USA > Tennessee > Davidson County > Nashville > The First Presbyterian Church, Nashville, Tennessee : the addresses delivered in connection with the observance of the one hundredth anniversary, November 8-15, l9l4 > Part 11
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In 1866, Ruling Elder William Bryce Thompson or- ganized a Sunday school in South Nashville, the place of organization and meeting being the basement of an old
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brick building on the northwest corner of South College Street (now Third Avenue, South) and Mulberry Street, known as the Gun Factory. This was continued regularly each Sabbath up to 1879, when it was deemed advisable to organize the Sunday school into a church, which was done, and the new church was named "Westminster." A lot at the s. e. corner of South College and Ash Streets was secured, and upon this there was erected a handsome brick church building, with a seating capacity of nearly five hundred. After a time discouragements, both minor and major, began to appear in the pathway of this young or- ganization. What was regarded as the most serious of these was the finding, even at the outset, that the field was too restricted, and as time went on it became more and more so, several other denominations having built their churches within a radius of a block or so of Westmin- ster, as a natural consequence of which all were made to suffer and languish. After more than a quarter of a cen- tury's faithful effort, a congregational meeting was held on November 26, 1905, the situation was carefully and prayerfully considered, and there was finally adopted a resolution from which the following is an extract: "That in view of the inability of the church, on account of its small membership, and there being only a few of such mem- bership who regularly attend upon the ordinances or en- gage in the work of the church, the Board of Directors of our church, by its President, is hereby instructed to trans- fer and convey in fee simple to the trustees of the First Presbyterian Church the church building" and all other assets of the Westminster Church.
Thus was discontinued for the time being all effort to advance Presbyterianism in that locality. Most of the members joined the First Church, and the sessional records, etc., were turned over to the Stated Clerk of the First Church for safekeeping.
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In 1873 there was formed and sent out from the First Presbyterian Church a similar colony to organize in the western section of Nashville what it had been decided to call the "Moore Memorial Church," this name having been given the new church in memory of one of the most beloved pastors the First Church had ever had-Rev. Thomas Verner Moore, D.D., who died on August 5, 1871. This colony had as its leaders Ruling Elders Charles A. R. Thompson and William Henry Smith, assisted by Deacons George G. O'Bryan and Edgar Jones. The church erected by them was a very handsome brick structure. located on West Broad Street, nearly opposite the southern ter- minus of Tenth Avenue. It was dedicated on March 23, 1874, and truly God has blessed the planting of this vine in his vineyard, for from the very outset it has steadily flourished, and today stands as one of the leading Presby- terian churches in the city.
On August 4, 1888, in the second story of a brick resi- dence on Clay Street, near Jefferson Street, Ruling Elder Joseph B. O'Bryan organized a mission Sunday school with thirty-nine pupils. By December 3, 1889, it had grown rapidly, the enrollment being two hundred. The session of the First Church determined to give this new Sunday school close attention, and to that end a committee consisting of Ruling Elders A. G. Adams and Joseph B. O'Bryan and Deacon John Hill Eakin, was appointed to take charge of and look after the affairs of the mission. The interest and attendance continuing to increase, the committee in charge recommended the organization of a church and the erection of a church edifice. This recommendation was approved by the congregation, and on Sunday afternoon, February 23, 1890, a nice, suitably arranged frame building, named "A. G. Adams Church," and located on the west side of Clay Street (now Twelfth Avenue), nearly two blocks south of Jefferson Street, was dedicated to the worship of God. The
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lot was bought by the First Church at a cost of $1,000, and the building, including the infant class-room, costing $2.500, was donated by Elder Adams. This church is continuing to do good work among its people and in the northern sec- tion of the city.
On May 4, 1890, Ruling Elder Baxter Smith and four- teen other members of the First Church obtained letters of dismissal from the session to go out to Waverly Place, then a southwestern suburb, and organize Glen Leven Pres- byterian Church,1 the building to be located on Douglas Avenue. A Presbyterian Sunday school had been organized in that neighborhood nearly twelve months before this time, and this Sunday school accomplished much in attracting public attention throughout that locality and otherwise aid- ing in adding to the membership of the newly organized church. The Sunday school was transplanted to the church building as soon as it was completed. It is a handsome brick edifice of modest but tasteful design, substantial in general character, and well located upon a capacious lot. This church at once entered upon a career of manifest usefulness and prosperity.
In 1899, Ruling Elders Byrd Douglas and Joseph B. O'Bryan organized a Sunday school in West Nashville, then called "New Town." aided by Mr. Mark R. Cockrill, whose home is in that section of the city. In 1900 a suitable brick Sunday school building, facing west, was erected on Forty-seventh Avenue, the front end of the lot (which faces south on Charlotte Avenue) being reserved for a handsome brick church, which it is the purpose of the congregation to build. Arrange- ments are now being perfected looking to the early erection of this building, which will be up-to-date in every essential. The average attendance upon the Sunday school now is something over one hundred. The Sunday school
'Sessional Records, Vol. V, p. 243.
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building was so constructed that it might also be used for chapel services, and has been so used up to this time. It was dedicated on April 27, 1902. The membership of this church now numbers one hundred and thirty-eight.
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Many have found it difficult to understand the grounds for the opposition which arose in Nashville to the first in- troduction and establishment of the Sunday school by- Mrs. Felix Grundy, a member of this church, and others. in 1820. This opposition became quite pronounced-indeed, acrimonious on the part of a few. Such a contro- versy, and upon the same issue, largely, had been going on for some time in England, having been begun there when Robert Raikes, "the Gloucester philanthropist," as he was called, first attempted to establish a similar form of Sunday school in his own town. The feeling engendered by the controversy between the Sabbatarian and the liberal became bitter both there and here, and for many years the effects of the controversy were in evidence. The Sabbatarian was unable to view the matter in any light other than, in its last analysis, as an effort to establish and conduct a day school, as we now know such, in large measure, upon the Sabbath day, since the curriculum at first adopted both in England and in Nashville was not much else than the teaching practically of the two R's-"reading and 'riting"- and that, too, upon the Sabbath day, and, where possible. in the church edifice itself. As time wore on, however, the curriculum was modified, the secular features being grad- ually eliminated, and the religious and moral-Bible and catechism-being given greater prominence and emphasis. Then the opposition, while not entirely removed, gradually relaxed and was much less in evidence. That this opposition was still sufficient to require consideration is shown in the fact that twelve years after the Sunday school controversy began in Nashville, and when the first church edifice lay
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PASTOR . 11
ELDERS 11:
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
NASHVILLE. TENS.
THE SESSION OF TH FIRST CHURCH at the Centennial Celebration. November 14. 1911.
in ruins from a disastrous fire, the church officers, in plan- ning for its reconstruction, felt the necessity of making a frank declaration of the congregation's position as to the future holding of these semi-religious Sabbath schools in an edifice dedicated to God and public worship, so that, in soliciting subscriptions from the general public, the solicitors might reassure any one who should decline to subscribe because of the presence then or thereafter of such an or- ganization in the church building; certain resolutions were adopted by them and in bold letters placed at the head of every subscription paper so used, closing with the words, "for the purpose and under the conditions specified." It was the sense of these resolutions that there should be held in the church no public meetings except the commencements of the university and "such as shall be for the benefit and edification of the congregation." and that "the Sabbath school be transferred to some other place, and not held in the rooms appropriated for public worship": that "all per- sons subscribing for the building of the church be made acquainted with the foregoing resolutions." The destruc- tion of all the church records in the fire of 1832 prevents our pursuing this interesting history further, so far as it relates to the First Church; hence we are unable to state in details what finally was the definite solution of the question.
We can say, however, that after a time there was estab- lished a Sunday school in connection with the church. This Sunday school was approved by the officers and generally by the members of our own as well as other churches in the community, and up to this time it has continued in a fairly prosperous way to meet the ideal as an answer of the church to the widespread, growing and fundamental demand for religious education so sadly needed by the masses in this day.
The Sunday school, as we see it. should stand for the religious education of the masses in the same way and to
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the same extent that the public school stands for the secu- lar education of the masses; yet a comparison of results for the century will show that the one had not met the expectations of the community as has the other. Why? Can it be that the church has not as yet realized the value and the potentialities of the Sunday school? Radical re- forms along this line are certainly needed, and we believe that they are just ahead of us in the present century. The Sunday school of the First Presbyterian Church has had but ten Superintendents since its establishment, in 1822. Alpha Kingsley, an active church worker in those earlier days, but, so far as the record shows, never elected a ruling elder or a deacon, was made its first "President." The fol- lowing have since served as its Superintendents: Ruling Elders James C. Robinson, Alexander A. Cassiday, John Thompson, William Bryce Thompson, Adam Gillespie Adams and William H. Raymond, Sr. (the latter has been Superintendent since 1895) ; Alfred Hume, deacon ; Robert A. Lapsley and Leroy J. Halsey, ministers.
The following is the present roster of the officers and teachers of the First Presbyterian Sunday school :
Rev. James I. Vance, D.D., pastor.
William H. Raymond, Sr., school superintendent; Charles B. Glenn, and Clarence B. Wallace, assistants.
A. G. Adams, treasurer.
Frank N. Boensch, Sr., secretary.
John H. McEwen, secretary of Elementary Department.
Lee Cantrell, membership secretary.
Miss Margaret Vance, pianist.
CRADLE ROLL.
Mrs. Horace H. Trabue, superintendent.
BEGINNERS' DEPARTMENT.
Claude P. Street and Mrs. Horace H. Trabue, superintendents.
Mrs. Ellen Rich, Miss Fanuelle C. Lewis, Miss Elizabeth P. Elliott, assistants.
PRIMARY DEPARTMENT.
Mrs. Ellen C. Marshall, superintendent.
Mrs. Mary C. Dorris and Miss Martha Hightower, assistant superintendents.
Mrs. J. E. Hart. Mrs. John Eagan, Mrs. Edgar M. Foster, Mrs. Edwin Hughes, Miss Adele Raymond, Miss Lucile Landis, Miss
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Georgia Hume, Miss Gertrude Talbot, Miss Felicia G. Porter, Miss Sue Rae Symmes, and Miss Ruby Manning, teachers.
JUNIOR DEPARTMENT.
Mrs. Leland Hume, superintendent.
Mrs. W. D. Witherspoon, Mrs. Anna C. Conger. Mrs. Allen D. Berry, Miss Amanda Phillips, Miss Henrietta Sperry, and Miss Evelyn Connell, teachers.
MAIN SCHOOL.
Mrs. Martha Foster, Mrs. L. R. Campbell, Mrs. James I. Vance, Mrs. Geo. M. White, Mrs. J. Vaulx Crockett, Miss Elizabeth Glenn, Miss Eudora Loeb, Miss Margaret Myers, Miss Margaret Vance, Geo. M. White, H. B. Geer, Morton Adams, Howell Adams, Wil- liam Simpson, teachers.
ADULT BIBLE CLASSES.
W. R. Wills, President, Men's Bible Class.
S. Waters McGill, teacher, Adult Men's Bible Class. C. B. Glenn, teacher, Ladies' Bible Class. Mrs. W. S. McKittrick. teacher, Women's Organized Class. Mr. H. C. Hibbs, teacher, Young Men's Class.
TEACHER TRAINING DEPARTMENT.
Mrs. R. S. Doak and Miss Adelaide Lyon, teachers.
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP.
The membership of the First Presbyterian Church fur- nishes a subject for study of the greatest interest, because in many respects it is so unusual, and in the hands of a master it could be made more interesting than any one of many standard works of fiction. In variety and richness of material, both as to character and incident, we know noth- ing of a similar kind comparable to it. Before the Civil War many negroes, chiefly slaves, became members of this church. In its roster of members may be found the names of those who have been prominent in the affairs of the Nation, State, county and city as statesmen, legislators, mil- itary captains, authors, historians, jurists, physicians, sur- geons, educators, molders of public opinion, railroad build- ers and managers, merchants, manufacturers, church work- ers and leaders, and many other classes. (The story is told that, upon entering Princeton University as a boy, he whom
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the English-speaking world probably regards as one of the most popular living writers of prose and poetry, regis- tered as from Nashville. His father was at that time pas- tor of this church.) An equally strong list could be made of the splendid line of good women who from the beginning have outnumbered the men in the membership of the church. Many of these women gifted far above ordinary, brainy, highly educated and accomplished in many instances-yet who through traditional repression (which has not a single just and sane reason to supoprt it) have not been permitted to take any prominent part in either the legislative or the administrative affairs of the church, and which, as a conse- quence, has thereby sustained an inestimable loss; and this has been no less a discredit to the denomination as such than a blot upon the escutcheon of the church. The enlight- enment of the twentieth century, we feel sure, will not tol- erate this reproach longer.
Among the denominational influences operative in the earlier years of the religious life in this section, Presbyte- rianism was preeminent, and largely has it held first place all down the century. Most of the then leading families, to name only a few-McGavocks, Grundys, Humes, Nichols, McNairys, Leas, Irwins, Overtons, Woods, Lawrences, Mc- Ewens (many others could be named)-became members of this church, and it is a fact, as interesting as it is unusual, that in quite a number of instances their descendants have be- come members also. This is true even down to the fourth, fifth and now the beginning of the sixth generation, and many of them today are not only members, but are also active in the Master's service, as church officers, in the Sunday school, in the young people's societies or in other auxiliaries of the church.
Since the organization of the church, in 1814, there have been admitted by the session to membership the goodly number of 5,525 individuals, as follows :
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Received prior to 1833 1161
Received between 1833 and 1868-
On examination 784
On certificate
503-1,2871
Received between 1869 and 1914-
On examination
1,778
On certificate
2,344-4,1222
Total
5,525
From these figures it will be observed that, upon an aver- age, new members to the number of fifty-five, plus, have been received each year, or, in round numbers, nearly five each month, through the first one hundrd years of the church's existence.
In 1913 the communicants of the church numbered 1,562.
CHURCH MONEYS.
Church finances are always a problem, and, oftentimes, the larger the church the more difficult they become. The element of uncertainty, ever-present and all-pervading, is a factor which must be reckoned with in any plan. If the ideal is to be approximated in any degree, this feature must be reduced to the minimum in any system attempted. The work of the church has largely to be planned in advance, and this necessarily involves an outlay of money. How, we would inquire, can the church officers plan definitely, economically and successfully without first knowing what their resources are or will be-what amount of funds they can definitely, or at least reasonably, count upon to meet the necessary expenses of such an effort? It is features like this which render church finances such a perplexing prob-
1Bunting's Manual, 1868. Table, p. 72.
2Stated Clerk of Session, Cowan.
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lem, the solution of which has involved much thought and study upon the part of the officers of the church.
The individuals of the congregation make voluntary offerings from time to time, these offerings, even upon the part of the same individual, varying both as to amount and as to the time they are made. They are received into the church's treasury, and in turn by the officers given to the object or objects most important and urgent in the con- duct of the affairs of the church, including the current ex- penses and those incident to the proper maintenance and care of the material interests of our own church. Many have been the plans and suggestions offered in the past as to a practicable system, but as a rule they have not proved satisfactory. In 1900 a joint committee of elders and deacons carefully reviewed the entire subject. As a result. a new, definite, business-like financial system was adopted- a complete change from the old; the new system having as its most distinguishing features the "pledge card," and "the duplex-envelope system," etc. This continues to be opera- tive in the church, and is probably the least objectionable of any plan that has as yet been tried.
At the spring meeting of Presbytery every year since 1869 the Stated Clerk of the session of this church has made in the form now used a detailed report of all moneys received and how expended by the officers of the church. It is easy, therefore, to make comparisons for these forty- five years. However, previous to 1869, as far back as 1851. a different form was used in making such reports. and from the beginning, 1814 to 1851, thirty-seven years. we have no data whatever; hence we are unable to give anything for that period. So it is the grand totals only from 1851 to 1914. inclusive, that we feel warranted in including in the following financial statement, and even from that period it is necessary to deduct the four years, 1862. 1863, 1864 and 1865, when the church edifice was
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occupied by the Federal military authorities for hospital purposes and during which time no church services were held :
Contributions received from 1851 to 1868, inclu- sive $ 98,7231
Contributions received from 1869 to 1914, inclu-
sive 812,0322
Total $910,755
or an average of $15,437 per year for the fifty-nine years for which we have dependable data. It may not be amiss here to state. for contrast, that during the last year, 1913, the First Presbyterian Church collected and expended, for all causes, the sum of $32,807.
DISCIPLINE.
In both divine and human law provision is made for the arrest of evil tendencies. and punishment is prescribed for the doing of unlawful, overt acts. In the Presbyterian Church the power to enforce this provision, to administer this punishment, is delegated to the session of each indi- vidual church. In the "Form of Government" adopted by the General Assembly "the church session is charged with maintaining the spiritual government of the congregation, for which purpose they have power to inquire into the knowledge and Christian conduct of the members of the church, to call before them offenders and witnesses." Then follows a list of penalties to be imposed upon persons found guilty. The ruling elder is declared to be the representative of the people-the members of the church; and we are further informed that "he is chosen by them for the purpose of exercising government and discipline"-to "govern" in both a general and a special way the affairs of the church
1Bunting's Manual, 1868. Table, p. 65.
2Stated Clerk of Session, Cowan.
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and the conduct of its members, and in no less a direct and tactful way to "discipline" effectively all those offending. It will be observed that it is not made simply a privilege of the session so to act, but that there is imposed upon those who compose that body a solemn, earnest duty to act wherever and whenever necessary, and in so doing they but discharge that which they solemnly pledged themselves in- dividually to do in the compact with God made at the time of their ordination.
The General Assembly. being so impressed with the necessity, value and wholesomeness of discipline in the church-discreetly but firmly applied-gives further expres- sion upon the point in "the Confession of Faith," Chapter 30, Section 3, as follows: "Church censures are necessary for the reclaiming and gaining of offending brethren; for deterring of others from like offenses; for purging out that leaven which might infect the whole lump; for vindicating the honor of Christ and the holy profession of the gospel, and for preventing the wrath of God which might justly fall upon the church if they should suffer His covenant, and the seals thereof, to be profaned by notorious and obstinate offenders." Yet, however the fact be explained, in these latter days there has fallen upon the church no less than upon society in general an indifference to and a laxity in matters of discipline which is of common remark. The "rod" upon the importance of which the wisest of men placed such unqualified emphasis has virtually disappeared from the home and also from the school-room; in the civil courts of the land there is constant failure to ad- minister punishment commensurate with offenses, even those found guilty of capital offenses rarely suffering the extreme penalty, while the disciplining of a church member by the session or the holding of a church trial is something which few if any of this generation have ever witnessed or even heard of. Whither all this is leading is a question
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PASTOR
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
NASIIVILLE. TENN
THE DEACONS OF THE FIRST CHURCH at the Centennial Celebration, November 14, 1914.
which it behooves thinking minds to ponder seriously. It can hardly be said to indicate that humanity is nearing per- fection, and, therefore, no longer needs such restraining or moulding influences, for does not daily observation dem- onstrate the opposite to be true? It can mean, then, only an ugly decadence of the race and one which, if not checked, must ultimately land us again at the bottom rung of the ladder.
In the record of this church for fifty-six years, begin- ning in 1844, when it appears the first case was cited be- fore the session, to and inclusive of 1900, when the last case was disposed of, there have been thirty-eight individual members cited before the session for disciplinary purposes, twenty-six males and twelve females.
CLOSING.
There yet remains abundant material with which to elab- orate the many topics and subtopics that have been more or less briefly treated in the foregoing pages; besides, there could be added a number of other subjects of equal interest and importance, and in much greater detail, and which would doubtless add value and strength to what has been said, but the present occasion, it would seem, does not call for more than has been presented-simply an outline of the more salient features found in the official record of the church officers of the First Presbyterian Church of Nash- ville and their work for the one hundred years ending on November 14, 1914.
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11
CHAPTER VIII.
THE PLACE OF CALVINISM IN HISTORY. By PROF. HENRY E. DOSKER, D.D.
I consider it a great honor to be permitted to add some- thing, however insignificant, to your great jubilee.
The topic assigned to me for discussion is wholly con- genial, inasmuch as these many years it has been my privi- lege to guide young men in their studies in the limitless field of the history of the Christian church. It is a won- derfully illuminating study, it enlarges our horizon, it broadens and deepens our view of things, and it opens up an inexhaustible storehouse of homiletic illustrations. It com- pels us everywhere to ask the question-why? For we are not merely dealing with things as we see them, but are compelled to answer the question-how did things come to be what they are? And in the answer to this question we find the source of the genetic study of church history.
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