USA > New Jersey > A history of Baptists in New Jersey > Part 45
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Captain J. S. Endicott bought a lot there and gave it to the church and the building at Bakersville was removed to Sea View and reoccupied in May. Next year, in May 1882, the church changed its name to Sea View. The old name was retained in the minutes until 1888, and although Dr Bailey had resigned in 1885, he is reported as supply in 1889. The people were loath to give him up. Rev. L. Morse became pastor in April 1885 and in January 1886, opened a mission at Somers Point and the Association built a chapel there in 1899. Mr. Morse resigned in about two years and Rev. T. Fuller is said to have followed Mr. Bailey. Rev. A. Cauldwell entered on the charge of the church on February 1st, 1890, remaining till May 1892. In July of that year Rev. W. Percy accepted the call of the church and in 1895, there was a vacancy in the pastorate, which Rev. A. E. Douglass filled in Decem- ber 1895. Student supplies ministered till Rev. E. E. Tyson settled in
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CAPE MAY CALVARY
1900. Sea View has had nine pastors. One has been licensed to preach. A colony has gone from it, to constitute Somers Point church. Several houses have been built for its use. Dr. Bailey of Atlantic City has been an invaluable aid to the church as pastor twice and as supply in its need. Words fail to describe the value of such men.
As previously stated, second Cape May church had two houses of worship, the upper house, located at Littleworth in the upper precinct of Cape May County and the "Lower" house at Townsends Inlet. On September 5th, 1863, the second Cape May Baptist church dismissed sixty-five members to constitute a Baptist church at the "Lower" house. A minute from the church book of the Calvary Baptist church says: "On the 10th day of October 1863, sixty-five members of the second Cape May Baptist church, with three from the Willistown Baptist church, Pa., convened at the lower house for the purpose of organ- izing themselves into a church of Jesus Christ. At this meeting it was decided to call the church the Calvary Baptist church of Cape May County."
The pastors were: P. L. Davies, 1864-65; C. E. Wilson, 1865-67; J. K. Manning, 1867-69; A parsonage was built in this period, also a new house of worship at Dennisville; J. M. Lyon, 1871; M. M. Finch, 1872-76; C. H. Johnston, 1876-79; J. M.Taylor, 1880-83; W. Warlow, 1883-85; E. S. Fitz, 1885-91, while pastor the house of worship and the parsonage were .enlarged and improved. E. S. Town, 1892; J. A. Klucker, 1893; S. B. Hiley, 1895-97; M. H. Snodgrass, 1897-1900. In February, 1864, the Dennisville church disbanded uniting with the Calvary church. In 1897, sixty-one members of the Calvary church applied for letters of dismission to reorganize at Dennisville, naming the new church, South Dennisville. Mr. Snodgrass being pastor of the church. The Calvary church has had twelve pastors, some of whom have been joint pastors of Calvary and of Dennisville. South Dennis colonized from Calvary in 1897. However, Dennis and Dennisville and South Dennis originated as early as 1729. Again in 1849 and last as South Dennis in 1897. An assistance to preserve the early Baptist history associated with South Dennis is to be commended even though confusion is involved in the history of the two churches. Independent interests of both second Cape May and some other churches in Cape May County are strangely mixed. Calvary church however, is im- planted in the earliest records of the county as is also that of second Cape May. We can easily believe that even Morgan Edwards gave up unravelling the entanglement.
There is more or less uncertainty as to the maternity of Goshen church. But it is assigned usually to twenty-five members of Calvary
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church, some to First Cape May and others from South Dennis church. Goshen is central to these places. The church was constituted in 1891. Rev. A. J. Klucker became pastor in March 1892 and resigned in May 1893. Two students, W. C. Cottrell and J. G. Fryer supplied the church for months. H. Craner entered the pastorate in January 1898 and was ordained on the next March and closed his charge in July 1900. In these years, the debt on the church edifice was annually reduced and such changes made in it as the church could pay for. Two pastors and supplies have ministered to the churh.
In one year, Calvary church founded two colonies. Dias Creek is a thickly settled farming community, about five miles below Goshen and west of the Court House. Three pastors have ministered to both Goshen and Dias Creek, Klucker, Fryer and Johnson. Dias Creek was constituted with twenty-six members from Calvary church, Cape May County. Another pastor is said to have been at Dias Creek in 1894-95. It is reported that he was a bad man.
Ocean City is in the extreme northeast corner of Cape May county. Like to Atlantic City, it is on an island. Railroad connections are from the south, while trolley and steamer connect from Atlantic City. Its permanent population get their living from the sea and from summer visitors. There is no back country to draw upon. A strait, known as Peck's Beach, cuts off inland commerce.
The Baptist church was organized in January 1898, with about twenty-four members. Within seven months, the membership had more than doubled. A pastor and colony came from second Cape May Baptist church and constituted Ocean City church. Rev. H. J. Roberts pastor of the mother church, gave up an independent position to take a subordinate one, that of this new church. A meeting house was built and paid for in 1899 and dedicated in August of 1899. Since its organization the usual activities of a Christian church are undertaken and the church has maintained a forceful career, giving assurance of being a blessing to the community where it is located. By the middle of 1900, the membership had increased to seventy-five. On July 1st, 1900, Pastor Roberts resigned.
The Corson family were active in the origin and conduct of this church. Their name is among the trustees who bought in 1785, of the sheriff, the original house probably built as early as 1750. Their name is also among the constituents of second Cape May Baptist church. The "Inlet" where the lower meeting house of the second Cape May church was and which the Calvary church of Cape May County cocupied was named Corsons. They had probably originally settled there and were Baptists when coming to America. Continuing Baptists, they
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OCEAN CITY
were not of the transient sort, but impressed their convictions of Divine truth upon a wide section, as genuine Baptists invariably do.
CHAPTER L.
HOPEWELL, SOUTH AMBOY, ROSELLE AND DAMAREST.
It is a misnomer to speak of Baptists at Hopewell, beginning in 1871. For more than one hundred and fifty years, Hopewell and education have been household words in New Jersey. Unhappily, in the antinomian craze from 1825 to 1840, the venerable First Hopewell church was caught in its snare and belied its glorious record in edu- cation and missions. Excepting First Middletown and Piscataway and Cohansie, no Baptist church exceeds it, in its missionary progeny.
Hunterdon, Warren, Sussex and other counties attest the fruit- fulness of its mission work. The minutes of the Central Association of 1834, Page 3, item 26, says: "Brethren Wright and Stites ap- pointed a committee to which was referred the letters from First and Second Hopewell churches. They reported and agreeable thereto, names of said churches are dropped from our minutes." This was the end of more reports from these churches of activity to carry out the last commission of our ascending Lord. In 1825, Mr. Boggs, pastor of First Hopewell was appointed by the New Jersey Association, on a Board to carry on a mission work and in 1828, he was still a member of that Board. Pastor Boggs, in his corresponding letter, as moderator of the Association wrote: "Let the Gospel then go forth as a lamp that burneth; let us not hold our peace, nor refuse our aid till the Gospel of peace and salvation is preached to every creature and shall spread like the tide from a mighty ocean over the whole world." Two years after, 1834, the church of which he was pastor, First Hopewell, with- drew from the Association on account of its missionary, Sunday school and temperance work and Mr. Boggs went with it, giving the lie to all of his past life. In 1871, Rev. E. C. Romaine visited Hopewell and preached on a few succeeding days. On August 23rd, Baptists met at the house of Mr.W.O. Stout and decided to constitute a regular Baptist church in Hopewell and on the next day, the 24th of October, six having letters constituted a Baptist church and named it "The Calvary Baptist church of Hopewell." Four of these six names are memorial: Lewis, Manning, William O. Stout, Jerusha Stout, M. Alice Stout. Mr. Mann- ing had been a student under Mr. Eaton. The three Stouts were descend- ants of the original Stouts, who had come from Holmdel, constituents in 1715 of First Hopewell.
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Seven were added to te church on the next day, the 25th. Mr. Romine was pastor two years. Within six months, the original six had increased to forty-nine. Twenty-five of them had been baptized. At the next October session of the Central Association, five hundred dollars was subscribed for the purchase of lots and the erection of a meeting house in Hopewell, which was dedicated in Decemebr, 1872. The cost of the entire property was six thousand dollars. It is best to state that aside from local gifts, additional funds were sent by the churches of the Association. Ten pastors have ministered to the church. E. C. Romain, 1871-73; A. V. Dimock, 1873-76; A. J. Hay, 1876-79; H. B. Garner, 1879-82; A. Hopper, 1882-83; H. J. James, 1884- 85; T. G. Wright, 1885-89; D. S. Mulhern, 1891-93. 1893 the parsonage was destroyed by fire.
It was rebuilt and paid for in 1894. R. C. Bower, 1894-98; L. A. Schnering, 1899-1900. Two members have been licensed to preach. Two parsonages have been built. The trials of Calvary, Hopewell, are peculiar. Kingwood survives by Baptisttown. Second Hopewell by Lambertville. First Hopewell is still a strong church, many of its children, having imbibed its new and later ideas explain its present strength. Nevertheless, since its departure from the Gospel, the children of its members constitute the strength of other denominations; they are thriving on the wastage of First Hopewell. Before being Antinomian, First Hopewell was the ancestress of the Baptist churches in Hunterdon County, and of many in Warren and in Sussex counties. Since being antinomian it has not given life to a church of Jesus Christ and through its influence, as many as six churches have died. Near to Hopewell, are several large towns, wholly destitute of Baptist churches, in which we would have been dominant had First Hopewell been true to Christ. It is sorrowful to Baptists to forecast the outcome, had First Hopewell been a fruitful vine as has been Middletown, Piscataway, Cohansie, Hightstown, Pemberton, Salem, Cape May and other Baptist churches of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. However, Calvary church lifts its standard high and will yet occupy the region round about and if not reclaim the old church, renew the messages of Gospel grace to perishing men.
Baptists have lived in South Amboy from early times. Baptist churches in Perth Amboy, South River and Jacksonville, had members there. Rev. H. H. Rouse of Herbertsville used to preach in South Amboy from 1860. Members of the missionary committee of the Trenton Association made inquiry visits to the town earlier than 1870, with the intent to found a Baptist church in the place. Pastors of Middletown and of Holmdel churches visited the town in 1870 and
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decided to begin a movement as soon as Toms River and Lakewood would allow.
On September 12th, the missionary committee met twelve resi- dent Baptists and advised them to organize a Baptist church, and it was done then and there. Meetings were held in private houses till January 1872, when they were transferred to a hall. A house of wor- ship was a necessity. The Camden and Amboy Railroad had given lots to the other churches, but the Pennsylvania Railroad being in con- trol and the pastor at Holmdel being personally acquainted with mem- bers of the Board of the railroad, applied for a like gift to the Baptist church. Compliance was cheerfully made and the last official act of its great President, Edgar Thompson, before he sailed for Europe, where he died before returning, was to sign the deed of a valuable and central property to the Baptist church, for its house of worship and ample space for a parsonage. Rev. T. Snow became pastor November 1st, 1873. The missionary committee of the Associtaion gave to him, the pastor, authority for the design and cost of the church edifice and they were disappointed in both the dseign and cost of the building for which the Association had appropriated a considerable sum.
A parsonage was built in 1874 and in 1875, the house of worship was begun. It was not ready for use, however, until the in next pastor- ate in March 1878. Mr. Snow closed his labors at South Amboy in August 1877 and Mr. D. D. Reed settled the next December and re- signed to take effect in April 1879. Mr. Reed's removal was at the instance of the missionary committee, his antecedents coming to their knowledge. Rev. L. H. Copeland entered on the charge of the church in August 1879, continuing till Februray 1881. A few days later, Rev. D. S. Mulhern settled as pastor. While pastor, the church said of him: "He was greatly beloved." Under his charge, the meeting house was renovated and through a legacy left to the church by a member, Maria Capher, all debts were cancelled. The financial condition of the church was so much improved that it relieved the Convention Board of further annual appropriations and since has been a self sustaining body.
Both the church and the Sunday school made strong appeals to him to remain, but without avail. On January 1st, 1886, Rev. S. V. Robinson became pastor and concluded his charge at South Amboy in August 1888 and was followed by J. H. Dudley. To remedy the mal- formation of the house of worship an enlargement was begun in June 1892, the reformation finished and reoccupied in June 1893.
Pastor Dudley resigned in July 1894. Rev. E. B. Hughes was pastor until January 1st, 1895. Rev. J. G. Dyer following and in 1900, was still pastor. Mr. Dyer evolved "ways and means," to car el the
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ROSELLE AND DEMAREST
cost of remodelling the church edifice. Virtually the church has had two houses of worship. The first of temporary use. The rebuilding being in effect the loss of the first house at a useless cost. Eight pastors have served the church, one of them was an unworthy man. All of the others were true, tried and good men. Mention must be made of Deacons T. Burrowes of Keyport and John Mount of Red Bank, as having had a large share not only in the success at South Amboy, but in all the enterprises of the missionary committee of the Trenton Association whereby it multiplied churches. Further allusion will be made to these and other men, whom God raised up and gave to the Baptists.
Roselle is a station on the Central Railroad, a few miles west of Elizabeth. Railroads build up towns at their stations, chiefly consisting of the surplus population of down town New York business men. Thus it was that a Baptist Sunday school was formed in June 1870, and at a meeting in the house of Mr. George Marlor it was agreed to meet on Sep- tember 18th, at the house of Mr. George H. Sutton.
There, nineteen Baptists constituted themselves into the Roseville Baptist church. The place of worship was first in a hall of the school building; later, at other halls till the house of worship was ready for use. On January 5th, 1873, Rev. J. V. Stratton became pastor. Ar- rangements were made on July 30th, 1874, to build a house of worship, which was dedicated June 5th, 1876, with an indebtedness of four thousand dollars. Pastor Stratton closed his charge on January 1st, 1877. Rev. R. F. McMichael followed on November 25th, that year, staying two years. In September 1879, Rev. William Humpstone settled as pastor and continued two years. November 6th, 1881, Rev. W. W. Pratt, as supply and pastor, May 1882-December 1882. In March 1885, Rev. L. O. Grenelle was pastor for two years. Rev. H. R. Goodchild was pastor from September 1889 to May 1895 and had a happy and prosperous charge. Supplies ministered till May 1896, when Rev. J. Miller settled. He succeeded in cancelling the debt. In 1899, Rev. J. M. Stifler, Jr., entered the pastorate. Roselle had been hurt with an expensive house and enormous debt. Strength in the pulpit, even though the house is indifferent, rarely fails to pay off debts and build fitting places of worship and make the church a helper in every good work. Roselle has had nine pastors. Each has been useful and as happy as could be anticipated with a church burdened with debt.
Demarest Baptists held meetings in anticipation and preparation ยท for the constitution of a church. They met in a hall in Englewood for social worship in 1872, having interest in their mutual welfare and concern for the "faith once delivered to the saints." The school house at Demarest station was agreed on as an appropriate place for worship
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and the meetings were held there from July 1874. Rev. J. H. Andrews of Englewood preached each Lord's Day morning.
About this time Mr. Ralph Demarest gave a plot of ground for a church edifice and the building was completed December 13th, 1874 and Mr. Andrews preached the opening sermon. The church num- bered seventeen constituents. Eleven were from different churches in New York City and six from Englewood. Pastors in the order of their labors were: J. H. Andrews, June to October in 1875; R. F. Mc- Michael, 1876 and 7; P. Gallaher, 1887-92; supplies, 1892-96; G. L. Ford, 1896-97; H. Coleman, 1897-1900. The place of worship was enlarged in 1895. Mr. Francis Ford in 1898 gave five hundred dollars to the church. The memories of Mr. R. Demarest, who gave the ground for the house of worship and of M. F. Ford, who though not a member of the church, valued its influence and work and gave five hundred dollars to advance its welfare are both cherished.
CHAPTER LI.
ECHO LAKE CIRCLE, BUTLER AND SUMMIT.
These churches are grouped as related to one founder of them, Rev Conrad Vreeland, and as coming from Echo Lake church. They are styled in the Association Minutes: "The Echo Lake Circle," in all, nine churches. Mr. Vreeland has been either pastor or by employing assist- ant pastors, supplied these churches with preaching and has been their financial support. He has provided them with houses of worship and has supplied them with pastors, where he could not himself minister to them. It is fitting to speak of Mr. Vreeland before giving the record of the churches. Mr. Vreeland was born at Echo Lake. In early manhood he moved to Brooklyn and as a contractor and real estate broker, acquired a fortune.
Resident in the city, when converted, he united with the Strong Place Baptist church. The intelligence and force of character that developed a successful business man under Divine influence, ripened him into an earnest active Christian. In a mission of the Strong Place church that grew into the Tabernacle church, Mr. Vreeland taught a class of young men. In 1873, he returned to his native place, Echo Lake. There, but limited religious privileges were enjoyed. A Method- ist minister preached once in two weeks in the morning and a Presby- terian, once in two weeks in the afternoon. A ready to die Sunday school was held. Calling an assembly of the people, a Sunday school was formed of which he was superintendent and then, he had Baptist preaching in Echo Lake.
In June 1874, a Baptist church of twelve members was organized and in the next November, a meeting house was ready for the church. Land and building cost Mr. Vreeland five thousand dollars. As yet, he was not in the ministry. It is not needful to be a preacher to win souls to Christ, nor to found churches or to do the work of an evangelist. The commission to the man restored to spiritual health was, Mark 5:19, "Go home to thy friends and tell them what great things God hath done for thee," is as much ours as his. In 1879, the Echo Lake church said in their letter to the Association: "We have been greatly blessed in the conversion of souls and in the help received from our pastor, who has provided our place of worship."
Mr: Vreeland was not limited to Echo Lake. Six miles away was Newfoundland, where more than sixty years before, in 1804, a Baptist
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NEW JERSEY BAPTIST HISTORY
church was. It had had an uncertain life for nearly fifty years. But in 1850, disappeared, save as a few venerable men and women tarried on earth. In November 1877, thirty-seven members of Echo Lake church were dismissed to organize anew at Newfoundland. Mr. Vree- land was called to be pastor at Newfoundland and was ordained at the recognition of Newfoundland church. At Newfoundland, Mr. Vreeland provided house of worship at his own cost, also securing a supply at Echo Lake. The pastoral charge at Newfoundland to such a man as its pastor involved an exploration of its surroundings.
About six miles from it was Milton. It had been the Post Office of the original Newfoundland church there were still living a few of its old members. Twelve were dismissed from Echo Lake church to unite in the organization of the Milton church. The Milton church is as yet unassociated. It has the ministry of Mr. Vreeland or of one of his assistants At Milton, there was an abandoned Methodist church edifice, which Mr. Vreeland bought and gave the use of it to the Milton church.
Southeast of Echo Lake, about seven miles distant, a community known as West Brook Valley existed. Mr. Vreeland visited the place and numbers of its people were baptized into Echo Lake church in Octo- ber 1881. Twenty-five members were dismissed from Echo Lake church and constituted a West Brook Valley church. Mr. Vreeland gave to them a house of worship and cemetery and he was eleted their pastor.
North of Echo Lake, it may be ten mlles, Mr. Vreeland built a small chapel in October 1884. Nineteen members of Echo Lake church were constituted the Greenwood church of which Mr. Vreeland was chosen pastor. The number of constituents was really twenty-one.
As early as 1878, mission work was done at Canisteer. The town is about fifteen miles from Greenwood. Scores were baptized. Mr. Vreeland bought a Methodist property of which the Canisteer church has the free use. The church was constituted in November 1885 with thirteen members.
Manaque is a station on the New York and Greenwood Lake Rail- road. It is about eight or ten miles from Echo Lake. A Baptist church was organized there in 1893. A furnished room was appointed by Mr. Vreeland for worship. Later, a house was bought by Mr. Vreeland and transformed into a fitting place for worship.
Ogdensburg is a long distance from Echo Lake. A church was constituted there in 1877. It suffered divers adversities that utterly impaired its growth and usefulness. In 1895, Mr. Vreeland was sent for. An extensive revival broke out. The church was reorganized.
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UNION VALLEY AND BUTLER
Mr. Vreeland was called to be pastor and accepted. He bought lots, built a church edifice and parsonage and the church worships in its new home.
Union Valley is midway between Echo Lake and Newfoundland. Material changes for the benefit of cities in the vallies, dispossessed several members of Newfoundland church and they removed. Mr. Vreeland bought grounds there, moved a school house on it and put it in order for the Lord's Day worship, and service is maintained each Lord's Day. Thus under the labors of Mr. Vreeland and by the use of his wealth, nine churches have already been constituted and each of them has been provided with a sanctuary and several of them with parsonages at the expense of Mr. Vreeland.
A houseless church necessarily experiences great loss and in due time dies unless the lack is met. The field of Mr. Vreeland's labors included several counties. Mr. Vreeland employed assistant pastors to minister to these churches. The hardships of occupying these fields will be realized if it is remembered that they were in a mountainous and broken country; that three services on the Lord's day were under- taken by the pastors. That long rides of from thirty to fifty-five miles through cold, snow, storm, heat, day and night, speaking and singing were often necessary.
Another like instance of personal sacrifice and of devotion occurred in Camden, New Jersey. Deacon William J. Croxey of the First church in Camden acquaints himself with needy fields and struggling churches, originates churches, assures the building of houses of worship and parsonages. Such men index religion to be of the same type as when it wrought consecration; endured the fire of the stake, the rack of the wheel, public whippings and death; and no less does the God of Abra- ham, Job and Daniel work in these later generations the same purposes as he wrought in the lives of the men, whose record he has preserved for our instruction.
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