USA > Ohio > Montgomery County > Dayton > History of the city of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio, Volume I > Part 33
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After the preaching at the courthouse on Sunday morning, Mrs. Lydia Huff- man was baptized in the Miami river, a little to the east of the head of Main street, the first Christian immersion, as far as we have record, that occurred in Dayton. Within three months three other believers were baptized, which raised the number to thirteen, and in September of the same year the church was re- ceived into the Miami Association of Baptist churches. David Kiser and Moses Stout were among the earliest subsequent additions. For the first three years after its organization the church was generally supplied with preaching once a month by Elders Thompson, Gard, Martin and others. According to Father Bryant's recollection, Elder Gard was the first pastor. Unfortunately the church record book of those early days has been destroyed, so that no additional facts concerning that portion of its history can now be gathered.
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In 1827 Rev. D. S. Burnett became pastor. He was a young man of popular gifts and the church was so prospered that they were encouraged to build a house of worship. The lot and building which were on the west side of Main street between Water (now Monument) and First cost two thousand dollars. Up to that time they had worshiped sometimes in the courthouse and sometimes in a room on St. Clair street, between Second and Third. In 1827 also the church consented to some modifications of these articles of faith, which show a softening of the hyper-Calvinistic expressions of the older form. The first year of Mr. Bur- nett's ministry the church increased to forty-eight and the succeeding year to eighty-four.
The church then passed through a period of strife and storm from which it barely escaped with its life. Its young pastor was carried away with the doc- trines of Alexander Campbell, which had been for some time extending among the churches of western Pennsylvania and western Virginia and were now propa- gated in the Miami valley by Mr. Campbell himself and others.
He insisted that four things were essential to the assurance of salvation-re- pentance, faith, confession and baptism-the last no less than the others being, in his view, necessary to warrant the name Christian. He taught that to say, "I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ," without any further explanation, is creed enough for admission to church membership and that all written articles of faith are hu- man inventions subversive of the unity of Christ's church. This movement had a very wide influence. Baptist churches were rent asunder by it. In some cases they went entirely over to the new position. It was long before peace was re- stored, two denominations coming to exist where before there was one. The church in Dayton was one of those which was broken into two pieces. The ma- jority of the members followed the pastor in adopting the new doctrines. But a minority of eight or nine remained steadfast to Baptist principles, insisting that baptism must be the profession of a Christian life already commenced and is not to be sought in any case as the means or occasion of its beginning. On the 21st of March, 1829, a resolution was passed by the majority rejecting all written articles of faith. They thus became a Campbellite or Disciples church and the same year separated themselves from the Miami Baptist Association. Andrew Huffman, Lydia Huffman, Daniel Kiser and wife, Moses Stout, Elizabeth Cro- well, Elizabeth Bowen and Rachel Bradford, refused to agree with the majority. These eight (and possibly one other), met at the house of Elizabeth Crowell and adopted the following resolution :
Resolved: That we keep the stand of the First Baptist church of Dayton.
They faithfully and earnestly carried out this resolution. They made an ef- fort by petition to the supreme court to retain in their possession the church property, but the court decided that, inasmuch as the polity of the church was congregational, the property must go to the majority, notwithstanding any real or supposed change in doctrine. (See Ohio Reports, 6th, page 63.)
Thus at the close of the tenth year of its history, the church was reduced to about the same number with which it started. But in 1833-5, it was greatly strengthened by the addition of several new members who came to Dayton ; Mrs. Sarah George, Joseph McCammon, N. F. Spinning, Orsamus Osgood, E. E. Barney and wife and his two sisters and Augustin King and wife. These did not
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despise the day of small things, but added their practical intelligence and progres- sive spirit to the struggling church. They occupied a house of worship, used by the "New Lights" on South Main street and were assisted by the American Baptist Home Mission society in supporting, as their pastor, Rev. Samuel R. Clark, who divided his time between Dayton and New Carlisle. He commended the cause which he represented, but after a few months, died at his post, much lamented by all.
For a few months the church was supplied with preaching by Elder M. Jones and others. And then came the second great storm in its history, the intense anti-mission conflict. Many of the pioneer Baptists of Ohio were hyper-Calvinists. They strongly emphasized the divine sovereignty, but made too little of God's calls for man's service and of the light which comes from the developments of his providence. Accordingly when the foreign missionary movement started and when the idea of Sunday-schools began to take possesion of many Christian hearts there was strong opposition. Especially were the conservative fathers opposed to all missionary and other societies outside of the local church. They regarded these as merely human devices, unwarrantable intrusions upon the plans of God, that could not have his blessing. There was much discussion and excitement over this subject at the meetings of the Miami Baptist Association in 1835 and 1836. At the first of these meetings missionary societies were condemned by a resolu- tion. But the Baptist churches of Cincinnati, Middletown, Lebanon and Dayton had adopted the progressive views. And so at the meeting in 1836 they were excluded from the fellowship of the association on account of their alleged errors. It seemed to many at the time as a high-handed and severe blow. But the sup- posed heretics were confident that they had the truth on their side and by their aggressive enterprises continued to prosper and increase. Such was the separa- tion between the old school and the regular Baptist churches of the Miami valley. Subsequent history has justified the views of the missionary party. In all Sunday- school and in missionary work, both at home and abroad, Dayton Baptists have taken the liveliest interest and have been large contributors.
In 1837 Elder Martin E. Cook became pastor. He was succeeded the next year by Elder John L. Moore. Under his pastorate the church, which was still worshipping in the "New Light" meeting-house, determined to erect one for them- selves, which, after a great struggle, in their poverty, was completed at a cost of five thousand , one hundred and sixty-four dollars and fifty-one cents. It stood at the northeast corner of Jefferson and Fourth streets and continued to be the First Baptist church of Dayton till 1863. It afterwards was used many years as a Jewish synagogue and was torn down only a few years ago. In order to support their pastor while they were straining every nerve to complete their house of worship, the church received aid from the Ohio Baptist conven- tion. After Elder Moore, came Elder S. S. Parr, who was long remembered for his eloquence. He was followed by Rev. Frederick Snyder, a devoted man, who was pastor seven years. Rev. Samuel Foljambe presided over the church from 1852 to 1855 and Rev. Samson Talbot from 1856 to 1863.
Dr. Talbot's ministry was marked by the erection of the new church on North Main street, a large and commodious structure, which still is known as a center of earnest Christian worship and activity. Its entire cost was forty-five thous-
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and, eight hundred and fifty-six dollars and forty-nine cents. It was dedicated free of debt on October 25, 1863. Dr. Talbot resigned to become president of Dennison University at Granville, Ohio. Dayton Baptists have not only been liberal supporters of missions, but have been closely related to the cause of higher education. When their leaders were warmly enlisted in the strengthening of Dennison University it became necessary for them to relinquish their pastor to become the head of their cherished college. In that position Dr. Talbot became distinguished as an educator and died widely lamented in June, 1873.
He was succeeded as pastor in Dayton by Rev. L. Harvey, D. D., from Hamil- ton, New York, who remained in Dayton for three years, when he returned to the professor's chair at Hamilton.
This brings the history of the church down to the pastorate of Rev. Henry Francis Colby, D. D., who continued in the position for thirty-five years. After his graduation from Newton Theological Institution, Massachusetts, in June, 1867, he was invited to supply the pulpit for a time with a view to mutual ac- quaintance ; was called to be pastor in November of that year and was ordained on January 15, 1868. Though he was a young man without any experience as a pastor, he was kindly received by all and such was the sympathy between pastor and people that the tie became very firm and strong as the years went by. At his coming the church numbered about three hundred and twenty-five. Several acces- sions were made during the next two years and in 1870 the church shared in the benefits of a great revival of religion, which prevailed throughout the city. Eighty-nine persons were received into its membership during a period of three months. Several times during its history, the church has enjoyed periods of simi- lar though never of such extensive interest. It has been characterized by great harmony, manifold activity and gradual increase. Its Sunday-school, first organ- ized during the pastorate of Elder Moore, with E. E. Barney as superinten- dent, has always been a prominent feature of its work and its missionary circles, Young People's Society, and branches for mission work in the city have been earnest and aggressive agencies. The church has always been a large and devoted supporter of all the missionary operations of the Bap- tist denomination, the amount of its gifts abroad often far exceeding in the course of the year the money spent upon its local affairs. Its interest in edu- cation has kept pace with its interest in missions. This was largely owing at first to the leadership of certain noble men, for example, Dr. Samson Tal- bot, already referred to as leaving Dayton to become president of Dennison University : Ebenezer Thresher, who came to Dayton in 1845, and who conse- crated much time, thought and money to building up that seat of learning, and Eliam E. Barney, who was a graduate of Union College at Schenectady, New York, and had taught a while at Granville before coming to Dayton in 1834 or 1835. Mr. Thresher was a minister who had broken down in health and who had been a public advocate for ministerial education in New England and Mr. Barney was the principal of the Cooper Seminary for Young Ladies. They became part- ners in business, establishing the Dayton Car Works and consecrated much of their gains to the upbuilding of the church, the extension of the kingdom of God and especially to the maintenance and enlargement of Dennison University. Beside these, as generous and earnest helpers in the church, we might speak of William
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P. Huffman and wife, Caleb Parker and wife, Charles H. Crawford and wife, M. N. Wheaton and wife, A. E. Stevens and wife, E. F. Sample and several others. Few churches have had on their list of members so many men of strong personal character and leadership.
On January 16, 1903, Dr. Colby was obliged by ill health to retire from the pastorate. The completion of so long a term of service (thirty-five years), was signalized by many kind demonstrations of appreciation and sympathy. About a year afterward, he was succeeded by Rev. Howard P. Whidden, D. D., who is still upon the field and has proved himself to be a workman of large mind and heart. The house of worship has been enlarged and redecorated. All forms of Christian work are there in earnest operation. The whole number of resi- dent members on January 1, 1909, was five hundred and ninety-one ; non-resident, ninety-eight. Besides these, there are in the two branches of West Dayton and North Dayton, one hundred and ninety-nine and one hundred and seventy-two respectively.
This article has thus far had the First Baptist church for its center, simply because all the early history of Baptists in Dayton belonged to it; but it is now the oldest in a large group of churches of that faith in the city.
TIIE WAYNE STREET CHURCH. This was an offshoot from the First church as early as 1848. Under the pastorate of Rev. Frederick Snyder, the church en- gaged Rev. Samuel Gorman, a student in Lane Seminary, to undertake mis- sionary work in the part of the city east of the canal, then known as Oregon. He preached his first sermon in Dayton in the Dunkard church. Then the engine house on Fifth street was engaged for services. A church organization was formed, which was duly recognized by a council, according to Baptist usage, on January 29, 1849. Forty-four members were dismissed from the First church and Mr. Gorman became their pastor. Thirty-one new members were baptized during the first few months. Immediate plans were laid for building. Members of the First church, from whom the constituent members of the new body had separated with the best of feeling, assisted them to build. The new house was situated at the northeast corner of Fifth and Wayne and was dedicated in Octo- ber, 1849. About that time, however, the attention of both church and pastor was largely absorbed by the cholera, which was raging in the city. Caring for the sick and dying and consoling the afflicted, were the most pressing duties, though no members of the church perished by that disease. The completion of the church had only been delayed a little. On June II, 1852, Mr. Gorman resigned to go to New Mexico to labor under the American Baptist Home Mission So- ciety. After years of incessant toil as a missionary to Spanish speaking people in New and Old Mexico and as a pastor over several churches in the northwest, he returned to Dayton and lived to an advanced age, dying in 1908.
For more than twenty-nine years the Wayne street church was a center of religious instruction and comfort to many. It had some periods of marked pros- perity. At one time its members numbered about five hundred. The following is its list of pastors and, approximately, their terms of service :
Samuel Gorman, 1849; John Chambers, 1853; N. L. Bastian, 1854; E. W. Dickerson, 1856; E. T. Strickland, 1862; D. F. Carnahan, 1863; W. F. Bunker,
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1866; P. M. Weddell, 1869; Hugh A. Marshall, 1873; H. L. Delano, 1875; H. M. Dean, 1876.
The establishment of the Linden avenue church in 1872, drew away many members residing at the eastern end of the city. The harrassment of debt and other circumstances made it difficult to maintain an independent church life; and finally, in 1878, it seemed wise for the church to disband and to dismiss its mem- bers by letter to the First and Linden avenue churches. Afterwards the house of worship was greatly injured by fire and was removed.
THE CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCH-The disbanding of the Wayne street Bap- tist church and the burning of the building did not, however, cause the Bap- tists of Dayton to forsake work in that locality. In 1873, a Dayton Baptist Union had been formed, consisting of delegates from the First and Linden avenue churches, to assist by counsel and financial contribution the Wayne street church and other work in the city. This had been already of great assistance and to it now the real estate was conveyed. Dr. E. F. Sample of the First church was the efficient superintendent of the Sunday-school. The preaching was supported and the work was carried on under the name, The Central Baptist Mission. By in- vitation of the Baptist union and consent of those worshipping on the field, Rev. H. H. Bawden came in December, 1883, to act as pastor and performed much faithful work during this trying time. The Baptist union sold the old church lot at the corner of Fifth and Wayne and erected the present commodious meeting house at the corner of Clay and Van Buren streets, Charles H. Crawford being the chairman of the building committee. The Baptists of the city contributed quite generally to this enterprise.
The resignation of Rev. H. H. Bawden took effect February 20, 1886. Rev. J. P. Agenbroad supplied the pulpit until, on April Ist of the same year, Rev. J. W. Icenbarger became the pastor. The mission was organized into the Central Baptist church and duly recognized by a council, August 28, 1889. Since that time, it has made steady progress, following for twenty-three years its devoted pastor in his efforts to develop a strong and well-rounded church life according to the New Testament model. Its present membership is about three hundred. Though occupying a field where many changes occur in the residents, the church is generously interested in both home and foreign missions.
THE GERMAN BAPTIST CHURCH was organized in 1853. Thirteen members of the Baptist church in Berlin, Germany, had crossed the ocean together. They came by way New Orleans and Cincinnati. The majority of them met together again in Dayton in the following year. They held regular meetings in their homes until they were offered the use at convenient times of the Wayne street church. Their opportunities and their zeal warranted their recognition as a church, by a council duly called. The Baptist ministers present were: H. Hein- rich of Rochester, New York, Massena Stone, S. Foljambe, J. L. Moore. B. Cane, O. B. Stone and J. G. Brown. After the recognition of the church, J. G. Werthner was ordained as pastor. The meetings at first were held in the engine house on Fifth street, but the next year, when their number had increased to thirty, a modest house of worship was built on East Fifth street, nearly opposite Eagle. As first only the lower part was occupied. Pastor Werthner was succeeded by Rev. H. Otto (1859) and Rev. George D. Menger (1866). Over
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one hundred members were now enrolled. In 1870, the church edifice was com- pleted and Rev. G. Eisile was called to be pastor. This church has had its times of difficulty and disagreement. A second church was organized and for some years there were two German Baptist churches, but this arrangement was found after a while to be undesirable and all reunited to form one strong and flourishing body.
The property on Fifth street was sold and the building on May street, origi- nally owned by the Lutherans, is now the home of the united church. Rev. R. T. Wegener was the successful pastor from 1888 to 1896, when he was called to New York city. He was succeeded by Rev. George Klipfel, who came from the Rochester Theological Seminary. The interior of the church has been remodeled in an attractive manner and the present pastorate has been accom- panied by much spiritual development and increase in members. The whole number reported to the Dayton Association in 1908 was two hundred and fifty- nine. Some work is also done by this church among the Hungarians in Dayton.
THE LINDEN AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH was the outgrowth of a mission begun in the spring of 1866 by the Young Men's Association of the First Baptist church. They began to hold an English mission school in the basement of the German Baptist church, Charles H. Chamberlain being the first superintendent. In the fall they removed to the upper room, which was then finished. On January 21, 1868, the mission was moved into a new frame building, which had been built by subscription on East Fifth opposite to McClure at an expense of six thousand, two hundred and ninety-eight dollars and eighty-five cents. Rev. Henry F. Colby, who had then just begun his pastorate at the First church, preached the dedication sermon.
Here the mission fast grew into a church. The city was rapidly growing eastward. Several Baptist families were already living there and upon Huffman hill. The great revival, which prevailed in Dayton in 1870, quickened Christian enterprise and it became evident that the establishment of a church would soon be a duty. Mr. Frederick Clatworthy, who graduated from Rochester Theological Seminary in June 1872, was invited to supply the pulpit of the First church during Dr. Colby's vacation that summer. He did so and afterwards remained to take direction of the new interest. On September 20th a meeting was held of all those who might be expected to constitute a new Baptist church. Several expressed their personal reluctance to sever the ties which bound them to the older churches but recognized the clear call of Providence in regard to it. So thirty-five took their letters from the First church, twenty from the Wayne Street church and two or three from other churches, making in all fifty-seven, who became the Linden Avenue Baptist church. Mr. Frederick Clatworthy was unanimously called to be the pastor. A council was called which met on October 17, the same year, which recognized the church with appropriate services and the next day the same council ordained Frederick Clatworthy as the pastor.
The church continued to worship in the chapel till January, 1874, when it moved into the basement of its new house of worship on Linden avenue, which had been building for several months and in anticipation of which it had selected its name. Mr. Clatworthy's pastorate was marked by continual growth. Both church and pastor showed youthful energy and hope. He was a faithful and
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earnest preacher and particularly tender and persevering in personal work. He was surrounded by wise counselors, several of whom had been valued members of the other Baptist churches. Prominent among these were H. P. Huffman, A. E. Stevens, E. J. Barney, E. D. Payne, C. C. James and J. C. Kiefaber. Mr. Clat- worthy remained until September 29, 1878, when he preached his farewell sermon. He was subsequently pastor in Norwalk, Ohio, Evanston, Illinois, and other places, where he was greatly useful and beloved. But he became an invalid, and was subjected to much suffering for several years which he bore with patience and trust until he died in 1905. Many will always remember him with affection and gratitude.
Rev. J. H. Parks became pastor in 1878. During his pastorate, in 1879, the main auditorium of the building was completed. He was an able preacher and the church grew under his leadership. The church placed upon its record its sincere regret at his resignation and departure to an eastern field. Some of the results of his work became manifest in a revival which occurred in the winter following, the meeting being largely under the lead of Rev. Thomas Allen, who was a mem- ber of the church and the district secretary of the American Baptist Missionary Union.
From March 1, 1883, to April 1, 1895, the church enjoyed the pastoral over- sight of E. W. Lounsbury, D. D., who came from Canton, Ohio. They were twelve years of close fellowship and abundant labors, resulting in many acces- sions and happy spiritual growth. The greatest ingathering the church has ever known was in the winter of 1892-3, when about one hundred and sixty were baptized.
The pastor's enthusiastic spirit and unselfish devotion were highly appreciated by all and brought cheer to homes and hearts saddened by grief or temptation.
The pastorate of Rev. W. F. Taylor began July Ist, 1895. An intellectual and spiritual preacher, he rendered strong service to the church, endeavoring to stimu- late Christian thought and build up devout characters. His work in Dayton was, however, a short one; as on account of sickness in his family he was obliged to leave in October, 1899, and seek the milder climate of Riverside, California. There his own life soon came to a close after he had greatly endeared himself to the people in his new field.
For more than five years, April, 1900, to November, 1905, the pastor of the church was Rev. N. S. Davis. Dr. Davis was a popular preacher and the church flourished under his lead. He was followed June 15, 1906, by Rev. Franklin W. Swift, the present pastor.
WILLIAMS STREET BAPTIST CHURCH. Dayton Baptists have not followed the policy of concentration, but of extension. The Williams Street Baptist church was the outgrowth of two missions. In 1873, a Sunday-school was started in the public schoolhouse on West Third street. This was afterwards removed to a hall over the store of W. M. Murray, who was the superintendent. In 1885 Rev. L. D. Morse was called to be associate pastor with Dr. Colby in the First church and give his attention to West Dayton and Browntown (now Edgemont), where for some years the young people of the First Baptist church had also been carrying on a mission, having taken the same over from the care of the Young Men's Christian Association. Sunday-school and preaching services were maintained
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