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anee and Mrs. Calvin Morrill, all of St. Johnsburv East and who were present at the exercises. Miss Maria Bullock of Boston and Mrs. Gould of Coventry.Rev. R. Case was the first pastor and remained with them seven years. In 1850 Rev. J. H. Gurney came and remained until 1846. Rev. John Bowers came next and was with the church six j'ears. In 1864 Rev. Mr. Baldwin, a missionary from the islands of the Pacific, came to remain only three years. Rev. J. A. Humphrey came in 1867 and remained 11 years. Rev. F. B. Phelps, now of Irasburg, succeeded him. followed by Rev. J. N. Walker. The present pastor is Rev. B. S. Adams.FIFTY YEARS.The Congregational Church at St. Johns-bury Hast Observes its Fiftieth Anniversary.The church at St. Johnsburv East was organized on November 25, 1840, and on Tuesday Inst the little church observed its fiftieth anniversary in a way that did great credit to members. The illness of the pastor, Rev. Mr. Adams, as well as the temporary illness of several leaders in church did not discourage the rest in their attempt to fittingly observe the half-century’s existence of the third Congregational ehnrch in St.Johns-bury.The exercises began in the forenoon by scripture reading and prayer by Rev. Mr. Phelps of West Concord. Then followed the reading of letters lrom absent members. Here is what Miss Charlotte Morrill of Brooklyn,N. Y., wrote:I cannot permit this semi-centennial anniversary to pass without my word of greeting. Wherever I am I must always remember the little church that stands hard by “the house where 1 was bom, the church in which I received the sacred rite of baptism, the church where the burial service Was read over my Moved father. Of the twenty originafmembers I claim kinship with eight. IL would ill become me to extol them, but I read their names with pride, believing that their “own works praise them in the gates.” Of the four who are still with us, two are bound to me by tenderest ties. The stress of life has carried me away from the old moorings. It is only in the interludes that my ear catches an echo from the church in the valley behind the mountains,—but I do hear it. In the busy haunts of men I have heard again Air. Humphrey's voice. In the clatter of Broadway I have gone again to praver-meeting in the old vestry, and sat beside friends who have been in Heaven these many summers. Below the heat and pressure and strain of our living today, lies buried the precious influence wrought into the foundations of our Christian experience, and we recognize it there whatever goes on at the surface. 1 do not forget to lx* grateful to God that He • called into lx-ing the 3rd Congregational church of St. Johnsburv. Its teaching has gone into the warp aud woof of our lives, into our thinking and purposes. Though deep and dark shadows fall over your path today I beg you to hear the Master’s voice as it savs unto vou :“Fear not, little flock; for it is your lt;Father’s good pleasure to give you theWith 1est wishes for your peace and , prosperity, and with an affection which increases as the years roll by, I remain ] Very sincerely yours,Chari.otte Mokrii.l.Brooklyn, N. Y.,Nov. 20, 1890.Mrs. E. J. Humphrey of Northfield, lt;Mass., wife of the former pastor, wrote:1 thank you for placing me in support with yourself and our church on its 50tli lt;anniversary. I rejoice with you in the many whom the Lord has brought home to himself. Pastor and people, that great crowd of witnesses, who now bid i you lay aside every weight and with patience run the race, looking to Jesus.I rejoice with you in those now laboring with so much energy and self-denial to keep the light of the Lord still shining in your midst, I rejoice in the truly missionary work he gives you to do. I rejoice lt;in the joyful trust of those still passing through the refining furnace. I rejoice with you in those who have gone from 1 you to shed light and love wherever they 1 may be. I rejoice that so many of them occupy positions where hundreds and ; thousands shall see the light of the Lord reflected from them as from a mirror, i Surely such a history as that of this church, may well lead' us all to thank j God and take courage. ;Mrs. E. F. Case of Hnbbardston, ' Mass., wife of the first pastor of the 1 church, wrote:“How well I rememlxr the time when I first saw my new home. Cold and , tired, with a kind of shrinking dread as to how I might lx- received in my new j capacity as wife of your pastor, we j halted before the gate and were met by i good Dr. Worcester, who weicomed both bv a hearty handshake and ‘welcome j home.’ Then as I entered the house all my fears vanished as one after another of the good sisters met and seemed to take me to their very hearts, and the , affection then manifested was never withdrawn while I remained with you. * * * ,I felt very sad when I read of the burning of that dear old parsonage. It re- , called the great struggle in building, our j life over the store that winter while , waiting for a home; then the pleasure of ■ going into it as our home. It was a pretty and pleasant house and I liojjed it might be our home for many years, but in four short years the state of ray hus- , band’s health made a change of employment necessary and our home was broken up. I have lived in several different ' places and had a pleasant home in all, but no change has ever been so sorrowful to me as the one that tore me away from my first home. I am glad you are to have memorial services to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the formation of your church. If it were not so far from here, or if I were not so old, I think I should be with you at this time.”Letters were also read from Mrs. McCurdy of Andover, Mass., Mrs. M. F. Winch of Grant’s Pass, Ore., and others:Ellery Potter then read from the church records concerning the establishment of the church. The hour of noon had arrived and the 75 or more present were invited down stairs where a bountiful collation was served by the ladies.In the afternoon Mrs. Nathaniel Lee gave a historical paper, and an excellent paper was also read by Mrs. Calvin Morrill. These historical papers will be printed in other columns next week. The exercises closed with an encouraging address by Rev. Mr. Phelps. Too much prafse cannot be given the ladies for their success in the affair.The third Congregational church was organized with 20 members. Five of these are now living, Mrs. Nathaniel Lee, Mrs. Quartus Sever-
Newspaper Details
Saint Johnsbury Caledonian
Saint Johnsbury, Vermont, US
Thu, Nov 27, 1890
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Orrin K.
USA 07 Feb 2024
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