USA > Ohio > A history of the Disciples of Christ in Ohio > Part 18
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"Let me live in a house by the side of the road, Where the race of men go by-
The men who are good and the men who are bad, As good and as bad as I.
I would not sit in the scorner's seat, Or hurl the cynic's ban.
Let me live in a house by the side of the road, And be a friend to man."
1839-F. M. GREEN-1911
F. M. Green engaged in all kinds of intellec- tual work. He was a teacher in the common schools, a preacher, and successful as a pastor, an evangelist of marked ability, a secretary of the Eastern Ohio Ministerial Association for twenty years, a successful corresponding secre- tary of the American Christian Missionary So- ciety, traveling night and day through the United States. He was a student at Hiram and later a trustee of the college. He was a writer of ability for the American Christian Review, the Christian Standard and other periodicals. He was the writer of good books, preparing the work for training teachers for the Bible school, and a Christian ministers' manual. He wrote "The Life of James A. Garfield," "The Life and Times of John F. Rowe," and "The History of Hiram College." He was elected to the Ohio Legislature from Summit County, and gave dis- tinguished service for two years. He made a trip to the Eastern States, and the British Provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and was cordially re- ceived by the churches.
In Ohio he will be remembered as co-operat- ing with the Ohio Christian Missionary Society in organizing and preaching for the church in Toledo. A preliminary work began in 1872.
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During 1873, F. M. Green was employed to work as pastor and agent of the O. C. M. S. to go among the churches and raise money to build a house of worship. He moved to the city in August, and soon afterward organized a church, beginning with twenty names. On the 24th of November the house was dedicated. A lot was given by a friend. The house cost $5,500. The most of the money was given by the friends in Toledo. Bro. Green remained in charge of this work about two years. From this central church other congregations have sprung up and the Toledo work is growing. George Darsie, in pre- senting a sketch of Bro. Green's life, says:
"He believed in prayer, but not a parade of it. He rejoiced and was happy with God's peo- ple around the Lord's table in his house on the Lord's Day. God was his Father-good, kind, tender, loving, forgiving, merciful-and not a theological abstraction. His promises were sure and lasting. To his mind Jesus the Christ was the perfection of beauty and the perfection of goodness, abundant in mercy, plenteous in re- demption, after whom he should pattern his life, and to whom he looked for salvation both here and hereafter. To him the Bible was the sum of all wisdom and philosophy, the Book of books, the book of God, by which he should square his
conduct. Like Enoch, 'he walked with God.' Like Barnabas, 'he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.' To him death came as a friend and not an enemy; a servant and not a master; a blessing and not a curse; though gone from earth, he still lives in our midst and ever shall.
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Frederick Truedley
M. C. Tiers
Judge A. R. Webber
Dr. W. H. Harper
Prof. A. R. Benton.
Prof. C. W. Hemry
Pres. H. S. Lehr
M. P. Hayden Prof. J. G. Parks PROMINENT OHIO DISCIPLES
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XXXV MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS OF INTEREST
SCHOOLS.
THE leaders in the Restoration movement were educated men. Schools of every grade have been founded by disciples. The principles of our movement tend to make every one a patron of education. Protestant sects, calling themselves "Evangelical," held to the direct or mystic influence of the Holy Spirit in the soul, and that the knowledge of the forgiveness of sin is an experience in the soul, just as hunger and thirst or headache and toothache are experiences in the body. Persons were taught to expect such a divine power, and that they must pray for it. Such views did not stir one in the cause of edu- cation. Their religion did not move them to plant and patronize schools. Restorationists, on the other hand, held that the truths of religion are revealed in the word of God, and that he who would know them must apply himself to under- stand the Bible. Disciples held that the Holy Spirit was more than an impulse from God, working mystically on man's nature. To them the Holy Spirit was a divine, intelligent person who communicates his knowledge of the things of God in the words he has spoken. This intelli- gence is to be understood and believed through the exercise of man's natural faculties. The disciples in their preaching appealed to the
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understanding of man, and they trusted in the power of truth believed to move the heart and conscience and will. So, they held that men of cultivated minds would more readily grasp relig- ious truth, and specially such would be more successful in communicating the knowledge of the truth to others. Their zeal in religion, there- fore, made them zealous in the cause of educa- tion. When they start in a community the best educated move first. The learned and not the ignorant become disciples of Christ.
The disciples in Ohio have always been in- terested in schools. Before the State high- school system was put into practice, and even since, schools of a high order have been started.
About 1842, D. S. Burnet was principal and proprietor of Hygeia Female Athenium, situ- ated on the heights seven miles back of Cincin- nati. This Athenium proposed, for moderate extra charges, to teach "Piano, Guitar, French, Painting, Wax Fruit, Wax Flowers, Shellwork, Flowers as Taught in Paris, and Embroideries," and prescribed for summer uniform, "Pink and Blue Lawns, and for Common Wear, Dark Plaid Ginghams."
T. D. Garvin built up a college at Wilming- ton, Clinton County, and it is now in the hands of the Friends.
Alonzo Skidmore started the Ohio Central College at East Liberty, Logan County. It is now the Central High School of that place. It started into the wide field of usefulness such men as I. J. Cahill and C. A. Freer.
E. P. Ewers founded the Fayette Normal, Music and Business College, of which he was president. Later it was removed to Wauseon.
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This school, though not strictly a church school, was intimately associated with our cause in northwestern Ohio. It was a source of inspira- tion to many men and women now in active life.
The Ohio Normal University at Ada, O., was a marvelous school started by H. S. Lehr. J. G. Parks and other eminent teachers were connected with this school. It claimed to give classical, scientific, business, legal, military, pharmaceu- tical and musical education. It had university powers and conferred degrees. In 1892 there was an enrollment of 2,810 students. Twenty- seven States and several foreign countries were represented.
The great institution of learning at Valpa- raiso, Ind., is a child and outgrowth of Ada. At Ada were started in useful career such men as Austin Hunter, S. J. White, W. F. Rothenburger, P. H. Welshimer, J. P. Myers and many others. As the school was owned by private individuals, they had a right to pass it over to others. It is now in the hands of the Methodists, and still popular and influential.
The Cyrus McNeely Normal School at Hope- dale, Harrison County, in 1869 had about two hundred students in attendance. Its object was to train teachers for the public schools. The in- fluence of this school was felt in all central- eastern Ohio. It was equipped with a gymnasium and trained the body as well as the mind.
The Mount Vernon Ladies' Seminary was located at Mt. Vernon in Knox County. R. R. Sloan and wife were principals. It was well graded, and had a fair attendance for nearly thirty years. Mrs. A. M. Atkinson was for a time a member of its Faculty. It was a private
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institution at first, but was given into the hands of a Board of Trustees later, but could not com- pete with the high-school system of the State of Ohio, and is now closed. Its career was long and useful. Many homes have been made intelligent, sweet and happy as the result of this once pop- ular seminary. Miss Caroline Neville and Miss Wolatt succeeded the Garvin family as managers of the school.
A. B. Way started a college at Alliance. Per- haps the love of Christ and a higher education prompted to this enterprise. Some think its pro- moters desired to speculate in city lots. After a short career the college failed. It could not com- pete with Hiram and Bethany.
Some zealous sectarian ministers who were uneducated have been heard to say that all they had to do was to open their mouths and the Lord would fill them. "Yes," some one replied, "the Lord will fill them with wind." Some of our pioneer preachers were not scholastically edu- cated, but they had a native ability, and read and understood the Scriptures and became able ad- vocates of the gospel. Some of these men read history, and even studied foreign languages, to be better able to understand and preach the gospel.
PARSONAGES
A goodly number of churches in Ohio have parsonages. They are a source of strength to a church. A parsonage is not so necessary as a meeting-house, but it gives a congregation the ap- pearance of stability to its members and to those who are not in the church. It furnishes a home for the minister and his family, by reason of
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William Bowler
Abram Teachout
A. R. Teachout
Peter Butts
Lathrop Cooley
W. H. Cowdery
J. F. Davis
Sidney Smith Clark
Asa Schuler
BENEFACTORS OF THE OHIO WORK
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which he should be a better preacher. The con- tentment of a congregation and minister, that comes from a parsonage, makes each a greater power for good in a community.
Many churches would do well to go about get- ting a parsonage. The effort would give them something to do and keep them from stagnation. Churches are weakened by doing so little for the cause of Christ. The building of a chapel, a meeting-house, a parsonage, and paying liberally to support a minister, and for missions, will make a church strong and insure its success. A parsonage usually means a working church and a cheerful, strong minister. History gives this testimony.
Forty-six of our churches in Ohio have par- sonages.
NANCY FROST
Nancy Frost lived to be 108 years old. She was a member of the first Sunday school in the northwest Territory, at Marietta, O. She tended the children while her mother made bullets for the men to fight off the Indians, using the block- houses for forts. She was a member of the church at Lowell, on the Muskingum River, for sixty years. She retained her faculties to the last. She read the Bible through forty times. She used to say the Lord had forgotten to come for her. He did come for her, however, at the good, ripe age of 108 years. Perhaps she lived in this world longer than any other disciple of Christ in Ohio.
LARGE GIVERS
Many disciples give time, talent and such money gifts as they are able, to carry on the
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Lord's work. All can not be large financial givers. A few may be mentioned as large givers of money: D. S. Burnet, Asa Shuler, J. K. McDonald, Robert Kerr, Peter Butts, H. R. New- comb, James Robison, Wm. Tousley, A. Teach- out, Wmn. Bowler, Albert Allen, Lathrop Cooley, A. R. Teachout, Thomas Davis, Sidney S. Clark, J. F. Davis, T. N. Easton, W. H. Cowdery, W. S. Streator, J. N. O. Lynn, Simeon Hart, Mrs. Sarah B. McLean (wife of Justice McLean), T. W. Phillips, The Standard Publishing Company.
ORPHANAGE
The Cleveland Orphanage is under the gen- eral management of the National Benevolent Association, with headquarters at St. Louis, Mo. The local management is very efficient. It is filled to capacity (about seventy-four) all the time. The boys and girls are wisely directed and started in a happy way to useful manhood and womanhood. The institution is chartered, and can legally bind children to persons desiring to adopt them. This is a Christian work of far- reaching influence.
MINISTERS' ASSOCIATIONS
Ministers' meetings or associations are main- tained in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, north- western Ohio and Youngstown. For twenty years or more the Eastern Ohio Ministerial Associa- tion was maintained. At one time 125 ministers had membership in it. F. M. Green was the active and efficient secretary of this association. Some of the strongest ministers of the brother- hood had fellowship in the Eastern Ohio Asso- ciation.
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TOM L. JOHNSON MONUMENT, CLEVELAND, OHIO
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ENDOWED CHURCHES
If persons want to be remembered after leav- ing this world, like Mary of old, they must do something for Christ. A good way to be remem- bered is to leave money enough to the church to make an annual subscription for expenses. A few churches have small endowments of this character : Chesterland, Hopedale, Millwood, Kent, Randolph, North Royalton, Wauseon, Bell- ville, Willoughby, and perhaps others. The time is coming when it will be wise for "down-town churches" to seek good-sized endowments, that the gospel may be preached in centers of popu- lation.
TOM L. JOHNSON
Tom L. Johnson, the one-time popular mayor of Cleveland, came to Cleveland from Louisville, Ky. He secured an interest in a street railway line, then added others to it, and, after a long and hard fight, got all the lines in the city con- solidated and the fare for a ride reduced to three cents. The system is not second to that of any city in the country. He had an interest in the great Johnstown (Pa.) steel mills, and was the principal promoter of the "Lorain Steel Mills" in Ohio. He, joined with others, projected the grouping of the city and county buildings which are the admiration of the world. He helped in projecting the Warrensville farm and city where prisoners, poor and consumptives are cared for. He was a single-tax advocate. He was a great friend of the poor. In his church relations he was a member at Cedar Avenue Church and gave liberally for the cause. His friends and ad- mirers have erected a beautiful bronze statue to
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his memory in the Public Square in Cleveland. On the sides of the rostrums are plaques in- scribed :
1. "Beyond his party and beyond his class This man forsook the few to serve the mass."
2. "He found us groping, leaderless and blind ; He left the city with a civic mind."
3. "He found us striving, each his selfish part; He left a city with a civic heart."
4. "And ever with his eye set on the goal, The vision of a city with a soul."
As to churches in Ohio, the Year Book for 1917 reports 528. This is perhaps an under- estimate of thirty or forty which did not report. There are reported 102,806 members. In the Bible schools, 105,488. Preachers, 425.
The largest offerings for all missions. Cleve- land (Euclid Avenue), $6,654.79; Akron (First), $6,481.85; Cleveland (Franklin Circle), $5,689.61; Youngstown (Central), $2,661.00, and Cincinnati (Walnut Hills), $2,516.76.
Of the churches in Ohio, 70 per cent. are rural, and there are reported 517 Bible schools.
SPECIAL MISSION FUNDS
Sidney Smith Clark was born near Lexington, Ky., in 1805. He moved to Cincinnati when a young man. He and his wife were members of the first congregation organized in Cincinnati by D. S. Burnet. Later he was a member of the Richmond Street Church. He was a personal friend of D. S. Burnet, James Challen, Benjamin Franklin, George Rice and many other pioneers. He died in 1871. A fund of about $50,000 came from his estate for special missions. The will declares that the elders of the Richmond Street
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Church of Cincinnati shall select the mission- aries. H. T. Atkins is trustee of the fund. The interest is used to promote the cause in the places selected. Report is made annually to the probate court. The places aided are in Virginia, Arkansas and Oklahoma. The better way is to place such funds in the care of the Ohio Christian Missionary Society. That society is responsible, and the directors can place the aid at the best places for doing the greatest good.
The Welsh Mission of Mahoning and Trum- bull Counties was organized by Isaac Errett. The society is chartered by the State of Ohio. Thomas Davis, a Welshman of Youngstown, left $25,000, the interest of which is used to promote the cause of original Christianity in those two counties. B. F. Wirts, of Youngstown, is the secretary of the society. The work is directed by a board of managers. The trustees care for the funds. Aid has been extended to new and weak churches in said counties. Thomas Davis, the giver of this fund, lived to a good old age. He was a thorough believer in the New Testament church, and made provision to extend it after his departure from this earthly life. ` The Ohio Christian Missionary Society is co-operating with the Welsh Mission in carrying on work at Hill- man Street, Youngstown.
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