USA > Nebraska > A history of Nebraska Methodism, first half-century, 1854-1904 > Part 35
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Though not a member of the Conference, his brethren in regular work, many of whom he has helped, express their appreciation in the following memoir: "Rev. Rob- ert Laing, a deacon in our local ranks, did efficient service in our Church for about forty years in this State, he be- ing one of the earliest settlers in Nebraska. He departed this life full of faith in the saving power of God to the uttermost, aged sixty-nine years. He was a revivalist of great power ; many pastors can testify to his valuable evangelistic services in their pastoral charges."
Sister Laing, to whom Robert Laing was married in 1854, and her father, have the distinction of being the first two persons who brought Church letters to Council Bluffs in 1852. They became members of the first Church formed in that place, by William Simpson.
John Dale, another helpful local preacher, though a man of business, finds time, or takes time, to do the Lord's work. We have seen the prominent part he took in the founding and development of Hanscom Park Church.
548
HISTORY OF NEBRASKA METHODISM.
But he has been very helpful in many ways, in connection with the hospital and other enterprises, and every strug- gling Church has had a sympathetic, helpful friend in John Dale, and Omaha Methodism in general is in debt to him for years of efficient service.
I have already in the course of this narrative spoken at some length of many others of our local brethren, gratefully recognizing their valuable services to the Church. All honor to the class of workers to which they belong, a class that has done much to make the history that I have been trying to record.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
FOURTH PERIOD. (1880-1904.)
CONCLUSION.
THE following bishops have presided at the Nebraska Conferences during these fifty years: Morris, Simpson, Ames, Baker, Scott, Kingsley, Thomson, Janes, Clark, Andrews, Bowman, Gilbert Haven, Foster, Harris, War- ren, Merrill, Wiley, Mallalieu, Fowler, Hurst, Foss, Vin- cent, Goodsell, Walden, Newman, McCabe, Ninde, Fitz- Gerald.
Of these twenty-eight bishops there are none whose presence has not been influential for good. The very presence of these chief pastors has been a benediction to all, and especially to the younger members. These bishops have all been men of good ability, and by their addresses and counsel during Conference sessions, and the sermon on the Sabbath have made a deep impression for good. Under no other system do the people and preachers have the privilege of meeting and hearing from so many of the chief men of the Church. Some of these sermons have been the event of a lifetime with some of these preachers, as was that of Bishop Foster at Falls City in 1876, which, after more than a quarter of a century, is still fresh in the memory of those of us who were per- mitted to hear it.
It may be said that these have all been men of great
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA METHODISM.
personal power and influence. But when you add to this the vast official power with which the Church has clothed them, by which they have the entire legal authority to de- termine the appointment of every member of Conference, and also those on trial, you have a factor that can not but be a power for good if wisely and conscientiously used. Though our bishops may be fallible and make mistakes, they have no motive for using this vast power otherwise than in the interest of the Church.
At the four Nebraska Conferences of 1903 Bishop Andrews, in the exercise of this power, assigned over 350 men to different places and positions. If we take 150, less than half this number, as the average number thus ap- pointed from year to year by the several presiding bishops, we have a total for the fifty years of 7,500 appointments made by these bishops, chiefly to pastorates and presiding elderships.
How much of the success of these fifty years has been due to the wisdom and spirit in which these appointments have been made may not be in our power to determine. That much is due to this cause can not be doubted.
Besides these regular services at the Conferences many of these bishops have aided on special occasions in dedi- cating churches, delivering lectures, and other like sery- ices. Two of them, Newman and McCabe, have been resident bishops in Omaha, and have been specially help- ful to the Churches in that city and others throughout the State. As elsewhere noted, Bishop Fowler may be said to be the father of our present educational institution and the splendid service of Bishop McCabe in helping to res- cue that institution from the burden of debt will not soon be forgotten.
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MINISTERIAL DELEGATES TO GENERAL CONFERENCE. I. WILLIAM GORST. 2. W. B. ALEXANDER. 3. JOHN GALLAGHER. 4. P. C. JOHNSON. 5. C. A. MASTIN. 6. W. E. HARDAWAY. WM. M. WOR- LEY. 8. L. F. BRITT. 9. J. W. STEWART.
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA METHODISM.
Nebraska Methodism will bear the test of compari- son with other sister Churches. For this purpose I have chosen the United States census religious statistics for 1870 and 1890. I have chosen these two dates because this feature of the census does not appear before 1870, and those for 1900 are not out yet. But as these cover the period of greatest growth in population and conse- quent need, and during the eighties, the greatest oppor- tunities for church-building and expansion in all direc- tions, the comparison for that period will serve as a sanı- ple of what has been done during all periods of Nebraska history.
The three items with which the census deals are the number of organizations, the number of churches, and the number of sittings these churches afford. Here Meth- odism is at a disadvantage in 1870 by reason of the fact that under our economy in our circuit system there are sometimes from two to five separate organizations con- bined in one and so reported, while with all the other de- nominations included in this comparison each such organ- ization is counted separately and so reported. So we should remember in reading these figures that to get at the real facts we should multiply the number of our organiza- tions in 1870 by three. But in 1890 the number 649 indi- cates that the census report conforms to the facts. The above caution, of course, does not apply to churches and sittings.
Churches,
Date.
Organizations. Edifices.
Sittings.
Methodists,
IS70
50
36
10,150
Baptists, .
1870
26
15
5,400
Presbyterians, .
IS70
24
9
3,125
Congregationalists,
1870
IO
7
2,050
Lutherans,.
1870
14
7
2,000
553
HISTORY OF NEBRASKA METHODISM.
Churches.
Date.
Organizations. Edifices.
Sittings.
Episcopalians, .
1870
15
I2
3,500
Catholics, .
IS70
17
II
2,935
Methodists,
1890
649
461
II2,000
Baptists, .
1890
230
164
36,500
Presbyterians, .
1890
228
155
34,900
Congregationalists,
IS90
172
I44
32,000
Lutherans,
IS90
387
253
49,900
Catholics,
1890
213
I79
38,390
This story of the fifty years of Methodismn will prop- erly close with a brief summary of results and a glance at some of the causes of the success that is written on every page.
These results may be divided into two classes, the visible and the invisible. (Note that all previous statis- tics, except German and Swedish, and those which fol- low, relate to our English-speaking work alone, the Ger- man-Swedish occurring elsewhere.)
During the fifty years Nebraska Methodism has re- ceived from the Missionary Society to aid in supporting the men in the field the sum of $430,802. This was often the chief reliance of the frontier preacher, the one thing on which he could bank. Not infrequently it amounted to much more than the people were able to pay, and its ab- sence would have meant suffering if not starvation.
To support her ministry during the entire fifty years Nebraska Methodism has promised, including salaries and house rent, a total of $4,817,420, and has paid a total of $4,367,283. This leaves her still in debt, according to or- dinary standards, to her ministers that have actually done her service these fifty years, to the amount of $450.137. It will be easy to reckon how far this would go if paid
554
HISTORY OF NEBRASKA METHODISM.
now to producing the $100,000 Conference Claimants' Fund proposed during this, her jubilee year. There should, however, be deducted from this balance still due the amount given to Conference claimants in fifty years, being $34,460. That still leaves us short in our account with the old veterans to the amount of $415,677.
It is true that much of this deficit accrued during the first twenty-five years, before financial conditions became favorable and the Church became thoroughly organized so as to handle her financial affairs efficiently.
Of the $430,802 received from the Missionary Society in fifty years $285,283 have been returned by collections during that time. This leaves us $145,519 behind in our account with the Missionary Society.
To the several other benevolent interests we have con- tributed during the half-century, or during the time they have been in existence, as follows: For Church Exten- sion, $42,204; Freedmen's Aid, $40,189; Tract, $5,619; Sunday-school Union, $6,434; Woman's Foreign Mis- sionary Society, $77,332; Woman's Home Missionary Society, $52,752; Education, public collection, $134,230; Children's-day Fund, $12,955; Bible Society, $9,869; Methodist Hospital, $10,786.
The total contributed to all the benevolences, not in- cluding Conference Claimants, General Conference ex- penses, Episcopal Fund, or "other" collections, $660,421.
While doing this and paying preachers we have built 574 churches, at a cost of $1,592,955, and 321 parsonages, at a cost of $330,525, besides the second and third churches and parsonages that have been erected in many places.
While in the statistical tables the Conference Claim-
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MINISTERIAL DELEGATES TO GENERAL CONFERENCE. I. F. M. SISSON. 2. GEO. I. WRIGIIT. 3. J. W. SHENK. 4. P. H. EIGHMY. 5. JAMES LEONARD. 6. D. K. TINDALL. 7. JESSE W. JENNINGS. 8. C. A. HALE. 9. ALFRED HODGETTS. IO. C. C. LASBY. II. A. R. JULIAN. 12. A. C. CROSTHWAITE.
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA METHODISM.
ants' and Episcopal Funds, and the collection for General Conference expenses are included in the benevolences for convenience, neither of them are properly there, as their support is not a benevolence.
These figures include only the Conference collections, and do not embrace all the amounts raised by subscrip- tions for college and seminary buildings, hospital, and other such institutions, though in a few cases some of these may have been reported.
While these statistics for the entire period of fifty years have been carefully compiled, and we have reason to believe are substantially correct, they are not abso- lutely so. There are occasional errors in the Minutes as published, and there is no way of correcting them. But these errors are of such a nature that they are as likely to occur on one side as another, and in the course of fifty years tend to balance each other.
It should be further explained that nearly all the benevolences have begun their existence since the begin- ning of Nebraska Methodism. This is true of Freedmen's Aid, which began after the war; Church Extension began in the later sixties ; Woman's Foreign Missionary Society began in 1869, and Woman's Home Missionary Society in 1880. We had no institution of learning till 1880. Mis- sions and Bible Cause were about all there were at the first. So with the exception of Missions and Bible Cause, Tract, and Sunday-school work, these contributions for benevolences have all been made in the last twenty-five or thirty years.
At the close of our half-century we find ourselves with 393 full members of Conference and forty-three on trial. Of these, twenty-three are supernumerary and fifty-nine
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LAY DELEGATES TO THE GENERAL CONFERENCE.
BAYARD H. PAINE. 2. GEORGE H. HORNBY. 3. L. S. FEIGENBAUM. 4. M. C. HAZEN. 5. WM. W. HASKELL. 6. JOHN N. DRYDEN. 7. W. H. WESTOVER. 8. JOHN A. SLATER. 9. S. A. D. HENLINE. 10. JOHN DAVIS. II. A .. J. ANDERSON. 12. W. G. OLINGER. 13. JOHN J. DOTY. 14. F. E. SALA. 15. JOHN DALE. 16. E. H. ROGERS.
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA METHODISM.
superannuated. This leaves 3II effective, of whom four- teen are presiding elders, and forty are missionaries to the Territories or to foreign fields, or in some other special service, as Conference evangelists, or attending school. This leaves 257 effective preachers as pastors.
We have, according to the Minutes of 1903, 51,697 full members, and 3,354 probationers. These are divided into 399 different charges, with 257 effective members of Conference to man them, leaving 142 charges to be sup- plied otherwise. This is largely done with our reserve force of 158 local preachers, many of whom are in this way being tested before being presented to Conference for admission on trial. A few charges are supplied by supernumerary preachers, and some even by the super- annuated.
There are very few of our 574 church buildings in which there is not at least one Gospel sermon preached each Sabbath, and in nearly all there are two sermons preached. It would not be far from the truth to say that there are 1,000 sermons preached in Nebraska by Meth- odist preachers every Sabbath day at the regular services, or 52,000 in the course of the year. Besides these there are probably not less than 5,000 preached at revivals and camp-meetings.
In the 690 Methodist Sunday-schools in the State there are not less than 3,000 teachers giving lessons every Sabbath from the Divine Word of God. If this is what Methodism is now doing in a single year, what a magnifi- cent aggregate of earnest, efficient effort must the entire half-century present !
Add to these the means of grace as found in the prayer and class meeting, and Epworth League devotional meet-
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LAY DELEGATES TO THE GENERAL CONFERENCE.
I. J. D. KING. 2. MRS. M. D. NICKELL. 3. A. F. COON. 4. M. B. REES. 5. MRS. M. E. ROBERTS. 6. J. L. MCBRIEN. 7. D. C. FLEMING. 8. MRS. ANGIE F. NEWMAN. 9. B. L. PAINE. 10. JOIIN W. BALSON. II. N. R. PERSINGER. 12. CHAS. A. GOSS.
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA METHODISM.
ings, and we have some idea of the visible means by which Methodism has been and is now trying to do her part in evangelizing the State, saving souls, and helping to make the world better.
Some of the results of all these sermons, lessons, prayer and class meetings, together with her revivals, schools, hospitals, and other forms of Christian effort and helpful institutions, we have been able to place before the eye in tangible form.
But perhaps the best and most lasting results are the invisible. The truth lodged in the heart and growing secretly, bearing the rich fruitage of pure thoughts, high resolves, noble purposes, and these ultimating in strong clean character and noble living. The word of sympathy that has inspired the wavering soul with new courage, brought hope to the despairing and stanched the tears of sorrow are results incapable of expression in language of statistics and must await the eternities for their full ex- pression.
Many of the agencies that brought about much of these results, both visible and invisible, have themselves been obscure ministers and laymen who have wrought for years with little or no recognition. It has been my pur- pose to bring to light as many of their achievements as possible, but I have found it impossible to do justice to all. But among these are to be found some of our choicest spirits, our noblest heroes. Their lot is well described by Dean Farrar in these true words: "There is yet a harder and a higher heroism-to live well in the quiet routine of life ; to fill a little space because God wills it; to go on cheerfully with a petty round of little duties, little occa- sions ; to accept unmurmuringly a low position ; to smile
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA METHODISM.
for the joys of others when the heart is aching; to ban- . ish all ambition, all pride, all restlessness in a single re- gard for our Savior's work. To do this for a lifetime is a greater effort, and he who does this is a greater hero than he who for one hour storms a breach, or for one day rushes undaunted in the flaming front of shot and shell. His works will follow him. He may not be a hero to the world, but he is one of God's heroes; and, though the builders of Nineveh and Babylon be forgotten and un- known, his memory shall live and be blessed."
LAY DELEGATES TO GENERAL CONFERENCE
PAGE
PAGE
Anderson, A. J 557
Balson, J. W. 559
Coon, A. F.
559
Dryden, John F
557
Newman, Mrs. Angle F .559
Davis, John
557
Ollinger, W. G. .557
Doty, J. J.
557
Paine, Bayard H. .557
Paine, B. L. 559
Persinger, N. R. 559
Rogers, E. H. 557
Rees, M. B ... 559
Roberts, Mrs. M. E 559
Hazen. M. C.
557
Slater, John A. .557
Sala, F. E. . 557
Westover, W. H.
.557
CUTS OF BUILDINGS
First Church Built. .
.. 459
First Church Built in Lin-
coln
461
St. Paul's Church.
461
Sod Church
462
Nebraska Wesleyan
Uni-
versity
. 478
M. E. Hospital.
.509
Mother's Jewels Home.
.515
Haskell, Wm. W. 557
Henline, S. A. D.
557
King. J. D. 559
McBrien, J. L .. . 559
Nickell, Mrs. M. D. 559
Dale, John . 557
Feigenbaum, L. S
557
Fleming, D. C.
559
Goss, Chas. A.
557
Hornby, Geo. H.
557
LIST OF PORTRAITS
PAGE
The Author .... Frontispiece Adriance, Rev. Jacob ...... 39
Alexander, Rev. Geo. S ... 131
Adair, Rev. J. M. 347
Adams, Rev. R. H .. .407
Amsbary, Rev. W. A. 407
Alexander, Rev. W. B .... 551
Burch, Rev. Hiram ... 47
Blackburn, Rev. W. S ... 131
Buckley, Rev. Joseph. .377
Badcon, Rev. J. A. 377
Blain, Rev. Bartley. 377
Beebe, Rev. O. K. 388
Balch, Rev. T. C. 401
Beans, Rev. W. K. 407
Bithel, Rev. Thos.
411
Burns, Rev. Isaac .. 411
Burleigh, Rev. Chas. H.
419
Blackwell, Rev. A. G.
423
Butler, Rev. A. C.
423
Beck, Rev. S. A.
453
Britt, Rev. L. F.
551
Carter, Rev. W. H.
.347
Charles, Rev. Jabez.
347
Collins, Rev. Asbury
.379
Connell, Rev. C. E.
401
Chapin, Rev. A. B.
401
Clark, Rev. D. J
411
Crane, Rev. D. W. 415
Calkins, Rev. A. C. 415
Collins, Mrs. Louisa
455
Creighton, Rev. C. F.
479
Crook, Rev. Isaac ...
479
Crosthwaite, Rev. A. C .. 555
Davis, W. H .. 45
Davis, Mrs. W. H. 45
Davis, Rev. H. T 61
Davis, Rev. D. S.
216
Dean, Rev. J. S. W.
411
Dressler, Rev. J. M. 423
Esterbrook, Rev. F. M.
131
Elwood, Rev: Geo. W
407
Eighmy, Rev. P. H.
555
Fort, Rev. J. L. .
39
Folden, Rev. A. L.
131
PAGE
Fleharty, Rev. J. Q. A. 347
Fifer, Rev. O. W. 419 Fulkerson, Rev. E. M 453 Fleharty, Rev. J. J 470
Goode, Rev. W. H 24
Gage, Rev. W. D. 42
Gearhart, Rev. J. R. 347
Glassner, Rev. W. O. 401
Gettys, Rev. J. R.
407
Giddings, Rev. C. W
411
Gortner, Rev. J. R. 455
Gorst, Rev. Wm .. 551 Gallagher, Rev. Jonn. .551
Hart, Rev. David. 39
Hamlin, John 51
Hobson, S. B. and Mrs. 77 Heywood, Rev. C. F ... .347 Henderson, Rev. S. H. .415
Howe, Rev. P. W. 423
Hummel, Rev. Geo. W .... 423
Huntington, Rev. D. W. C.479 Hosman, Rev. E. E ... .485 Hardaway, Rev. W. E .. .. .551
Hale, Rev. C. A .. 555
Hodgetts, Rev. A. 555
Imhoff, Miss Louisa 451
Isham, Rev. Geo. W. 486
Janney, Rev. Lewis 131
Jones, Rev. W. R. 407
Jones, L. O. 523
Johnson, Rev. P. C. .551
Jennings, Rev. Jesse W .. .. 555 Julian, Rev. A. R. 555
Kemper, Rev. J. F. .411
Lemon, Rev. T. B. 101
Leedom, Rev. J. B. 415
Larkin, Rev. J. A. 423
Laing, Rev. Robt. 423
Leonard, Rev. Jas. 555
Lasby, Rev. C. C. 555
Morris, Rev. Milton 45
Morris, Mrs. Milton 45
Martin, Rev. Elza 45
McCoy, Mrs. Geo. A. 56
May, Rev. D. H.
131
564
LIST OF PORTRAITS-Continued.
PAGE
PAGE
Maxfield, Rev. J. B. 139
Marsh, Rev. J. .377
Millard, Rev. H. H. 407
Miller, Rev. J. G. 407
Moore, Rev. J. E
.415
Miller, Rev. W. G.
415
Montgomery, Miss Urdell .. 451
Miner, Rev. Geo. S .. 453
Miner, Mrs.
453
Mckenzie, Prof. J. M 469
McKaig, Rev. R. N 471
Mickey, Gov. J. H.
481
Mclaughlin, Mrs. Allie P.
and group of Deacon- esses .511
Mastin, Rev. C. A. 551
Owen, Rev. T. W. 377
Presson, Rev. Harrison. 25
Presson, Rev. W. A.
131
Pritchard, Rev. Martin . . 411
Pearson, Rev. Richard. .407
Priest, Rev. J. B. 419
Query, Rev. James 423
Roberts, Rev. J. J.
131
Roe, Rev. John P. 347
Wells, Rev. C. W. 347
Wheeler, Rev. w. H. 377
Wilson, Rev. Wesley
377
Webster, Rev. T. C.
397
White, Rev. A. G ..
411
Rhone, Rev. Z. S
419
Winship, Rev. D. C. 419
Worley, Rev. Geo .. 423
Watson, Miss Matilda. 451 Watson, Miss Rebecca. 451
Worley, Rev. James H.
453
Wilson, Rev. E. E.
455
White, C. C .... 487
Smith, Rev. C. F. 401
Sleeth, Rev. Asa C
.407
Smith, Rev. Geo A ... 415
Stringfield, Rev. L. H. ... 423
Shelley, Mrs. M. J. 451
Stevens, Rev. Leslie. 455
Stewart, J. M. 483
Spurlock, Burwell 517
Spurlock, Mrs. Isabella 517
Stewart, Rev. J. W 551
Sisson, Rev. F. M. 555
Shenk, Rev. J. W. 555
Taylor, Rev. J. W 39
Turman, Rev. Z. B .. 39
Towner, Rev. Abram 45
Towner, Mrs. A .. 45
Trites, Rev. Geo. P
419
Tindall, Rev. D. K. 555
Vessels, Rev. W. G .. 419
Van Doozer, Rev. S. P .... 411 Van Anda, Rev. Joel A ... 131
Van Anda, John and Fa- ther 203
Van Fleet, Rev. Peter. 455
Van Fleet, Miss Eva. 455
Worley, Rev. Thos. 131
Reilly, Rev. Charles. 377
Ramsey, Rev. O. L .. .401
Roberts, Rev. Stokely D .. 407
Rodabaugh, Rev. D. F. .407
Ruch, Rev. P. B. 423
Rouse, Rev. C. G. 423
Spillman, Rev. Jerome. 39
Smith, Rev. L. W. 39
Slaughter, Rev. W. B. .178
St. Clair, Rev. John L. 347
Worley, Rev. Wm. M.
551
Wright, Rev. Geo. I.
555
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