USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > A centennial history of Christ Church, Cincinnati, 1817-1917 > Part 4
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REV. JOHN W. MCCARTY Rector 1863-1867
REV. WM. A. SNIVELY Rector 1867-1869
FIFTY YEARS' CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR
"I hereby respectfully tender my immediate and unconditioned resignation as Rector of the Parish of Christ Church, Cincinnati, Ohio.
"My present feeble condition must excuse the brevity of this communication."
Reluctantly accepting the resignation, the Ves- try in resolutions of regret declared that in sun- dering relations long existing, they only echoed the sentiment of the parish in saying that the pastor had discharged his duties with great abil- ity and fidelity, and that they cherished a hope that his exalted talents and fervent piety might yet be spared for a greater usefulness to the Church.
A noteworthy occasion in the history of Christ Church was that on which, in response to a proc- lamation by John Brough, Governor of Ohio, the citizens were called upon to assemble at their re- spective places of worship, on Monday, the first day of June, 1865, appointed as a day of national mourning, on account of the death of Abraham Lincoln. Upon that day a discourse was deliv- ered in Christ Church by the rector, Rev. John W. McCarty, on the subject: "Lessons from the Life and Death of a Good Ruler," preached from the text, "Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day ?"
The discourse, an eloquent and patriotic eulogy, was published in pamphlet form by the request of a voluntary committee of the more influential of the friends and parishioners of the minister, who expressed their cordial sympathy with the spirit as well as their thorough concurrence with the great truths so ably vindicated in the dis- course.
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THE HISTORY OF CHRIST CHURCH
Mr. McCarty died in May, 1867, and a me- morial oration to his honor was pronounced by the Rev. C. G. Currie. A month later the Vestry announced that they took great pleasure in recom- mending the publication of the "Sermons" of the deceased rector, which were to be issued in the in- terest of his family, and which were considered so remarkable "not only for originality, but for their clearness of exposition of evangelical truth, and for the eloquence with which they enforce it, that they can scarcely fail, under Divine blessing, to accomplish much good."
Mr. McCarty was succeeded on or before September 1, 1867, by the Rev. William Andrew Snively, who resigned the rectorship of St. An- drew's Church, Pittsburgh, and took charge of the parish of Christ Church at a salary of $4,000. Mr. Snively was born at Greencastle, Pennsyl- vania, December 6, 1833, and was therefore thirty-four years of age when he came to Cincin- nati. He was graduated from Dickinson College, with the degree of Doctor of Sacred Theology, in 1852, and from Columbia in 1875; and was made deacon and ordained priest in 1865, becom- ing assistant rector of St. Andrew's, Pittsburgh, where he served two years, 1865-7. That Doc- tor Snively discharged his clerical duties in a manner gratifying to the Vestry and the congre- gation is indicated by the fact that before the second year of his incumbency had passed his sal- ary was increased to $4,500.
It is interesting to note that during the contin- uance of Mr. Snively's short rectorate the finan- cial condition of the Church was remarkably flour- ishing. The income received from pew-rents dur-
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FIFTY YEARS' CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR
ing the two years of his incumbency reached the sum of $10,000. Nevertheless, in the midst of the third year of his altogether approved pastor- ate, Mr. Snively called a special meeting of the Vestry, to inform the members that he had re- ceived a unanimous and pressing invitation to be- come the rector of St. Peter's Church, Albany, New York. The matter was thoroughly discussed in the Vestry, and at a second special meeting Judge Van Hamm voiced the general spirit of dis- appointment and remonstrance united with the kindest feelings of love and high appreciation of the character and motives of the pastor whose valued services they were about to lose. The Judge moved :
"That in the opinion of the Wardens and Vestry of Christ Church, it is the duty of the rector to remain in his present position. Among the many reasons for his so doing we would suggest that there is no cause for his separating himself from those who unanimously called him to labor among them.
"The condition of the parish is prosperous in a high degree. The field of usefulness is a wide one. Harmony in a remarkable degree exists among people and pastor. While in other portions of our Church there are causes of disturbance which threaten to rend asunder those who have here- tofore been united together in the bond of Chris- tian love and affection, there does not seem to be anything in the way of the advancement of our parish in the paths of peace and holiness. Our Sunday School, our Mission Church, and all the societies for benevolent objects connected with our parish are prospering under the leadership of our
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THE HISTORY OF CHRIST CHURCH
pastor. The young, especially, have been brought into the Church during his stay among us-what would be the result of a separation so far as they are concerned it is difficult to predict; but it should be a matter of serious consideration to him who has led them to Jesus.
"In conclusion, let it be borne in mind that the influence of the Christian pastor for good is greatly increased by long acquaintance. The ties of Christian love are greatly strengthened by long continued association, and thus it will be more dis- tinctly observed and realized that the relation be- tween pastor and people should not be disturbed for any light cause; on the contrary the cause of separation should be so marked as to leave no doubt that, in the providence of God, duty de- mands the change."
Judge Van Hamm's remonstrances and earnest persuasion did not alter the determination of the accomplished and highly esteemed pastor, who was convinced that he ought not to remain longer in Cincinnati, and who, having delivered his fare- well sermon on the last Sunday in April, 1870, took his departure a few days thereafter for his new field of labor in New York. Meanwhile the Rev. Thomas S. Yocom, of Bridgeport, Pennsyl- vania, had been called by a unanimous vote of the Vestry to the rectorship of Christ Church, where he began his ministry on the first Sunday in May.
Mr. Yocom's connection with the Church con- tinued six years, during which he performed the varied and important duties which devolved upon him with fidelity and won the general approbation and esteem of the Church officers and of the con- gregation. In the second year of his incumbency,
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FIFTY YEARS' CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR
May 15, 1872, the Diocesan Convention of the State assembled in Christ Church. And there, on April 5 of the following year, appropriate and impressive action was taken to commemorate the worth of Bishop McIlvaine, who died at Florence, Italy, on the fifteenth of March, 1873. The char- acter of this great man, universally and justly hon- ored and loved, was eulogized in words of such beauty, sincerity, and force, that they may not be omitted from the history of an Episcopal society with which he was so intimately associated and to whose members he was so specially endeared :
"In common with the whole Church of Christ throughout the world, we deplore the loss sus- tained by his death; but rejoice in the precious legacy which he has left us in the record of his il- lustrious, pure, and holy life, and of his abun- dant labors for Christ during an Episcopate of more than forty years. His relations to the people of Christ Church have been more than episcopal. They have been almost paternal. For a considerable period (during a vacancy in the rectorate) he was the minister of the parish; and those who enjoyed the great privilege of lis- tening from week to week to his masterly preach- ment of the great themes of the Gospel, and to his tender and moving appeals on behalf of Christ, will never forget his almost apostolic gen- tleness, zeal, and power. Always loyal in the highest degree to the Church in which he had been born and baptized, prizing unspeakably its match- less liturgy and its apostolic order, he neverthe- less took to his heart as brethren all who loved the Lord Jesus Christ."
Mr. Yocom resigned his charge of Christ
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THE HISTORY OF CHRIST CHURCH
Church, July 15, 1876. He was succeeded by Rev. I. N. Stanger, of Portsmouth, Ohio, who was elected to the position October 31, 1876.
Isaac Newton Stanger was a Pennsylvanian, born at Brownsville, where in his boyhood he learned a mechanical trade, but was induced by the rector of the Church he attended to prepare himself to study divinity and entered Kenyon Col- lege, Gambier, Ohio. When the Civil War broke out he enlisted as a volunteer in the Union Army, enrolling in the 100th Pennsylvania Regiment. After a brief but creditable term of service as a soldier, his health failing, he was mustered out, and, returning to Kenyon, completed his course there, then went to the Philadelphia Divinity School, from which he graduated in 1869. His first rectorship was at Wilmington, Delaware; his second at Portsmouth, Ohio; his third at Cin- cinnati, where, at the age of about thirty-five, he began the arduous labors of eleven busy years.
The period of Dr. Stanger's rectorate began in the month of January, 1877, A. H. McGuffey and Martin Bare then being Senior Wardens. Among the enterprises undertaken by the Vestry within the first half year of the new rector's incumbency was the renovation of the church building, then more than forty years old. It was resolved that the committee on church edifice be authorized and requested to procure immediately, to expend in the improvement and repairs of building, an amount not exceeding the aggregate of the sums which have been or may be subscribed for such purpose. An announcement was made from the chancel that at least $1, 510 was needed, and the desired alterations were undertaken; nor
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Quetiene that Quion-art &his Christ the Son of God.
JESUS
Christ
JESUS
240.30
OhRING
CHRIST CHURCH IN 1880
FIFTY YEARS' CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR
were these entirely completed for ten years, for, in the Year Book for 1887, it is stated that during the past year the interior of the church was re- modeled and the exterior was painted and re- newed. The Secretary of the Vestry long after- ward called attention to the fact that Dr. Stanger made many improvements to the church, and that it was while he was rector that the organ was brought down from the gallery, and that the original chancel was remodeled and the audito- rium redecorated.
In the second year of his service Dr. Stanger prepared and published a "Short History of Christ Church, Cincinnati, O.," a pamphlet of nineteen pages, which is now exceedingly rare. Dr. Stan- ger's estimates and conjectures concerning the financial liberality of the church are very suggest- ive. "During the sixty-one years of the Church's existence," he writes in 1878, "we have been able to approximate the amount which has been con- tributed through the offertory and the several so- cieties for purely missionary and charitable pur- poses. It is not less than two hundred thousand dollars. This has really been given in the space of fifty years, for the first ten years were a struggle for existence."
Mr. Stanger was himself a generous giver to the cause to which he had consecrated his life, contributing a large percentage of his salary, while in Cincinnati, to the furtherance of the great objects for which Christ Church labored. He took a deep interest in the purposes of the En- dowment Fund, which he was instrumental in founding. He also persuasively advocated the early establishment of a parish house in connection
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THE HISTORY OF CHRIST CHURCH
with Christ Church. In reference to this, the Rev. Frank H. Nelson wrote in 1911 : "He was the first man to see the new order that was coming, and to attempt to adjust the Church to it. The time was not ripe, however, and the parish house he hoped for was not built."
After a ministry of eleven years, filled with beneficial works and noble endeavors for the in- terests of Christ Church, Dr. Stanger, in 1887, received and accepted a call to become rector of Holy Trinity Church, Harlem, New York, where in pleasant and congenial surroundings he re- mained for four years. He removed from New York to Philadelphia in 1892, becoming rector of the Church of the Atonement, a charge which he retained until his death, which occurred on March 31, 19II. A bronze tablet was dedi- cated to his memory in the Church of the Atone- ment, December 26, 1915.
After the resignation of Dr. Stanger in 1887, he was succeeded in the rectorship of Christ Church by the Rev. Robert Atkinson Gibson. This distinguished clergyman (now the Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia) was born at Petersburg, Virginia, July 9, 1846. He graduated from Hampden-Sydney College in 1864; served in the Ist Virginia Artillery, Confederate States Army, 1864-5 ; graduated from the Virginia Theological Seminary, 1870; received the degree D.D. from the University of the South and from Kenyon Col- lege; was ordained deacon in 1870 and priest in 1871. After two years' labor as Protestant Epis- copal Missionary in Southern Virginia, he was appointed assistant minister in St. James Church, and from 1872 to 1878 was in charge of the
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FIFTY YEARS' CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR
Moore Memorial Chapel, Richmond. Thence he was called to Parkersburg, W. Va., where for nine years he was rector of Trinity Church.
During the decade (1887-1897) through which Dr. Gibson labored for the parish of Christ Church, two important achievements were made : the church building was remodeled, and the chorus choir was established. Soon after his rectorate began, he congratulated his congrega- tion upon the introduction of the envelope system, saying, "It is the most flexible method of manag- ing Church finances ever devised and the possibil- ities of its usefulness among us are incalculable. The ideal Church organization is one in which there are no charges for anything, but voluntary offerings are made with a free hand by the people."
At a parish meeting held in June, 1890, Mr. Larz Anderson, then being Senior Warden, and Mr. E. Worthington, Secretary, the committee on Church Improvement, submitted an elaborate plan for remodeling the church edifice and for recon- structing the chancel and decorating the audito- rium. The extensive alterations in the main build- ing were made under the supervision of Aiken & Kitchner, Cincinnati architects, according to de- signs drawn by Mr. Lucien Plympton. These in- clude beautifully artistic improvements in stair- ways and ornamental windows. Very appropri- ate and impressive were the details of form and color, giving finish to the auditorium and the chancel, the material and artisanship of which were furnished by the Tiffany Decorating Com- pany. The cost of the entire remodeling and deco- ration was $43,520. The work was begun in July,
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THE HISTORY OF CHRIST CHURCH
1890, and completed about the middle of June, 1891, and during this period the people of Christ Church met for worship in the Scottish Rite Cathedral and in a room on the ground floor of the Ortiz Apartment Building on Fourth Street, which was put at the disposal of the congregation by the Senior Warden, Mr. Anderson. Celebrat- ing the return of pastor and flock to their reno- vated home, in the Year Book for 1892, Dr. Gib- son rejoiced that "after eleven months of wander- ing, a joyful congregation had entered upon the occupancy of a light, handsome, and churchly house of worship. "
Notwithstanding the impetus given to enter- prise by the inspiring new environments which sur- rounded the people and the pastor of Christ Church, and despite the superiority of the music which, in 1896, was declared "more than satis- factory," and though the business affairs of the parish were administered with the utmost skill and foresight, discouraging financial difficulties were encountered. As early as 1894 the income of the Church was less than the outgo; on the following fiscal year the revenue was smaller by $800 than the expense; and so the strain increased, causing an annual deficit ranging from $1,200 to $1,400. Nevertheless the more energetic of the Church societies held their own and even advanced; the desirability of going to the expense of building a parish house and a rectory came up for discus- sion; and the urgent need of employing an assist- ant minister pressed for immediate consideration. Finally, in response to the demand that a suitable person be employed to share with the rector his numerous duties, the Rev. Alfred James Wilder
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FIFTY YEARS' CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR
was appointed assistant minister on September 7, 1896. Upon the 30th of the following June the Rev. Dr. Gibson, having been elected Bishop Co- adjutor of Virginia, resigned the rectorship of Christ Church, to take effect in October. "Thus, after ten years of hard and faithful parochial work," recorded the ever just and generous Sec- retary of the Church, William Lytle Foster, "he departed for his new field of labor with the love and respect of the entire parish to whom he had so thoroughly endeared himself." Dr. Gibson entered upon the discharge of his high function as Bishop Coadjutor in the autumn of 1896, and rose to the office of bishop on November 3, 1897, a position he still holds.
Dr. Gibson having resigned, the subject of choosing another rector to take his place came up for consideration. But financial embarrassments and the fear of an increased deficit had produced such a feeling of unrest and indecision, not only in the Vestry but throughout the parish, that some- thing in the nature of a panic threatened the very organization of the society. The advisability of a combination of Christ Church with St. Paul's was considered, but so radical a suggestion was soon abandoned. A parish meeting was sum- moned, before which were presented and discussed these propositions :
I. "To call a rector at $4,000, the assistant minister being kept, and the choir maintained at present standard.
2. "To continue as at present with assistant minister and choir, the assistant to be relieved once or twice a month by a minister from the out- side to preach."
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THE HISTORY OF CHRIST CHURCH
The nature of the main issue, with its collateral implications, which divided the parish into fac- tions, is indicated by this passage from the report of the Wardens and Vestry for 1898 :
"Of course we can not say what our successors will do in the premises, but we believe they will not be hasty, but deliberate in action, and it should be their ultimate aim to secure, if possible, a man who, while he is a good pastor, yet is gifted as a preacher, and feels that he has a message to de- liver to men and women, and has moreover that faculty of so delivering that message, that once heard, you want to hear him again. The mark we set is high, but is it not a right one ?"
Perhaps the difficulty through which the Church was passing was inevitable, a necessary result of the universal law of action and reaction which holds in the world of moral as well as of physical force. The period was one of transition in methods of Church organization, and especially in modes of obtaining Church revenues. This was true in the East and in the West, not only in the Protestant Episcopal world but in almost all denominations. What had been regarded as the only safe and sane provision for insuring a full treasury, dependence upon the sale and taxation of pews and upon special patrons, was passing into the category of the traditional, as not being alto- gether in accord with the spirit of Christian de- mocracy and brotherhood. Hence the substitu- tion, more or less complete, of the so-called "en- velope system," an accepted main reliance of the free church movement. Necessarily difference of opinion and of policy arose among men of strong character and independent mind. To the pro-
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FIFTY YEARS' CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR
found regret of many, the Senior Warden of Christ Church, Mr. Larz Anderson, who had held the office for eighteen years, resigned the high position, though he continued to perform the duties of Superintendent of the Sunday School, and of Trustee of the Endowment Fund. His place as Senior Warden was filled by Mr. Frank J. Jones, who during the preceding decade and a half had been Junior Warden, to which position Mr. Edward Worthington was promoted, adding its cares and dignities to his incessant, responsible duties as Treasurer of the Church.
In the meantime, the Rev. Alfred J. Wilder continued to perform, with unremitting fidelity, the duties of assistant minister, many extra serv- ices devolving upon him, from September, 1896, to May, 1899.
In these portentous years when first shadows began to overgloom the souls of those most so- licitous for the future prosperity and even the permanent existence of the dearly-beloved Mother Church, trying the faith and testing the devotion of their Christian vows,-a forward-looking ideal was conceived and a practicable scheme resolved upon, whereby their holiest hopes might be ful- filled, the spiritual labors of their fathers and of themselves conserved, and the prayers of gen- erations answered. They projected a simple, co- operative plan, just to all, burdensome to none, by the perpetual operation of which the infinite bless- ings which a loyal, active, vital Church of God can be afforded to the people of a great city ! They founded an organization, by the vigilant and conscientious management of which, through officers consecrated to the work of the Master,
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THE HISTORY OF CHRIST CHURCH
an ample endowment would accumulate to sup- ply the future needs of Christ Church, through whatever vicissitudes she may be called upon to pass.
So supremely important an event in the his- tory of the parish was that which established a permanent Endowment Fund, that a documentary account of the origin, progress, and purpose of the movement is here transcribed as a reminder.
A small pamphlet of six pages, prepared by the first Board of Trustees of the Endowment Fund, and issued in 1882, opens with this illuminating "Introduction :"
"At a meeting of the Wardens and the Vestry of Christ Church, held on Saturday, January 3, 1880, at the solicitation of the rector, a resolution was adopted appointing and directing a committee composed of N. H. McLean, Larz Anderson, and Frank J. Jones, to consider the subject of endow- ing Christ Church. After a careful consideration of the matter the committee, on February 7th, at a regular meeting of the Vestry, made a report in favor of the 'adoption of the plan' for the ulti- mate endowment of Christ Church.
"In this report the committee called attention to the fact that this was the Mother Church in Cincinnati, and dwelt with conscious pride upon its past and present history, and usefulness. The committee also recognized the fact, patent to the most unobserving, that, for various reasons, for which no person nor individual is responsible, there is a regular diminution of our income by the constant removal of church families to the attractive suburbs. And this tendency will in- crease rather than diminish as time goes on.
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FIFTY YEARS' CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR
Eventually the old Churches will be dangerously weakened, and some will succumb to extinction for want of adequate support. The committee earnestly deprecating the loss of Christ Church at any future period, and thoroughly believing in the need of her perpetuity in a neighborhood that must ever be surrounded by residences of some kind, deem it their duty so far as possible to make such provisions as will effectually pre- vent the happening of any circumstances which will compel the sale of the church property, or silence her ancient and glorious services. And while they do not entertain any alarming appre- hension of immediate need of an endowment, still the opportune moment to administer the remedy is not when the signs of disintegration and dis- solution are manifest, but when life and energy and the means of provision are with us and our friends.
"The said committee therefore submits a plan of a practical character, by which an endowment may be accomplished, being well aware that the success of any undertaking depends upon constant and incessant labor, accompanied with patient waiting."
Together with this appeal were printed two letters addressed to the rector of Christ Church, bearing the weight of the testimony and authority of the two Bishops of the State of Ohio. So much light do these familiar letters throw upon the con- dition of the Episcopal Mother Church of Cin- cinnati, thirty-seven years ago, that they must be read with lively interest by every one conversant with the subject. The first of these communica- tions ran as follows :
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THE HISTORY OF CHRIST CHURCH
"Rev. and Dear Brother :
"I hear with great satisfaction that you are moving in the matter of an endowment of dear old Christ Church. That Mother of Churches in the great city of Cincinnati ought not to ask in vain to be placed beyond the reach of care and the danger of vicissitudes. She will pardon my expressing an interest in the scheme; for separation in social relation has not separated my affection from the Diocese or weakened my attachment to friends with whom I took sweet counsel there. Long ago we foresaw that the tide of population was sweeping away from Christ Church that class who have given character to its charities and made it a power. These changes are inevitable. The old families have resisted manfully, but the progress of city life is too strong in its forces, and society must yield. That part of your great city needs Christ Church; but Christ Church, remaining where it is, must either sink in the scale after the lapse of a few years more, or by the generosity of its present congregation rise to the height of a Free Church, where, for all generations to come, the Gospel shall be preached to a people not bur- dened for its support. Such Churches are the glory of our Mother Church in England. May we not hope to see the Mother Church in Cin- cinnati adding that crown of glory to its long rec- ord of fidelity to the Gospel and its charities for the Lord's sake ?
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