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 4
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"That man who can build his own house and care nothing about the Lord's house is but a sorry Christian, if he is one at all. And that man who can eat his sweet morsels alone, without dividing it with the Lord's servant, is hardly a Christian. And that minister of the gospel who can encourage his hearers in their covetous and selfish dispositions will have an awful account to give. There is an awful lack among Western Christians on this subject, and the entire blame of it in the day of judgment will rest on the ministry. Western Christians are by nature just as liberal as East- ern Christians, and if it were properly inculcated upon them by their preachers would do just as much. Now when we are in a strait we call upon our Eastern brethren. And to my certain knowledge many of those Eastern brethren are not so wealthy as our Western brethren. But they have had the duty of giving liberally inculcated upon them from infancy. To give you a specimen. * The wealth in the churches under the care of the Ozark Presbytery is upwards of two millions of dollars. The natural increase of this capital should at least be half a million and the one-tenth of this yearly increase would be fifty thousand dollars, to be devoted to the Lord. Instead of that, all the churches under the care of that Presby- tery do not contribute five hundred. This is robbing God out of forty-five thousand five hundred dollars. In the East the ministers would tend to this part of their duty. They would have meeting houses and school houses. They would educate their candidates for the ministry and get re- spectable men's sons employed as teachers in their schools. And they would get and circulate useful books and periodicals among their people, and make collections besides for missionary purposes, and be none the poorer for it. And why is not all this and much more done in the West? The reason is a plain one. That wicked system which was put in opera- tion in 1800 in the West has brought upon the beloved Zion of God all this mischief. It was mainly effected by taking from the ministry that reasonable support which the Lord ordained they should have, and, sec- ondly, by introducing unfit men into the ministry. Such men judge of every measure by how it takes with the people. If it takes with the people all is well. Now, it always will take with many of the people to tell them they are under no obligations to give anything to the Lord. And that those who do tell them so are money hunters. May the Lord deliver the church from all this evil."
*This refers to Ozark Presbytery of the Cumberland Church. Mr. Pentzer was at this time a member of that body.
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CHAPTER II.
THE RISE OF THE RILLS.
"Missouri has never been understood, and her people have been sweepingly condemned, largely from the fact that she was made the national football of the slavery agitation for forty- eight consecutive years. The Missouri Compromise, the Kansas- Nebraska Bill, the Border War from '55 to '60-these were the steps that led to an alienation that never ceased to grow until it culminated in the fearful national baptism of blood. Missouri stood in the forefront of each stage of this growing strife, not because her people were worse or better than the people of other states, but because of her geographical position. Being thus re- lated to the causes leading to the civil conflict, it is but natural that Missouri should suffere more than any other State. Two- third of her people being Southern born, and inclosed on three sides by Republican States, hier people were compelled to take sides, and taking sides soon forced all her people into one army or the other."*
The traditional reputation of Presbyterians for being men of conviction that would force them to take sides, the completeness of the organic life of the denomination that made a disruption more inevitable and disastrous, and the fact that the home mission revenues came largely from the North and East rendered the devastations of the Civil War more complete in the Presby- terian ranks than in that of other denominations.
THE SECOND OSAGE PRESBYTERY.
In an address delivered before Synod at Kirksville October. 1888, Dr. George Miller said: "Our Synod outside of St. Louis virtually dates from the Civil War. For years after the Civil War our statistical reports were filled with old reports of churches that had become extinct or gone into the Southern Synod years before. From the best of my knowledge we got in
*" Missouri's Memorable Decade," by Dr. George Miller. Pp. 3-4.
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'65 from the old organizations: From Palmyra Presbytery, about 300 members; from Kansas City and Ozark, about 100 members; from Platte Presbytery, about 300 members; from St. Louis, about 1,200. Total Old School, 1,900. The New School Synod reports 1,323 members in 1866. Total for the State, 3,223." It will be seen that Dr. Miller uses the names of later date for the Presbytery. The statement "Kansas City and Ozark, 100 members, indicates how nearly extinct the work was." Yet the work of the New School branch was even yet less pros- perous.
"By previous arrangement those interested in organizing a Presbytery on the ground occupied by the former Osage Pres- bytery met in the Cave Springs Church (Mount Zion) April 26, 1866. W. S. Messmer preached from Mark 11:22."
Three ministers and three churches were enrolled, viz: Revs. A. G. Taylor, of the Presbytery of St. Louis; J. M. Brown, of the Presbytery of Bloomington, and W. S. Messmer, of the Presbytery of Utica. Churches-Mount Zion, represented by Elder John R. Lee, Springfield, represented by Elder David Ap- pleby, and Clinton. Mount Zion had about 25 members, Spring- field 11*, and Clinton 7. A. G. Taylor was elected Moderator. W. S. Messmer Temporary Clerk, and J. M. Brown Stated Clerk.
This first meeting of Presbytery appointed committees on home missions and on education, levied a tax of 50 cents per minister and church (probably communicant) ; licensed E. M Halbert and appointed a committe to draft a memorial on the moral destitution in Southwest Missouri.
The second meeting of the Presbytery was held at Prairie Grove (Springfield Church) September 14, 1866. The same min- isters were present and the same churches represented by elders -Mount Zion by W. E. Thompson and Springfield by - With- erspoon. At this meeting of the Presbytery the Bible Society Agent spoke, and it was reported that $69.15 had been contrib- nted by the churches that year to the Bible Society.
It is worthy of note that this is more than the Presbytery contributes annually now !
Salem and Warsaw churches, both beyond our bounds, were enrolled at this meeting of Presbytery.
The difficulties that confronted the Presbytery are set forth in this communication from the Presbyterian Reporter :
From Rev. John M. Brown.
Ash Grove, Mo., April 11, 1867.
Dear Brother Norton :- I returned last evening from meeting of Pres- bytery. having traveled two hundred and fifty miles on horseback, through
*This church was in the country- a locality known as Prairie Grove. It is now the Bellevue Church.
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mud and rain and then found no quorum, and, of course, we could transact no business. On my way I spent a Sabbath at Deepwater, and preached twice to a small but attentive audience. The weather was cold and the roads horrible, but I thought that if I could ride eighty miles ia two days through, not over, such roads to preach the egospel the people might ride one mile to hear it. But perhaps I was mistaken. Yet' Deepwater is a promising field and will well repay cultivation.' It is to be a station on the Sedalia & Fort Scott Railroad. At Deepwater I heard of Rev. W. C. Requa, a member of the old Osage Presbytery, and also learned that he had not connected with any other ecclesiastical body, and of course would fall to our new Osage Presbytery. I thought I had caught sight of a quorum, and so posted off on a ride of forty miles to bring it in. I found Bro. Requa, and what was better, found him loyal to his country and his church, but circumstances were such that he could not attend the meeting of Presbytery. Thus our quorum faded into the future, like the ministers we were to have in Southwest Missouri. I got a kind welcome, however, and a promise, and with that started on a ride of fifty miles to Salem- Salem is the name of a church, not a town. Had the same company as heretofore, viz., rain and mud, to which was added before reaching Salem Mr. Ague for myself and Mr. Weariness for my horse. At Salem I in- quired for Osage Presbytery. No one knew anything about it. Rode six miles into the country, found an elder, but he knew nothing of the meet- ing, but at last remembered that Bro. Messmer had said something about a meeting of Presbytery this spring, but had forgotten both the time and place of meeting. After supper and a little rest for myself and horse, I rode two miles to the church. I found the old meeting house deserted, the doors ajar, the storm beating in, and the plastering gone. I waited here two long hours in the cold and darkness with no company but a little bird that had made its home in the deserted house, and my old friend, the ague. I will not attempt to describe my feelings and thoughts during those two hours. Suffice it to say I had made up my mind to advertise for the re- mains of the Osage Presbytery, desiring to be present at its burial, as I was present at its birth one year before. With this solemn resolve full in mind, I was about to mount my horse and seek my lodgings, when the sound of voices approaching through the darkness brought me to a halt, and soon I had the pleasure of seeing Bro. Taylor, Bro. Halbert, a licen- tiate, and Bro. Perry, elder from Warsaw. Of course we could do nothing but talk a little and adjourn. . We spent the Sabbath with the good people of Salem, preaching to them and administering the sacrament. On Sabbath we had a full house and very good attention. The result of our meeting at Salem is that the church seems very much revived and encouraged, and a call to our licentiate, E. M. Halbert, to settle with them. This he ex- pects to do with a promise of great usefulness. Bro. Halbert is doing finely. He is to preach at Salem (Calhoun is his postoffice), Warsaw and two outstations. We are to have a called meeting of Presbytery at Butler, the county seat of Bates County, on Friday, May 3d, to continue over Sabbath. Bro. S. G. Clark has recently organized a church at Butler. I hope we shall have the pleasure of seeing Bro. Norton and that other brother who has been so long on the way to Southwest Missouri.
With some difficulty a quorum was finally obtained on the second day of the called meeting at Butler, viz., Saturday, May 4th, 1867.
But the regular meeting at Cave Springs, October 10th, was not so successful. Presbytery adjourned from day to day until finally, Saturday, October 12th, they decided to proceed without
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a quorum subject to the approval of Synod. A quorum was then obtained by the ordination of E. M. Halbert, after which L. J. Matthews was licensed. The Secretary of the Presbyterian Com- mittee of Home Missions, Rev. A. T. Norton, was present at this meeting of Presbytery, and, though not a member of the body, seems to have offered most of the resolutions.
The following resolutions are worthy of note:
(1) That the subject of reunion with the other branch calls for no Presbyterial action at the present time, yet we would not withhold our earnest, prayerful desire that the great event may be consummated substantially on the basis set forth by the joint committee of the two assemblies.
(2) That we approve of the decision of the General Assem- bly to raise $250,000 for the cause of home missions the present year, and though we are emphatically a Missionary Presbytery, all of our churches receiving aid from the Home Mission Treas- ury. and reporting to the last Assembly only 113 members, yet we pledge ourselves to make an honest and earnest effort to raise for this cause the present year at least $200, which will be our portion of the $250,000."
Where is the Missouri Presbytery today that would have the temerity to pledge itself "to make an honest and earnest effort to raise for this cause" a fraction less than $1.77 per communicant ?
From this date the growth of the Presbytery was more marked in the northern part. Churches were organized or reor- ganized there rapidly, and thus the logic of events paved the way for that part of the Presbytery to retain the name and the succession, while its churches in the southern part were to be transferred to the Ozark Presbytery. This order was reversed in the old school work. The burning question of the hour was the reunion of the two branches of the church. The Presbyteries of Osage and Southwest Missouri never lost an opportunity to vote heartily in favor of that proposition. By special invitation the Presbytery of Southwest Missouri met with the Presbytery of Osage in the Mount Zion Church August, 1869.
The new house of worship had just been completed and was dedicated at this session of Presbytery with a sermon by Dr. Timothy Hill. Text, "The Church of God." (Acts, 20:28.) The dedicatory services were held Sunday, August 22d.
The opening sermon of the Presbytery was preached August 19th by Rev. B. F. Powelson, retiring Moderator of the Presby- tery of Southwest Missouri. The new building. with its two stories, was admirably adapted to accommodate the sessions of the two bodies. Devotional exercises and popular meetings were held jointly, whilst the business of the respective bodies was
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transacted in separate sessions. The spirit of unity that pre- vailed was like that precious ointment that ran down Aaron's beard. The members of the one body were invited to sit as cor- responding members of the other and joint committees deliber- ated on questions of interest to both bodies. It was decided to hold another joint session at the time of the annual meeting- the spring meeting was then called the annual meeting and the autumn meeting was called the semi-annual meeting. The Presbytery of Southwest Missouri was requested to name the place for the meeting and that body selected the Deepwater Church. Accordingly, on the 14th of April, 1870, Presbytery convened at Germantown in the Deepwater Church, and was opened with a sermon by the retiring Moderator of the Presby- tery of Southwest Missouri, William R. Fulton. The same spirit of harmony prevailed in the deliberations of these joint sessions as had been the delight of both at Cave Springs. It appears that at this time Presbytery had standing committees on (1) Home Missions, (2) Education for the Ministry, (3) Publication, (4) Church Erection. This was the last meeting of the second Presbytery of Osage. I find no mention in its annals of the sub- ject of temperance. It appears to have had no case of discipline or no occasion for a judicial committee. Nor does it appear to have had a Committee on Foreign Missions. Of its thirteen churches the new Presbytery of Osage got eight and the Pres- bytery of Ozark five, viz: Mount Zion, Prairie Grove, i. e., Springfield, now Bellview; White Rock, Licking and Peace Val- ley. Three of these have "fallen on sleep." The membership of the five churches at the time of the reunion was only 100.
PRESBYTERY OF SOUTHWEST MISSOURI.
In 1865 the following overture was sent to the Old School Assembly :
"Whereas, owing to the ravages of war in Southwestern Missouri and the difficulties of securing a meeting of the Presbytery of Lafayette. this Assembly direct:
First-That the following ministers residing within the limits of said Presbytery, viz: Wm. R. Fulton, of the Presbytery of Upper Missouri; Wm. J. Wright (U. S. Chaplain of Hospital, Springfield, Mo.), of the Pres- bytery of New Brunswick, N. J., and John MeFarland, of said Presbytery of Lafayette, together with all the churches south of the Osage River, and formerly belonging to said Presbytery of Lafayette, be constituted a Pres- bytery under the name of the Presbytery of Southwest Missouri; and that John Giffen, a licentiate of the Presbytery of Chicago and residing within said bounds be attached thereto.
Second-That said Presbytery shall meet in the city of Springfield on the third Thursday in June 1865, or as soon thereafter as practicable, and the meeting shall be opened by the oldest minister present.
-
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Third-That said' Presbytery shall be attached to the Synod of Mis- souri.
The prayer of this petition was granted with the exception that the Presbytery was to be attached to the Synod of Upper Missouri, and John McFarland was designated to preach the sermon and constitute the Presbytery.
At the time appointed the program as outlined was carried out. The three ministers and the one licentiate were present, and Elders James Mitchell, of Ebenezer Church, and George Lee, of Calvary, were enrolled. The following day Elder John A. Strain was enrolled.
The roll of churches consisted of Calvary, Ebenezer, Mount Vernon (later changed to Ozark Prairie), and Bolivar. This roll was rapidly enlarged by the resuscitation of churches that were practically disbanded, as well as by the organization of new churches. Some of these churches were erected on the ruins of former New School churches. But while the new Osage Presby- tery directed its energies to the southeastern part of our terri- tory and to the territory north of us the Presbytery of Southwest Missouri labored more largely in the western part and opened up that territory that has since become famous as the mining region of Southwest Missouri. Hence, while the New School Presbytery of Osage bequeatheed to the Presbytery of Ozark at its organization four ministers and five churches, with about one hundred communicants, the Presbtery of Southwest Mis- souri bequeathed it six ministers, thirteen churches and nearly 450 communicants. During the five years of the eistence of this Presbytery it ordained four ministers, as follows: John Giffen, June 24, 1865; S. M. Irwin, November 25, 1866; B. F. Powelson, September 5, 1868, and Austin Elliott, April 16, 1870. The enviable distinction belongs to this Presbytery of having required of every candidate for ordination the full examination prescribed in the form of government.
John Giffen was elected Stated Clerk and on his dismission from the Presbytery Rev. James A. Paige was elected to fill the vacancy. In 1866 the boundaries of the Presbytery were ex- tended, as the following entry of November 24th will show:
"The action of Synod extending the boundaries of the Presbytery of Southwest Missouri so as to include the counties of Henry and Bates, and attaching to the same Rev. Dr. A. Jones and Rev. J. A. Paige, was officially announced to Presbytery by the latter as Stated Clerk of the Synod of Missouri. This territory of the Southwest Missouri Presbytery was trans- ferred to the Presbytery of Osage at the reunion of 1870."
The general conditions in the bounds of the Presbytery and its opsition on the subject of the reunion of the old and. new school churches have been sufficiently stated in the sketch of the Presbytery of. Osage.
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CHAPTER III.
OZARK PRESBYTERY 1870-1907.
The Synod of Missouri, assembled by order of General As- sembly, in the city of St. Louis July 7th, 1870, passed au enabling act which in as far as it relates to this Presbytery is as follows :
"The Presbytery of Ozark is hereby erected to consist of the minis- ters and churches in the counties of Vernon, Barton, Jasper, Newton, Me- Donald, Barry, Lawrence, Dade, Cedar, Hickory, Polk Greene, Christian, Stone, Taney, Webster, Dallas, Camden, Laclede, Wright, Douglas, Howell, Texas, Pulaski and Ozark. It shall meet at the church at Greenfeld on the 29th day of September, 1870, at 7:30 p. m., Rev. J. McFarland to preside, or in his absence, the oldest minister present, to preside until a Moderator is chosen. And, furthermore, this Presbytery of Ozark is hereby declared to be the proper and legal sucessor of the Presbytery of Southwest Missouri, and as such is entitled to all the right, franchises and possessions, and liable for the performance of all the duties of that Pres- bytery. The following ministers and churches are included in the Presby- tery of Osage as constituted by this act: Ministers-John McFarland, W. R. Fulton, James A. Paige, J. W. Pinkerton, John M. Brown, Albert G. Taylor, Enos M. Halbert L. J. Matthews, - Elliott-9. Churches-Boli- var, Urbana, Ebenezer, Mount Vernon, Avilla, Calvary, Panther Creek, Carthage, Neosho, Springfield, Peace Valley, Licking, White Rock, Houston, Lamar, Mount Zion-16."
A printed copy of this enabling act is posted in the Records of Ozark Presbytery, Book A. I have copied the above as it is printed mindful of the fact that the word "Osage" as given above is a misprint for "Ozark." On the dash before the name "Elliott" some clerk has written the name "Austin," and after the number 9 has inserted "J. Howard Nixon." The clerk was correct in these additions to the printed enabling act. The Elliott referred to was Rev. Austin Elliott, and as Dr. Nixon was then a member of the Presbytery of Southwest Missouri his name should have been included in the enabling; act. Of these ten ministers, Revs. John McFarland. W. R. Fulton, James A. Paige, J. W. Pinkerton, Austin W. Elliott an { J. Howard Nixon belonged to the Old School Presbytery of Southwest Missouri, whilst John M. Brown, Albert G. Taylor, Enos M. Halbert and L. J. Matthews belonged to the New School Presbytery of Osage.
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In accordance with the instructions of Synod, the newly erected Presbytery of Ozark was convened in Greenfield September 29th- October 1st, 1870. By request Rev. James .A. Paige, of Calvary Church, preached the opening sermon, text Colossians 1:28, af- ter which the appointee of Synod, Rev. John McFarland, con- stituted Presbytery with prayer. Mr. McFarland was elected Moderator and Rev. Enos M. Halbert Temporary Clerk. Later in the proceedings Rev. James A. Paige was elected the first Stated Clerk of the Presbytery. To the ten ministers mentioned above the roll adds the name of W. H. Downing. It appears that Mr. Downing was received by letter from the Presbytery of Catawba the second day of this first session of the Presbytery.
Instead of the sixteen churches of the enabling act, the minutes of the Presbytery mention twenty-five. Nineteen of these are written in ink and the rest in pencil, but manifestly by the same hand, though probably at a later date. These investi- gations have left two impressions on my mind-first a little less impatience with the higher critics, then a deeper conviction of the importance of clearness in the matter of church records. By putting the two lists in parallel columns I shall endeavor to har- monize them and to account for the additions and changes:
LIST IN ENABLING ACT.
1-Bolivar Polk County
2-Urbana Dallas County
3-Ebenezer Greene County
4-Mt. Vernan Lawrence County
5-Avilla Jasper County
6-Calvary Greene County
7-Panther Creek .... Laclede County
8-Carthage Jasper County
9-Neosho Newton County
10-Springfield. (Later called Bell- view) Greene County
LIST IN MINUTES OF PRESBY- TERY.
1-Bolivar. (Written in pencil; ordered stricken from roll of . Southwest Missouri Presby- tery April 14, 1870, but con- tinned on enabling act. Re- ported as organized in min- utes of March 31, 1871.)
2-Urbana.
3-Ebenezer.
4-Ozark Prairie. (Name changed from Mt. Vernon at first meeting of Presbytery. Rec- ord A, p. 61.)
5-Avilla.
6-Calvary.
7-Conway. (Changed from Pan- ther Creek, Record A, p. 59.)
8-Carthage.
9-Neosho.
10-Springfield. (Later called Bell- view.)
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11-Peace Valley. Howell County
12-Licking Texas County
13-White Rock Texas County
14-Houston. (Not in minutes Texas County
15-Lamar. (Not in first min . utes and not on roll of Presbytery anwhere.)
Barton County
16-Mt. Zion Greene County
11-Peace Valley. 12-Licking. 13-White Rock.
(Evidently nearly extinct, but in existence, as McFarland, Fulton and Pinkerton were appointed March 2, 1871, to visit. Record A, p. 65. Re- ported nothing encouraging. Record A, p. 70.)
14- Mt. Zion.
15-Little Osage, Vernon County. (The framers of the enabling act evidently thought this church in another county and assigned it to Osage Presby- tery, but the first roll of Ozark ineludes it, and it is given in the list of churches not represented Oct. 6th. Rec- ord A, p. 69.)
16-Bethel. (Probably omitted from enabling act because another church of the same name was assigned to Osage Presby- tery. That Bethel was in Cass County. This one in Polk County, near Strains' Mill, and belonged to the Presby- tery of Southwest Missouri.) 17-Loesut Grove. (Belonged to Presbytery of Southwest Mis- souri; located at Diamond Grove Prairie, in Newton County. Afterwards `called Westminster. Now extinet.) 18-Minersville. |Belonged to Pres- bytery of Southwest Missouri. Located in Jasper County. Afterwards dissolved.)
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