USA > Pennsylvania > Fayette County > Uniontown > Exercises commemorating the 125th anniversary of the Great Bethel Baptist Church, Uniontown, Pa., November 9th and 10th, 1895 > Part 4
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The minutes between Mar, 26, 1870, and Jan. 25, 1873, have been lost.'
Minute book No. 2 begins April 30, 1836, and the last minute is June 24, 1853.
Minute book No. 3 begins Nov. 1851 and its last minute is dated June 21, 1877.
First minute in book No. 4 is Nov. 8, 1878-over a year's record lost. Church resolved Feb. 27, 1881, to be incorporated.
Reported Mar. 26, 1881, as having been incorporated and charter was read.
April 23, 1881, constitution was amended so as to appoint trustees ( a" Other amendments made July 24, 1881.
Sept. 23, 1881, the first trustees under the charter were elected as follows: "A. B. Bry- son, James Nabors, R. Porter Craig, H. C. Diffenderffer, John Collins, Robert Bryner, Na- thaniel G. Hurst.
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THE 125th ANNIVERSARY
"THE CHURCH THE GROUND OF THE TRUTH."
OUTLINE OF SERMON PREACHED BY REV. H. F. KING, D. D., PASTOR OF THE CHURCH.
The house of God which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth .- 1. Tim. 3:15.
Paul's house, here defined, is the church in which the living God dwells. The associated words promise a personal tarrying with Timo- thy that all might be taught how to administer the affairs of that house, a local spiritual organization. The church has but one foundation, and that is our Lord Jesus Christ. Here though, while it is assumed to be resting upon that rock, it is characterized as being in turn the pillar and ground for upholding the truth-not abstract truth, but the saving truth revealed from God.
1. God gave the keeping of the truth to the church. It was neces- sary, according to human need and the divine plan, that the oracles per- taining to the government of the soul be committed for safe keeping to some qualified agency. The qualifications were that the living deposi- tory, the new ark, must be available to man and it must be interested in what it preserves. The church furnishes these qualifications, for it dwells among men ; is kept by the power of God and is the receiving element and the material medium in which the truth is upheld. No power, external to the truth, can perpetually uphold that truth. It can- not be held in solution in a purely world element, but it must rest in its earthly dwelling place, incarnated in the sanctified human mind and heart. The secular government may, under lock and key or in monas- tery, guard a manuscript, but it cannot reach the soul and hence it is in- effective to perpetuate the truth through regenerated lives. The cul- ture of civilization produces refinement, but culture in its most effective form is too weak to prepare a soul to be the loving and continuous home of God and of his word. God's chosen ones must through their own preservation preserve the revealed truth.
2. The church must preserve the truth pure. It is God's truth ; it is different from everything of the world, whether true or false ; it came to the church pure and its high standard as a cleansing power must in practice be maintained. Aside from the applying Holy Spirit, God's one effective force in the world is his pure, revealed word. The saved cling to it alone, and to the degree that the ungodly understand it aright, they respect it and attribute to it power and authority. In the
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GREAT BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH.
past it has, in comparison with every other agency, in the heart and home and nation accomplished infinitely the best work, and no influence should be strong enough to lead the soul to discard it. As the Savior held the truth in his mind, as he wrought it out in his life and as he com- mitted it to those to whom he gave the kingdom, it was in his care always scrupulously, divinely kept as pure as when he received it from the Father. What he received, that in all purity he gave to his disci- ples.
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3. The church is commissioned to defend the truth. Attacks upon it have been, are and will be both powerful and continuous. That it may be received by men it must be defended. Sometimes formal apolo- getics is necessary, but usually the best witness for the truth of God is the individual life and character, pervaded through and through and ruled by the gospel's power. What this word brings is the world's only ground on which the soul can rest its hope and yet not be deceived. It must be protected by a vigilance, an energy and a self-sacrificing spirit a thousand times more quickened than would be shown in the defense of one's home, his country or his sacred honor. If the truth be vitiated deception and death must follow and all hope be lost. In oft-recurring and in most explicit words and by the witnessings of a cloud of martyrs, God binds the work of defending the kingdom's truth and its accompa- nying polity unto the very life of the local church, for an organized body that does not yield this fruit-set by the Holy Spirit for the defense of the gospel-the gospel given by the Holy Spirit, is really not a church of Jesus Christ, by whatever name it may be called in a given locality. When the word of the spirit is surrendered to the enemy, voluntarily given over, not only can the church no more attack the opposing king- dom, but it will itself be slaughtered.
4. In serving as a pillar and ground upon which rests the truth, the church must transmit that truth. This sending it out of the church includes giving the needful future and sending it to our contemporary fellow-creatures. Both must be the work of the church, for in no other way can christian duty be well, fully wrought. It has and will yet necessitate great outlay of life's material gatherings and of life's anxie- ties and spiritual forces, but no work so worthy has ever been laid upon the human heart to love and to perform, as is this carrying the gospel to every creature. For this propagandism, this transmission of the di- vine will to other ages and to other people, the church which is the pil- lar and ground of the truth, is made responsible. The stand holds the lamp that all who are in the house may see.
How has this Great Bethel Baptist church, during its long his- tory, how has our denomination through its existence been keeping, pre- serving pure, defending and transmitting the truth of God ? In many things undoubtedly the practical and the ideal, as to these duties, have not been made peers, but in very many things Baptist history safely bears scrutiny. Although because of the very form of Baptist church
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THE 125th ANNIVERSARY
government, they probably often have not, in the stirring times of na- tions possessing a state religion had their teachers and their people in as prominent places as others had that were by their church relation- ship nearer the appointing powers, yet both secular and church history testify as to their fidelity under all circumstances and in all ages to Bible doctrines and practices. These doctrines embrace a belief in God with his holiness, eternity, power, love and sovereign purposes ; man in ยท his state of sin, rebellion and need ; Christ with abundant atonement for the sinner and His continued intercession and the Holy Spirit to apply the Savior's word and work ; individual regeneration with its accompa- nying repentance and faith; justification, adoption, santification ; the church with Christ as its head and Jawgiver; its ordinances, baptism which is immersion and the communion; the resurrection, the juag- ment, the worlds of glory and of torments.
As to their characteristics they hold to God's control alone over the. individual conscience in matters of religious faith and practice, allowing voluntary worship and contributions; the church and state separate, each local church being disassociated from any hierarchy ; the new birth a prerequisite to church membership and full and unqualified obe- dience, both in respect to the ordinances and to daily walk and conversa- tion. The Baptists were the world's pioneers in opening the way to re-, ligious liberty. At Providence, Rhode Island, in 1636, in God's name they lifted up the banner of soul freedom-a new thing to the world at that date. They had weighty influence in the contention that gave to the United States the first great amendment to its constitution-guar- anteeing religious liberty to all and prohibiting congress from establish- ing a national religion. "If there had been no Baptists there would not have been that first amendment." In all their history they have said : "Although piety and good morals are essential to good government, yet it is not the province of the state to establish religion."
As to their activities they have been noted for their church exten- sion interest, for their educational development, for their home and foreign mission energy and for their Sunday school and Young People's work. Their growth has been marked. In Pennsylvania there were only five or six Baptist churches organized previous to 1770. Now there are 674 churches and about 100,000 members. The first reliable reckon- ing of their number in the United States was in 1780, ten years after we were constituted, at which time there were 868 churches, 1132 ministers and 64,975 members. In the United States at the present time in round numbers, there are 37,000 churches, 24,000 ordained ministers and 3,500,- 000 members. The value of their church buildings is $85,000,000, and the money invested in their institutions of learning amounts to more than $30,000,000.
May we all improve our divine favors and while standing upon the well tried foundation, vigorously and zealously uphold the truth that God lays upon the sacred desk and upon the living tongue.
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GREAT BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
This session was devoted to the observance of the 50th Anniversary of the Sunday School, and was in charge of Superintendent D. M. Hert- zog. After devotional exercises the organization and history of the Sunday school was sketched in the following paper by the superinten- dent :
HISTORY OF GREAT BETHEL BAPTIST SUNDAY SCHOOL.
BY SUPT. D. M. HERTZOG.
In these days of Sunday schools in churches, chapels and school houses, it is difficult to imagine that there was a time when none exist- ed. Considering the almost universal recognition of the Sunday school as a beneficial institution, it is perhaps more difficult to recognize the fact that a church so near to us as our own dear old Great Bethel, not only once existed without a Sunday school but actually stood in opposi- tion thereto. Such, however, is true, and the struggle that began with the efforts of a small group of members to establish a Sunday school and Missionary Society in the church, was the longest, the most persistently maintained by its promoters and possibly the most marked in its results of any that have occurred in all its history.
That the early members of the church were opposed to these pro- gressive movements, may not seem so strange to us, when we consider that this church came into existence in 1770, while Robert Raikes organ- ized the first Sunday school in 1780, ten years later. If our church was slow to exert her influence in favor of missions, it may be of interest to note that she had lived 12 years before William Carey uttered his fa- mous sentence, "Let us do great things for God ; let us expect great things of God," and established the first missionary society.
The fact that the Sunday school and missionary society, two institu- tions which have done so much toward the spread of the gospel and evangelization of the world, grew upon the same soil and sprang into existence within two years of each other, demonstrates that what creat- ed the one developed the other also. So in our own church the condi- tion of affairs which brought about one, caused the other soon to follow. I shall not attempt to review the history of the struggle which led up to this organization. It takes long to give up the old and accustom our- selves to the new.
While our church fathers showed great breadth in their willingness to reach out and establish new churches and when organized to permit them to maintain themselves independent of the parent institution, yet in all these organizations the strictest regard was had to the name and none but "churches" fully indoctrinated and recognized as such, were permitted thus to grow under the fostering care of the parent. For 70 years and upwards had our church maintained herself upon this basis.
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THE 125th ANNIVERSARY
At last the Macedonian cry, so oft repeated, was heard and on April 22d, 1842, the first Missionary society was organized in the church. Hardly had this organization been completed to send its aid abroad, when the call was again heard and heeded at home.
A little group of eighteen members first championed the "New movement" as nearly as we can ascertain about 1840. Their efforts did not receive sufficient attention from the church, however, to be recog- nized by any formal action in business meetings until February 22, 1845, when this entry appears upon the church minutes:
"Consulted concerning the opening of a Sunday school in the meet- ing house, the matter to be determined at our next meeting of Busi- ness."
This effort was not crowned with immediate success, for nothing fur- ther appears until June 28th, of the same year when, "The following res- "olution was offered by Bro. Wynn and agreed to: Resolved that a "Sabbath School be opened in this church to commence on the Second "Sunday of July next."
The record shows that at the time for the July meeting for busi- ness they did not hold services because of the extreme heat.
August 23d, 1845. At the close of the minutes is this entry: "N. B. Our Sunday school is doing well with from 80 to 100 in attendance."
Thus began the institution which brings here today this gathering of children upon whom rest the hopes of their parents, in whom dwells the future of this dear old church.
While we honor the well remembered Rev. Isaac Wynn whose name appears as the promoter of this grand cause, let us not forget to look above and beyond to the hand that directed and gave him the courage to stand for the movement he had inaugurated. For if any one fails to see in all this the hand of the Father, let him trace the history of our Sunday school back through the long struggle that finally brought it in- to existence. Let him observe how near to the very verge of seeming destruction that movement brought this church and at last when it tri- umphed, it was not the triumph of the human victor who tramples under foot the enemy whom he has conquered, but the triumph of one who has sat at the feet of the humble Galilean and learned of Him the lesson of love. Scarcely had the "New order" been established when those who composed it extended the hand of welcome to those who had been its bitter opponents. Slowly at first, but eventually that hand was accept- ed and steadily flowed back the tide of those who were defeated, until, again united in bonds of love and devotion, they were prepared for the outpouring of the spirit in the great revival of 1854. If any taint of bit- terness remained in the heart of any parent, it was then melted away in tears of rejoicing which freely flowed, as, night after night, they wel- comed into their church whole classes of their own children from the ranks of the Sunday school.
While we rejoice that the little band of 18 who first championed the-
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GREAT BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH.
cause of Missions held steadily to the one purpose until they saw its suc- cess, let us not think harshly of those who opposed. Their work was done and nobly done. They rest in the old cemetery near where they worshipped and struggled for what they believed the right, but they live in the memory of those who worship today at "Mt. Moriah," in the "Forks of Cheat" and "Beyond the Yough." If dear to them, thrice dear to us be their sainted memory.
The early records of the Sunday school are lost. The oldest record book now in the school is that beginning with 1867. It is only from recollection of those who were scholars at the time of its organization and who are living still, that I have been able to obtain any information as to the beginning and early condition of the school. William Bryson, who for so many years was church clerk, was its first superintendent. His activity and true devotion to the cause of Christ eminently fitted him for the trust thus confided to him. Faithfully he discharged the duties of that trust. That his devotion to the Sunday school was sin- cere, is evidenced by the care with which he instilled into the minds of his own children a love for and rare devotion to the school. Today, the only member of his family remaining in this vicinity, a daughter, whose hair is now silvered with gray, clings to the dear old school and seldom does she miss her accustomed place in its classes. His grand- daughters and grandson, following the example thus set before them, first as scholars, now as teachers, fill faithfully and well the positions they each occupy, while a little great-grandchild just stepping across "the borders of babyland" has taken her place in the infant class pre- paratory for the field that lies before her.
I have not been able to trace the various superintendents who fol- lowed in their order. Perhaps next after William Bryson came Geo. A. Shallenberger, afterwards Col. Shallenberger, during his service in the rebellion, now having charge of the reform school in Washington, D. C., a sincere christian still and devoted to the Sunday school cause.
Orton F. Frisbee followed soon after, under whom the school ad- vanced rapidly, and increased to upwards of two hundred in number.
The well remembered Rev. I. D. King was both pastor of the church and superintendent of the Sunday school.
Rev. B. P. Ferguson, during his pastorate, also served as superin- tendent. Then in turn came those whom I cannot otherwise more prop- erly term than our own Andrew B. Bryson and R. Porter Craig, each of whom served in that capacity at different times. All these to whom I have referred were in charge of the school in the old church building on Morgantown street.
The first to occupy that position affer the removal to the present location of the church, was Rev. C. E. Barto, now deceased. Following him and down to 1880 Rev. W. W. Hickman, Col. John Collins, A. B. Bryson, William A. Mouck, Henry C. Diffenderffer and N. P. Cooper. Since April 1, 1880, the writer has been superintendent of the school.
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THE 125th ANNIVERSARY
I have briefly referred to the superintendents. The names of many, no doubt, well deserving of mention, have been omitted. They as well as those named, have left their impress upon the lives of many who at- tended the school. But were I to leave the impression that upon the su- perintendents of the school alone had depended its success, I should come far short of what experience has shown to be the fact. In my in- quiries as to those who were officers in the school, I have met the answer : "I do not remember my superintendent, but I shall never for- get my teacher." I would that my space had been ample to allow a par- ticular reference to these faithful ones who have given from time to time so much of their lives in devotion to this noble cause. I must re- frain from naming any, lest not being permitted to mention all, I should seem intentionally to omit those whose attendance had been as constant, whose devotion to their classes had been as faithful, and whose prayers for the conversion of their scholars as earnest as those whom I should name. As each successive generation has passed the common age of Sunday school scholars, the names and living examples of these faithful ones have been written in the memories and hearts of those whom they taught. And the history of Great Bethel Sunday school is being con- stantly written and rewritten as the lessons of those who were teachers have been taken up by scholars and repeated to their scholars when they in turn have become teachers.
Well deserving of mention, also, are those parents, who, not being permitted to teach, have led here their own children, and have sat with them, willing learners of the way of life, and at the same time, by their own example, have led others into the light of the gospel.
Precious to all who love this school have been the lives of those, who through instructions gained here as scholars, have found their way into true christian life. Hence, after all, in the history of this school, like that in the great world about us, it is the part faithfully done by each in his or her own place, wherever that place has been, which deserves our attention and commendation. I would that not one so deserving should be omitted. If by us they have been forgotten, we know that their names are recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life.
Before closing this sketch, I should refer to the early methods of conducting the school. For several years it was maintained only during the summer season. The school was usually opened by the superinten- dent, by reading a scripture lesson and prayer. Teachers then took charge of their classes, having selected their own lessons from such part of the Bible as they might desire without reference to the lesson of any other teacher. There was thus no uniformity of lessons. Scholars were usually requested to commit a number of verses from the scrip- tures and recite them to the teacher, a custom which it is doubtful if any one of the later methods has ever improved upon. Sometimes as an incentive to more diligent study in this regard, tickets were given, a certain number of blue ones entitling the holder to a red one as a special
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GREAT BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH.
reward of merit. Sunday school helps as we now consider them, were unknown. The teacher prepared her lesson from the Bible itself, aided by a commentary or Bible dictionary, if fortunate enough to be in reach of one. For music the same hymn books were used as in the church ser- vices. For the benefit of the children I must state that they had picnics in those days also, but not just like ours. As an illustration of what they were I quote the following from the church minutes:
"Saturday 21st Aug. 1852. Met at 9 o'clock in the morning, with the Sabbath school. Brother M. Sutton delivered a short address and Brother Wm. Bryson made some remarks, after which a free treat of cakes and other picnics were handed round by the teachers and offi- cers of the school ; closed by singing."
A library was gradually accumulated until at the time of the re- moval from the old church in 1867, it contained about 200 volumes. In the change which occurred at that time, this library was lost to the school. It has since been replaced by one containing upwards of 280 volumes. When organized the school started with about 80 scholars. The attendance has greatly varied from time to time, reaching the high- est number in 1893, when, including a mission school organized as a branch in the east end of town, we reported to the Association a total enrollment of 656 scholars.
It is not the purpose of this paper to refer to the present condition of the school, further than to state that we now have a total enrollment of upwards of 400, a corps of 22 efficient teachers with an assistant teacher for each class and 11 officers. I have attempted briefly to sketch its be- ginning and something of its early history. I have, possibly, come far short of giving an adequate idea of my subject. I trust enough has been written to teach us in whose charge this school is now placed, that it is a heritage which has come to us as a precious trust ; that it had its origin in many anxious, sleepless nights on the part of its founders ; that it was brought into existence for the one far reaching purpose that it might be and continue a training school through which to lead its scholars into the folds of the church and make them efficient workers there ; that it has come to us laden with their prayers that that pur- pose through us may be made effectual ; finally that we may feel that we shall not have faithfully discharged the duties of this trust until we shall have given it our prayers and the very best service of which we are each capable.
Rev. R. H. Austin of Chicago was to have delivered an address at this session, but he had been spending some months in Europe and owing to an accident to the ship in which he sailed he did not arrive in New York in time to be present. In his place, Revs. F. B. Labarrer, J. W. Hays and H. F. King made short and interesting talks.
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THE 125th ANNIVERSARY
SUNDAY EVENING SESSION.
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After devotional services and an anthem by the choir, "Glory Be to the Lord Forever," came an address on
"YOUNG PEOPLE'S WORK,"
BY J. Q. VAN SWEARINGEN, ESQ., PRESIDENT OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETY OF CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR.
He said in part : You listened this morning to the history of the one hundred and twenty-five years' existence of this church. This after- noon you heard the history of the fifty years' growth and development of the Sunday school. And you heard the statement made in connection with the history of the Sunday school that fifty years ago a great many christian people were opposed to the organization of Sunday schools. It may seem strange to us now, after having seen the great power for good that is exerted by the Sunday schools upon the children and youth of the land, that any right minded, right thinking people should have been op- posed to their organization. But coming down to a later period we find that it has been but a few years, much less than fifty, since the opposi- tion, or to say the least the most positive indifference, to the organiza- tion of young people's societies has disappeared. It is but eight years since the present Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor of this church was organized. There had been young people's societies con- nected with the church prior to that time, but their work was limited and their duration was short. And it may be truthfully said that our present young people's society is the first one ever connected with this church that has been a success in the full and true sense of the word. So that what I shall say here tonight will not be so much in the nature of a history of our young people's society, for we have not lived long enough to have much of a history yet, but will be more upon the growth and object of young people's societies in general.
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