson. These churches have usually responded by giving him a better salary than they have tendered other men. Mr. Williamson has spent his money with a lavish hand and has never learned the art of accumulating. The Presbytery of Ozark fittingly made him its last Moderator before the reunion, and the Assembly as fittingly appointed him the convener of the new Presbytery of Carthage.
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FRANCIS H. L. LAIRD.
Received from the Presbytery of Alton April 11th, 1882; died January, 1884. This brother was probably a retired minis- ter at the time he entered the Presbytery. I find no notice of his having served any of our churches.
CHARLES C. HEMBREE.
Received the same day as the subject of the last sketch from the Presbytery of Union. Served the churches of Ash Grove, Mount Zion and Bellview. Dismissed to the Presbytery of Kings- ton July 30th, 1883.
FRANK M. BALDWIN.
Born at St. Louis March 12th, 1850; graduated at West- minster College 1874 and at Danville Seminary 1877; licensed by the Transylvania Presbytery April, 1876, and ordained the fol- lowing year. Mr. Baldwin served churches in Kentucky and Illinois, and then entered the Presbytery of Ozark April 12th, 1882. 'Supplied the churches of Neosho and Westminster, and was dismissed to the Presbytery of Transylvania April 10th, 1883.
WILLIAM B. McELWEE.
The reception of this brother was alluded to in the sketch of the Eureka Springs Church. That was before the confession was revised and the Presbytery had regard for the tender con- science of this Cumberland brother, as is seen by the entry in the minutes for April 13, 1882: "The Committee of Conference with Rev. W. B. McElwee reported as follows: That they find him in substantial accord with our standards and polity, and that he is able to give an assent to our Confession of Faith as containing the system of doctrine taught in the word of God, it being under- stood that he has liberty to explain the article on elect infants in such a manner as to mean that all infants dying in infancy are elect and saved, and the article pertaining to the decrees of God in such a manner as not to take away or interfere with the free agency and accountability of man. He heartily accepts the doctrine of election and of the divine sovereignty as scriptural truths. but feels that they should be represented as consistent with the free agency of man." Mr. McElwee served the Eureka Springs Church five and a half years. During his ministry the
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beautiful stone house of worship was erected and the church ex- perienced the most gracious revival in its history. He was dis- missed to the Presbytery of Stockton April 15th, 1891.
J. M. HUNTER.
Like the subject of the last sketch, Mr. Hunter was of Cumberland Presbyterian lineage. He was ordained by the C. P. Presbytery of Elk, April 10th, 1880, and supplied C. P. churches in Canon City, Col., and Prescott, Ark., until his coming to this Presbytery April 12th, 1883. For a year he supplied the Neosho Church, then preached at West Plains for a short time, and was dismissed to the Presbytery of Neosho April, 1884. Mr. Hunter wrote me some time ago: "Because of the revision of the C. P. Confession of Faith and a controversy through the church papers as to whether the C. P. Church was anti-Calvin- istic or moderately Calvinistie, holding to the latter view, trans- ferred to the Presbyterian Church, U. S. A. It has ben the dream of my life to see the C. P. Church follow, which dream has been realized, at least in reference to the better Calvinistic element of the same."
FOUNTAIN R. FARRAND. -
The Pleasant Valley Church gave Fountain R. Farrand to the Presbytery as a candidate for the ministry. At that time, May 4th, 1880, he was a graduate at Centre College. He took his theological course at Western Seminary-served under the Home Missionary Committee in the intervals and upon his completion of his education was installed pastor of the Joplin Church. This pastorate was of less than a year's duration. Mr. Farrand was ordained and installed May 8th, 1883. The pastoral ielation was dissolved and Mr. Farrand was dismissed to the Presbytery of Osage April 3d, 1884. He is a stepson of Rev. W. A. Cravens.
BENJAMIN H. LEA.
This name is sometimes spelled as above and sometimes it is Lee. Occasionally the middle initial is F instead of H, and this confusion in spelling seems to have led the Presbytery into a fruitless search for him after he had been twice dismissed- having returned the first letter unused. He was received from the Presbytery of Solomon May 8th, 1883, and was apparently a colporteur for the American Tract Society in Arkansas, and was dismissed (the second time) to ' the Presbytery of Cherokee Nation .. "
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ALBERT L. MILLER.
Received from the Presbytery of Knoxville, U. S., May 8th, 1883. Supplied the churches of Madison, Grace and Preston. Preached at Joplin a short time. Dismissed to the Southern Presbytery of Arkansas September 15th, 1885.
ROBERT B. ATKISSON.
Received from the C. P. Presbytery of Springfield October 17th, 1883; dismissed to the Palmyra Presbytery April 2d, 1884.
WILLIAM E. RENSHAW.
The son of G. A. M. Renshaw, one of the men who laid the foundations in Southwest Missouri, William E. Renshaw was educated at Drury College; was a candidate for the ministry under this Presbytery and on completing his theological educa- tion at Union Seminary was ordained by the Presbytery June 13th, 1884, and was immediately dismissed to the Presbytery of Wood River.
EDGAR A. HAMILTON.
Oberlin College and Union Theological Seminary helped to equip Edgar A. Hamilton for the ministry. He was born in Ham- ilton Settlement, Wisconsin, March 8th, 1842. Served in the Union Army from '61 to '65. While he was a theological stu- dent and for a short time thereafter he was engaged in mission work in New York City. He was licensed by the Presbytery of New York in 1873 and ordained by the Presbytery of Newton, New Jersey, the same year. He was pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Deckertown, N. J., 1873-1883. June 13th, 1884, Mr. Hamilton was received by the Presbytery of Ozark. For a time he supplied the Bellview Church, and. a mission of the Calvary Church. His most conspicuous service in this Presbytery was done in the Second Church of Springfield. In September, 1885. he became stated supply of a small band of people numbering less than a score of communicants and struggling to erect a house of worship. Under his ministry the church erected its present house of worship and grew to a membership of consid- erably over a hundred. In Mr. Hamilton's own language, "With- drawals and removals affected its growth." He returned to his first charge in New Jersey in 1893.
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GILBERT T. THOMPSON.
Rev. Gilbert T. Thompson was received from the Presby- tery of Indian Territory September 30th, 1884. He supplied the churches of Ash Grove and Lockwood, Ozark Prairie and White Oak, and rendered some service to the Second Church in Spring- field. The organization of the Westminster (U. S.) Church in this city led him to decline a permanent engagement with the Second Church, though the original subscription list for the building of a house of worship for said church indicates that he and his family subscribed more to that project than any other family. Mr. Thompson was dismissed to the Presbytery of La- fayette (U. S.) September 14th, 1887.
THOMAS R. EASTERDAY.
The State University of Illinois gave Thomas R. Easterday degrees as follows: A. B. in 1862, B. D. in 1863, and A. M. in 1866. To these Pennsylvania added Ph. D. in 1888. Of Evangel- ical Lutheran lineage, on his ordination by that body in 1865 he was transferred at once to Lake Superior Presbytery. For sev. teen and a half years he was in charge of the First Presbyter- ian Church of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, which he gave up on account of a partial stroke of paralysis. Mr. Easterday served the church of Webb City for six months and then went to Neosho September, 1884. He was called to the pastorate of that church, but was not installed. Served the church until 1888. In Sep- tember, 1902, he was dismissed to Lake Superior Presbytery. For some years he has been engaged in educational work. Some months ago he wrote me: "I occasionally supply churches when the pastors are absent, but I am so busy in my edneational work I refuse all such work I can be excused from. I am President of the Board of Education of Sault Ste. Marie, of which Board I have been a member thirty-six years. I am President of the Carnegie Library Board, of which I am a charter member. I am Commissioner of Schools for Chippewa County, having served in this capacity twelve years and a half, and having two years unexpired of my term. I am in communication with nearly 200 teachers continuously. Have also many knotty school ques- tions to adjust with, say, 300 school officers of various qualifica- tions and characteristics. Am just about as busy as a man should be in his seventieth year." While in Neosho Mr. Easterday's life was alike strennous. He was something of a promoter in both educational and commercial enterprises. The wealthy Wyandotte Indian, Splitlog, had built through Newton County
T. H. CLELAND
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He received his staunch Calvinstic training at Danville, T. S. '63-'65, and Princeton '66. Wooster University conferred upon him the title of Doctor of Divinity in 1871. Dr. Cleland was or- dained by the Presbytery of Missouri River in 1867. He served the church of Council Bluffs, Iowa, as stated supply and pastor from 1866 to 1882. During this, his first pastorate, on the 29th of April, 1869, he stood with Revs. Sheldon Jackson and J. C. Elliott on a lofty bluff on the Missouri river at Sioux City. There these three young ambassadors of the cross seemed to sweep the whole unchurched west with a Pisgah vision and over- whelmed with a sense of the prospect and the need of pentecostal power they knelt on the spot and prayed. "What the haystack meeting at Williamstown was to Foreign missions, that hilltop prayer meeting at Sioux City April 29, 1869, was to Home mis- sions." In the providence of God the lives of the three have been spared to see a monument erected on the spot to commemorate the event. From Council Bluffs Dr. Cleland went to a pastorate in Keokuk, Iowa, '82-'88. His kinsman, Rev. Willis G. Craig D. D., had but recently relinquished his pastorate of twenty years in that church to accept a professorship in the seminary at Chicago. And although it is said that the coat of Dr. Craig hung up in an Iowa pulpit would have drawn an audience at that time, Dr. Cleland proved to be a worthy successor. His third pastorate was in the Calvary church, Springfield, Mo., '88- '94. Here his worth was at once recognized, in the Presbytery and in the Synod, as well as in the city. He served the Presby- tery as Chairman of Home Missions and was made Moderator of the Synod as he had been of the Synod of Iowa, and was later of that of Minnesota., Coupled with his suavity Dr. Cleland has maintained a firmness in conviction and aptness in repartee. Just after he had made his Home Mission report on one occasion a visiting minister whose record was not the best arose and said in surly tones : "Mr. Moderator I want a place to preach ; I have come a long way to attend this Presbytery and there are plenty of vacant churches." To this the chairman replied: "My brother you were not invited here; when you are invited then we will provide you a place to preach."
After leaving Springfield Dr. Cleland went to the pastorate of the First Presbyterian church of Duluth, Minn .. and from there to the secretaryship of the American Tract Society. The church has recognized his wisdom as a counsellor by calling him at various times to the following positions :
Delegate to the Pan Presbyterian Council, London : President of Trustees of McCormick Theological Seminary : Charter Direc- tor of the Board of Aid for Colleges; Charter Trustee Parsons College, Iowa : Trustee McA. C., Kansas : Park College, Mo., Corn-
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ing Academy, Iowa, and Duluth Academy; Chairman Home Mis- sions Committee of Missouri River and Ozark Presbyteries.
JOHN M. DINSMORE.
For more than twenty years John M. Dinsmore resided with- in the bounds of the Presbytery and was an actual member of the body from June 21, 1888, to September 15, 1896. But he was engaged in secular labors until he reached the age for honorable retirement.
JOHN F. MARTIN.
Received from the United Presbyterian Presbytery of South- ern Illinois June 21, 1888. Served the Bolivar church. Dis- missed to the Presbytery of Matoon April 15, 1891.
AUGUSTINE H. HIBBARD.
Received from the Springfield Association of Congregational churches November 15, 1888. Dismissed to the Presbytery of . New York April 15, 1890.
ROBERT W. ELY.
When a man is thoroughly honest and artless I love to slip into his biographical sketch a brief description of himself in his own words. To my inquiry for information Mr. Ely wrote in February 1907: "1 was born in Washington county near the town of Washington and reared on the farm. I owe the farm life for what vigor I have been able to put into my ministerial life. My father's name was Elijah, and mother's Kezziah (Snod- grass) Ely. I started to college, Washington and Jefferson, the fall of '77. Graduated '82 and from Western Seminary in '85. My wife's name is Jennie T. (Shields). Reared in Allegheny City and of the 4th U. P. church. We have now fonr daughters, Isabel, born in Dakota. She graduates from Lindenwood next year. Helen in the high school and wil! graduate in music soon. Lois and Dorothy. I think this is enough of the Ely outfit." But I cannot agree with his last statement. From May, 1885, un- til the fall of 1888 Mr. Ely preached for the church in La Moore, Dakota, thence he came to Neosho where he had previously preached two summers, i. e. 1883-4. His arduons labors were never pent up within that thriving city, although with his own
R. W. ELY
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hands he helped to rear two manses and a church building. He preached all over the country around in school houses and did missionary work wherever needed. For years he ministered to the churches of Westminster and Seneca, making long drives that would have broken down a man of a less robust constitution. In the summer of 1903 he employed a theological student to take his place in Neosho whilst he rehabilitated the country churches of Grace, Madison and White Oak. This step was but in keep- ing with his deep interest in the whole field of the Presby- tery. From September 9, 1890. to October 22, 1903, Mr. Ely was stated clerk of the Presbytery. He represented the Presbytery in the General Assembly at Portland in '92, and at Los Angeles in 1903. He was Moderator of the Synod of Missouri in 1897. In the true Biblical sense Mr. Ely was the Bishop of Neosho. I have a mind to denominate him a diocesan bishop for in an im- portant sense the "care of all the churches" seemed to rest upon him. His oversight extended to the minntial of the lives of his flock and his strong personality, directness and integrity enabled him to brush aside technicalities and conventionalities in the accomplishment of his wise or beneficient purposes. He asked after the old paths and was probably the most strictly and strong- ly theological preacher in the Presbytery. To me at least it seemed that a visit to Winona deflected his thought and labors to a more evengelistic turn-an enrichment of an already rich ministry of love. Mr. Ely has an enviable record of bringing offenders, lay and clerical to their knees in penitence. I used to think of him as a general regulator (in the best sense) of men and churches. The story goes that on one occasion a licentiate from the Territory took lodging in a Neosho hotel with a woman not. his wife. Ely went to the hotel, demanded admittance and threatened to break in the door if denied. I suppose it never occurred to him that he was assuming the place of a civil officer, or rushing in unarmed on what might be a dangerous place. Be that as it may, he gained admittance. delivered some wholesome advice and informed the Presbytery in the Territory that if they did not handle the man "we" would! And that Presbytery handled him! When one of our own men proved to be a moral direlect Ely brought him to his knees and elicited a full confes- sion. When the time came for trial by Presbytery Ely had the scene fresh in memory and was prepared therehy to he more lenient than some of the rest of us. But when the penitent (?) was about to leave out some of the most salient parts of the con- fession Ely exclaimed : "You are crawfishing old fellow. tell the Presbytery what you told me." and the whole story was told. Another one too good to keep comes by way of some women with "Woman's Rights" proclivities. They say there was a time when
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the Neosho Church was deficient in men and who would conduct a prayer meeting. Ely knew this, but had his convictions about women speaking in public. When compelled to be away on Wednesday night he would studiously avoid leaving any one in charge of the prayer meeting, and the women would go there and run it. These innocent eccentricities help to differentiate the man whose personality was so indelibly and favorably : tamped upon the church and Presbytery. The reclamations of erring ones made in his study, the tenderer ministeries of his personal touch and recorded on high and must remain sealed for the most part until "the books are opened."
JAMES E. LEYDA.
Mr Leyda has twice been a member of the Presbytery of Ozark, the first time from April 10, 1889. to October 17, 1894. at which time he was dismissed to the Presbytery of Platte. During this first term he served the church of West Plains. Subse- quent to a brief sojourn in the bounds of Platte Presbytery he entered upon the work at Jonesboro, Ark., in 1897, and became a member of the Presbytery of St. Louis. Sometime after that church was transferred to the Presbytery of Ozark he again united with this Presbytery. Before Mr. Leyda was aware of what was transpiring his Jonesboro church had united with the Presbyterian Church U. S., and notice of this transfer was secured by the stated clerk while Mr. L. was attending Presbytery. An interesting investigation was made by a commission, which ad- judged damages to the minister unceremoniously deprived of a job, and although the recalcitrant church readily paid the dam- ages and the aggrieved minister accepted the same. he appealed the case to Synod as against the commission. The writer chanced to be a member of that commission as well as stated clerk of the Presbytery. In the latter capacity he gave the ap- I want asked t:" advice repeatedly in the preparation of his appeal as against himself and others in the former capacity. Synod tried the case by commission, ard left the verdict of Pres- bytery's commission intact but appended an admonition to the effect that there were certain irregularities. I pointed out to the chairman of Synod's commission the fact that said commission committed the same irregularity for which they reproved Presbytery's commission. He replied: "I know it." Then said I, "where is our redress?" To this he replied: "you can appeal to the Assembly and have the Synod censured for irregularity." But we thought it was not worth the whistle. The church was left where it belonged in the southern fold.
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ROBERT SCOTT STEVENSON.
The University of Indiana and the McCormick Seminary trained Mr. Stevenson for the work of the ministry. He was licensed and ordained by the Presbytery of Bellefontaine, '85 and '86; served the church of Madison, South Dakota. '86-'89. then in '90 entered upon his labors with the Eureka Springs church. He was received by the Presbytery April 16, 1890, and dismissed to the Presbytery of Cairo April 12, 1893.
JAMES A. GERHARD.
Prior to the coming of James A. Gerhard to the Presbytery the Joplin church which he served as pastor elect for nearly six years had not made much progress. In 1890 he found that church with scarcely more than half a hundred members and he left it with over two hundred, easily self supporting and reaching out in Mission work in the needy sections of the growing city.
Mr. Garhard received his literary education in his native state, Pennsylvania, and graduated at Union Theological Semi- nary in 1874. After study and travel in Europe for two years he was ordained by the Presbytery of Kearney. He served the churches of North Platte .. Nebraska. '76-'81: Hamburg, Iowa, '81-'83, Maryville, Mo., '83-'90, from Joplin '90-'96 he went to Galena, Kansas.
DWIGHT C. HANNA.
Born Savana, Ohio, December 7, 1859; graduated 1883. Princeton Seminary 1886; ordained June 1, 1886. by the Presby- tery of Philadelphia, North. Pastor Tomkson Memorial church Brownsburg, Pa., June 1, 1886, to August 11, 1890. The work of Mr. Hanna in Ozark Presbytery is very modestly and very ac- eurately described in a letter written to the author January 5. 1907.
"My Dear Mr. Stringfield :- I am glad you are going to write a his- tory of Ozark. My work in Ozark was very peculiar. My work in the Westminster Church seemed to be remarkably successful, and I think it really was so. But it has all been scattered long since. Scarcely any of my Carthage people remained in Carthage very long after I left. The organ- ization is gone. The beautiful little church we built is no longer used for a church. I have before me the figures of growth while I was there- charter members 63; we added by letter 95 and by profession 114 in the little more than four years I was with the church, and I left a church of 213 very active working members. All this in spite of the fact that the financial cyclone struck the country just after we started and the popula- tion of the town was going down, down all the time I was there. But how
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quickly it all scattered! After leaving Carthage I spent three years and nine months as pastor of the Second Church, Springfield, Ill., and then No- vember 1st, 1899, came here as pastor of Leverington Presbyterian Church, located at Ridge and Leverington avenues, Philadelphia, in the section of the city locally known as Roxboro. I am Low in my eighth year here, and perhaps likely to remain here. When the book is out please send me a copy, for which I will be glad to forward my dollar."
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