USA > Vermont > History of the Baptists in Vermont > Part 8
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EAST HUBBARDTON
Organized in 1787, as a branch of the Manchester church. The first preaching was by Abel Woods in the spring of 1785. A few were converted under his labors. From this time meetings were held regularly on the Sabbaths, in a log barn in summer, and in a log house in the winter, until a schoolhouse was built in 1786. Elders Cornell and Skeels furnished occasional sup- plies for several years. In the meantime the church had been organized as an independent body and several members had been added till in 1788 they numbered twenty-four. The following ten years were years of darkness and declension. Elder Nathan Dana was pastor ten years, then Elder Stark one year, when Elder Dana returned and lived in town till 1816. His second connection was not attended with the happiest results. In November, 1816, Joseph Sawyer was ordained as pastor. A revival followed, resulting in the conversion of many and the healing of difficulties in the church. During the ministry of Mr. Sawyer about sixty were added to the church. He was succeeded by Abel Woods, who labored with con- siderable success till 1826. A second season of exceeding darkness and declension now ensued for several years, during part of which the meetings of the church were suspended. In February, 1830, a short time after the church had given up their meetings in de- spondency, a few brethren were coming together and mourning over the low estate of Zion. They concluded at length to give notice of a meeting in which the members might come together and stir each other up. The meeting occurred on the usual Covenant meeting day. Five members only were present and two of the neighboring women, one of them an Irish woman. Gloom and sad-
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ness brooded over the meeting though the time was spent in prayer and a free exchange of feeling in view of the low state of Zion. Just before the members were about to depart in sadness it occurred to someone that possibly one of the visiting women might like to say a word. Opportunity was given. To the great surprise of all, the Irish woman rose and related a christian experience full of thrilling interest. She had never heard an experience nor witnessed a baptism, but had read of both in the Scriptures and wished her- self to be baptized. The other woman then arose and related a satisfactory experience and closed with a request for baptism. The brethren were melted to tears, and the tokens of the Lord's pres- ence so unexpected and so overpowering were followed, as might be expected, by other and delightful proofs of his power and will- ingness to save. Notice was circulated of another meeting on the week following. A minister, Elder Reynolds, was sent for to preach and baptize, and no small stir was awakened. The ice had to be cut away before the baptism could be administered, and during the ordinance there was a visible convulsion among the crowd. The power of the Spirit was manifest and many were brought under conviction. The work became general throughout the town, and ex- tended into neighboring towns. Other denominations shared in it, and its influence was felt through the year until into the next sea- son. As a part of the fruit sixty-four were baptized and added to the church. The labors of Elder Isaac Fuller were greatly blessed in carrying forward the revival. In the course of the history of this church up to 1845, there were eight seasons of revival, as the fruit of which two hundred and twenty were gathered into the church. Up to that time it had received into its membership three hundred and sixty-seven and numbered sixty-one.
In 1853, Elder B. Allan became pastor. The next year the meeting-house was remodelled at a cost of $850. Meetings were held alternately at Hortonville and East Street. Allan's pastorate con- tinued thirteen years. After a year interval, Elder Zenas Jones be- came pastor and served with fidelity till his death, fourteen years later. The death of this good pastor was a heavy blow to the little church he had so faithfully shepherded so many years. In 1893, students from Troy Academy awakened a deep interest, and on the
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26th of November, seventeen were baptized, mostly young people. In 1896, J. E. Nye, a licentiate of the church in Georgia Plain, became interested in this little flock, and began ministering to them on the Sabbaths and returning to his farm in Georgia dur- ing the week. His work was greatly blessed. He won the hearts of the people and was ordained by the church as pastor. For sixteen years this relation has been sustained, Mr. Nye giving as much of his time as possible to the church while still following his occupa- tion as farmer in Georgia. Throughout its history the church has been often depleted by removals and deaths, but for the most part has manifested remarkable hopefulness and vitality.
Rev. Henry S. Archibald, in his report as secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Convention in 1895, said: "An illustration of the work that many, perhaps most, of our Vermont churches are called to do, is afforded by the church at East Hubbardton. Here, where the servants of God for more than a century have toiled. whence almost sixty years ago Brayton went forth for a forty and more years of service on the foreign field, a little more than two years ago God was pleased to reveal himself to the handful in his mighty power to save. Seventeen were then added to the church by baptism. Of that seventeen, ten have already removed to other fields to do service for the Lord. To this little band it falls to sow the seed, gather now and then the sheaves that look to promise re- sults more to be desired than much fine gold, and then it is taken from them to become seed scattered upon a thousand fields that shall be in turn rich with choicest fruitage in heaven's own day of reward and ingathering."
POULTNEY
The first settlement of the town was commenced by Thomas Ashley and Ebenezer Allen, April, 1771. The first Baptist that moved into town was Isaac Ashley, 1772, followed soon after by William Ward. They had both been baptized the year previous and united with the church in Canaan, Conn. In 1777, the inhabitants were all driven from their homes by the British and Indians. The next year they returned, and soon afterwards a number of persons
DEA. E. M. BIXBY, Poultney Member of Convention Board
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were baptized at different times, till their number had increased to ten or twelve. The first persons baptized in town are supposed to be: Mrs. Thomas Ashley and Mrs. Nicholas Marshall. Ekder Cornell was the administrator. Others soon followed, among whom were: John Ashley and Ichabod Marshall.
This church was constituted two years after the Wallingford church, in 1782. William Ward was appointed its first deacon, which office he honorably and usefully held till the time of his death in 1818. The little church, consisting in its infancy of but ten or twelve members, united with the Congregational church in the support of preaching, the worship in the sanctuary, and in the observance of the Lord's Supper. Afterwards, in 1795, having come to doubt the propriety of communing with unbaptized per- sons, they united as a branch with the Middletown church, but still continued to sustain public worship with their Congregational brethren in Poultney. In 1801, they were set off from the Middle- town church and duly recognized as an independent church. They soon after invited Clark Kendrick, who had been supplying the desk in Poultney, to become their pastor. Mr. Kendrick accepted and was ordained over them in 1802. A revival followed which re- sulted in the accession of about fifty members, some of whom were from the Congregational church. In 1804, the church numbered eighty-four members. Unhappily a misunderstanding arose be- tween the two churches in respect to the right to occupy the meet- ing-house. The result was the erection of a convenient house of worship of their own, and a very unpleasant state of feeling between the two churches for several years. But happily this feeling sub- sided, and the two churches have long since been on friendly terms. During the twenty-two years of Elder Kendrick's labors in Poult- ney the church was greatly blessed. The whole number added to the church under his ministry was two hundred and thirty-three, of which there were one hundred and fifty-five connected with the church at the time of his death in 1824.
With the death of Elder Kendrick closed the second twenty years of the church's history. In the next twenty years it witnessed more frequent changes in the pastoral relation, and yet a contin- uance of the gracious care of the covenant-keeping God. Under the
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labors of Pharcellus Church, Eli B. Smith, and others, the blessing of God was richly enjoyed and interesting revivals experienced in the years, 1825, 1830, 1834, 1838, and 1843. In all its seasons of refreshings the church must have received into its membership not less than four hundred persons. In 1845, the church numbered two hundred and thirty-one members. It sent out one of its members as a missionary to India. Elder Isaac Fuller, who had for a number of years been a member of this church, supplied its desk at different times to the satisfaction of his brethren and the edification of the church. He finished his pious and useful course in 1843, enjoying the confidence and esteem of all who knew him.
In 1849, John Goadby became pastor, and led the church through some seasons of discouragement. His ten years' ministry was blest to the church. In 1856, twenty-one were received to the church. During the last year of his ministry he was assisted by Rev. Thomas Cull, and thirty-three were added to the church. Wm. L. Palmer followed with a fruitful pastorate of six years.
In 1867, came a crisis in the history of the church. The body which hitherto maintained its unity was divided. Two letters and two sets of delegates were sent to the Association and the matter of the difficulty was referred to a committee to examine and report upon at the next session.
The committee reported in 1868, recommending on the ground of the nearly equal division of the church in Poultney and because of the vote to divide the church, that the Association re- ceive the letters and delegations of both sections as independent regular Baptist churches. The division was thus made permanent. The title to the property was awarded to the church at Depot Village. John Goadby was recalled to the church which retained the name Poultney, and Rev. Thomas Tobin was chosen pastor of the East Poultney church. Mr. Goadby officiated five years, Mr. Tobin, three. In 1873, J. A. Pierce became pastor of the Poultney church, and A. T. Dunn of the East Poultney church. That year both churches were blessed with a remarkable outpouring of the Spirit and sixty-five new members were added to the Poultney church and twenty-six to the East Poultney. The evangelistic im- pulse continued with the churches for several years, and additions
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were annually made. Mr. Pierce continued pastor six years, and was followed by A. W. Jefferson in 1879; Mr. Dunn by D. Beecher, D. W. Palmer, and Thomas Tellier. The pastors of the Poultney church since 1881 have been F. Barnett, 1881-1884, H. H. Parry, 1885-1889, R. H. Ferguson, 1891-1892, J. E. Bruce, 1893-1896, A. D. Clark, 1897-1902, I. E. Usher, 1902-1907, C. E. Ross, 1908. The church has prospered under these leaders and taken active in- terest in the work of the denomination and in all branches of mis- sion work.
The East Poultney church has had the leadership of pastors C. E. Stearns, C. J. Wilson, 1883-1884; J. B. Webster, 1887-1890; T. B. Webster, T. B. Mowrey, 1890-1893; W. V. Grattan, 1893, 1895; J. E. Bruce, 1897; A. D. Clark, 1899-1901; I. E. Usher, 1902- 1904; H. E. Webster, 1908. The membership of the Poultney church in 1912 was one hundred and sixty-five, of the East Poultney, fifty-one.
The fact is worthy of record that one of the members, Mrs. Ichabod Marshall, an aged sister of this church, who died in 1837, at the advanced age of ninety-three years, had lived to see the whole history of the church up to that time, and outlived all the original members. She was one of the first baptized, was one of the mem- bers when the church was first organized in 1782, and again in 1802, when it was set off from Middletown and had been a resident of the town sixty-two years, and there were known to be of her posterity, then living, three hundred and seventy persons, extending to the fifth generation.
WEST HAVEN
William Pattison, a licentiate from the church in Benson, preached in this town in the course of the year, 1803, with manifest tokens of divine favor. Many were convicted of sin and gave evi- dence of conversion. In the month of December a church was or- ganized, consisting of sixteen members. The year following it came to number twenty-seven. Mr. Pattison continued his labors with this people till 1815, but was never ordained. A pleasing re- vival was enjoyed in 1816. The church continued to enjoy a meas-
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ure of prosperity under occasional preaching by Elders Isaac Saw- ver, John Stearns and Isaac Fuller. Elder Reuben Sawyer labored successfully with this people from 1823 to 1836. During his minis- try there were frequent manifestations of divine favor. In 1831, the church came to number sixty-one. After 1836, it was served by a number of ministers and reported several seasons of awakening and conversions. In 1845, it numbered fifty-one. Moses Field was then pastor. Mr. Field's pastorate continued till 1857, when his health failed, and he withdrew from the pastoral relation. He continued his residence in the town and his active interest in the church, sup- plying occasionally when there was need and his strength permitted. He returned to the pastorate in 1865, and continued till his death, in 1870, a man of marked ability and fervent piety; a true shepherd to his people.
A series of short pastorates followed: M. M. Mills, N. Clark, A. T. Dunn, E. D. Craft, J. A. Swart, ordained here January 24, 1879; M. M. Mills, C. H. Eveleth, P. C. Dayfoot. For a season, after Mr. Dayfoot's pastorate, the church was supplied by the pastors of the Fairhaven church, J. H. Lyon and A. E. Foot. In 1894, came a precious work of grace and thirty-eight were bap- tized. A. E. Foot then became pastor, 1895 to 1898, when H. M. Douglass began a long and pleasant pastorate, continuing till 1910, when he was succeeded by E. S. Greenleaf. The church attained a membership of seventy-seven in 1892. A purely rural church, its membership scattered, its young people removing from their native town, the population changing in character, this church has main- tained the means of grace and filled an important place in this community.
RUTLAND
As early as 1805, there was a Baptist church in Center Rutland, of thirty-five members. They held their meetings for the most part in the home of Allen Pooler. David Hurlbut was their minister and continued to labor with them till 1809, when he resigned, and for a time the church was without pastoral care. They enjoyed, how-
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ever, the occasional ministrations of Sylvanus Haynes of Middle- town, Clark Kendrick of Poultney, Elders McCuller, Sawyer, Harrington, and other itinerant ministers. In 1808, the church re- ported to the Vermont Association thirty-four members, and from that time the name of the Rutland church disappears from the minutes, and early chroniclers say that in 1813 and 1814, becoming reduced in numbers by deaths and removals, the meetings were dis- continued and their organization broken up, the members uniting with neighboring churches.
In 1818, several families of Baptists removed from Center Rut- land to Mill Village, now known as the Pooler District, and im- mediately commenced holding meetings at the house of Daniel Ford. These were mostly meetings for prayer and conference, with an occasional sermon by some itinerant minister. For five years this little band maintained the means of grace under adverse cir- eumstances. In 1823, they organized as a church of fifteen members.
May 6, 1824, Elder Isaac Fuller was engaged to preach half the time, and served till December 2, 1826, when the church called Rev. Hadley Proctor of China, Maine, to the pastorate. His labors continued until 1834, years of earnest labor and gracious ingather- ing of souls. He was a good man, and faithfully led the flock of Christ. In 1834 and 1835, Rev. Samuel Eastman supplied the pul- pit, then Rev. Hadley Proctor returned to the pastorate, but after one brief year was recalled to China, Maine, where he remained till his death.
After the second removal of Elder Proctor, Rev. Daniel Has- kell, a venerated father in Israel, served the church during the year, 1837, after which Rev. Arus Haynes, a graduate of Brown Univer- sity, was called to the pastorate and ordained to his work January 30, 1858, and enjoyed an unusually successful pastorate of two years, ninety persons being added by baptism, and twenty-seven by letter and experience, being the greatest addition in any like period in the history of the church. He resigned in 1840, and the church was without a pastor until February 2, 1843. when Joseph M. Rockwood was ordained and settled, continuing his ministry till September, 1849, when he was dismissed. Rev. Leland Howard, of blessed memory, was next called to the pastorate, who was set-
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tled in 1852, and resigned in 1860. This pastorate was fruitful of much good, and the ingathering of many precious souls; the year, 1858, being signally blessed in this respect. After his resignation Elder Howard continued to reside among the people, to whom he had ministered so faithfully and long, until his death, which oc- curred on the 5th of May, 1870.
The next pastor was Rev. Francis Smith of Providence, R. I., May, 1860 to July 27, 1862. Pastor Smith was a good man and a faithful minister of Jesus Christ. He was succeeded by the Rev. J. C. Fernald of Cambridge, Mass., who was ordained pastor of the church, March 23, 1864. He remained with the church seventeen months, resigning September 2, 1865. Rev. O. Cunningham sup- plied the pulpit from November, 1865, to August 6, 1868. Novem- ber 1, 1868, Edward Mills commenced his labors, continuing till 1875.
During this pastorate the present house of worship was built. In 1827, a meeting-house was built, strictly in harmony with the prevailing New England style, the pulpit placed high between the entrance doors, and the gallery extending along both sides of the house and across the east end. In 1852, this was remodelled and renovated, and made much more convenient and attractive. As the location of the house was in the center of the village at that time it was hoped that the foundations of it were permanently estab- lished, but in consequence of the rapid growth of the village, north and west of this location, a more central location was desirable, and after long and serious consideration it was determined to build, and on the 18th of July, 1871, the cornerstone was laid with becom- ing ceremony. February 1, 1872, the spacious vestries of the house were opened with appropriate services, Rev. Dwight Spencer of Fairhaven, preaching a sermon from Psalm 148: 11.
The decade, 1873-1883, was an eventful one in the history of this church. In 1873, the assistance of Rev. A. B. Earle was secured in a series of evangelistic meetings in which the church heartily united. The results were occasion of great rejoicing. Among the converts were strong men and noble women, young men and women and children. Whole classes from the Sunday school and whole families from the homes gave themselves to Christ and the church.
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Sixty-six were baptized and nine received by letter and experience. The ingathering continued under the pastorate of Rev. J. K. Rich- ardson, which commenced in 1875. Fifteen were added that year, forty-three the next, and twenty-three the next. Then came another remarkable revival. The church entered into union ser- vices under Evangelists Whittle, MeGranahan and Whittier. Con- stant work was kept up for six months, and one hundred and thir- teen were received into the church, bringing its total membership to three hundred and eighty-nine. During the next three years there was evidence of reaction, and the church suffered the de- pression that attends disciplinary work, but strength had been gained to prune the vine without endangering its life. In other lines the church had put on strength. In September, 1873, it dedi- cated its new house of worship upon which some $40,000 had been expended. The field of its activities had been broadened by a mis- sion at North Clarendon, and by the organization of a branch at West Rutland in 1875. In 1879, the pastor had begun to publish the Vermont Baptist in the interests of the churches of the State. A Telugu preacher was receiving his support from this church and a Karen Bible woman, and a colored teacher in the South, were de- pendent on the ladies of this church.
In 1883, Charles A. Reese began ministering to this people, and the church continued to prosper under his leadership. In 1885, the debt of $13,000 incurred in building the new house of worship was finally cancelled. In 1886, Evangelists Pratt and Birdsall con- ducted special meetings which resulted in the addition of thirty- five members. In 1887, the roll was revived, eleven dismissed and sixteen excluded or dropped, bringing the total membership to three hundred and eighty-nine. In 1890, the weekly envelope sys- tem was adopted, and the conviction recorded that at least one- tenth of one's income ought to be devoted to the Lord. In 1891, Rev. O. D. Thomas, evangelist, rendered effective service, and sixty were added to the membership, bringing the total number to four hun- dred and forty-six. Mr. Reese resigned this year and the pastorate of Rev. Gibbs Braislin began. Mr. Braislin commended himself speedily to the people of the community, by his plain preaching, and his fearless position on the moral issues of the day, and large
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congregations attended his ministry. His work was educative and scriptural. Substantial additions were made annually till 1899, when fifty-four were received, and an equal number the year fol- lowing, bringing the membership to five hundred and thirty-three. Five years later Dr. A. C. Dixon came to the assistance of the pas- tor and sixty-eight were received to membership that year, most of the converts coming from the Sunday school, which had been conducted with wisdom and energy by J. E. Tilson and W. R. Kinsman. During the years, 1902-1904, some seventy-five new members had been received, without special evangelistic help.
A mission near the fair grounds and the North Clarendon Mis- sion had been well sustained. At the close of Mr. Braislin's pas- torate the church numbered five hundred and sixty-nine members. Mr. Braislin was honored with the degree of Doctor of Divinity by Brown University in 1905.
Eugene Haines followed in the pastorate, and for four years had the privilege of welcoming upward of one hundred and twenty to the church. He was succeeded by F. W. Irving in 1910. The mem- bership of the church in 1912 was six hundred and twenty-nine. The Rutland church in infancy received the fostering care of the State Convention, receiving from its limited treasury sixty dollars annually during the years 1826-1829. For many years it has been a helper of the weak churches of Vermont, and of the cause of missions at home and abroad.
BENNINGTON
This church had its birth amid many difficulties, in 1897. A number of brethren, who were members of Baptist churches, had resided in the north and west parts of the town for some time. They were associated principally with the churches of Shaftsbury and Hoosick, N. Y. About 1825, several brethren became residents of what is now the village of Bennington, then known as East Ben- nington or Algiers. Among these were Isaiah Hendrix, Enoch Winslow and Aaron Grover. In the center village lived Anthony Haswell, a half-brother of the devoted missionary to Burma, James Haswell. These brethren, far from church privileges, began to as-
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semble for worship. After a while neighboring pastors began to render help occasionally. The attendance upon religious services gaining, it was determined to form a church. On the 11th of April, a church was constituted and recognized by public services. In 1828, Henry Baldwin became the first pastor. He was with the church till 1830. Under able ministers the church increased in membership, till in 1842, it had a membership of two hundred and fifty-seven. Then came the Advent excitement. Miller was in- vited to speak in the church, and his influence wrought havoc in the flock. Surviving this critical period, the church has continued a prosperous course. Its pastors and their terms of service have been as follows:
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