Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 34, Number 177, Decatur, Adams County, 27 July 1936 — Page 51

Churches Are Active In Adams County Welfare

United Brethren WChurch Organized 51 Years

_. iiv ~ui <"" i|ii,iiiily - K' „ , 1111 annual uH the ML: ■ sl .|! ° r IE,. |i., ’ • I""'' "•’* •” •' ,l HF , him both the lib- ' "Hi.m branches. S'". t , C history' without rnlon ”!»; ehiirrn’VK ,>.. i I '.'"'<l Brethren \... ..miiiuzeil in Cover ...ond floor of a . -..0.l where the -lands on East .' •«- .-it Second a.n.l effected in ■1 ... -.<, The first minister, -ading up to an orK., body ,l "' R "''. R- W Kgs 1883-84 K, 1; Coats, 1885-86. . ourrogation next. >l> Mi" r 1887-88. was .. ,ii‘ d the church ■ K\ ; ■ ii),• p1,!..- of worship on ... \- j'h and Madison -p. . . ommonly c alled : Kl'"!- White Church." living charter i M> Margaret Oswald.'

I Congratulations fl IIIILtf —l<> Decatur and Ad1 H /A ams <*ounlv on their fl 100th birlhda >- I\ f- '' " e wouldn’t tell yeu kfl ' /-■ . ByP/SSs about the excellence i, jSmWe all ~ur cooking if * our many patrons had fl 1 not already told us. ■ For 1 ea 11 y delicious S' & meals try us. fl Plenty of Parking Space At All Times -IbONIFAS’ restaurant ■Congratulations land Best Wishes fl Our heartiest congratulations are extendfl ed to Decatur and Adams County upon fl the occasion of the gigantic Centennial fl Celebration. We count it a privilege to fl haie for many years been a part of this fl progressive community, and we extend fl b est wishes for its continued prosperity fl and progress. fl Centennial visitors are especially welcome fl to make use of the facilities and hospitalfl ity offered by the Rice Hotel. I Rice Hotel fl zff X r L i\ BB^j—£—L I fl LT ~ J s IB' L / fl I W j No matter what your fl \ 11 I I needs may be in the way fl r-T Uhs?? 1 ) / of plumbing and heating fl supplies, v.e can meet *1 them. Our years of exfl perience is your assurfl ance of satisfactory work fl work. fl Congratulations to Decatur on >1 the Centennial. Best wishes fl for its success. ■August Walter Plumbing and Heating

H. W. Franklin iK fl JI The Rev. H. W. Franlkin. pastor of the First Baptist Church of of Decatur. Is author of the history of Vnited Brethren churches in Adams county for the Centennial Edition of the Dai'y Democrat. • 418 Elm street, and Mrs. Mary Elzey. Indiana street, both of Decatur. The original structure was repaired several times under different pastors. The Rev. T. H. Har-

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT MONDAY, JULY 27, 1936.

First U. B. Church KRs «.kF*lßE Urift] •yKkflflflß?K flUfl MBBg MfartHI »•

mon with the assistance of the congregation was able to have a basement added to the church in 1915. While the Rev. C. J. Miner was pastor a gallery was erected and a building fund was gathered, amounting to several thousand dollars. This was from 1917 to 1922. The Rev. B. F. Dotson was pastor during the erection of the present brick structure. It is one of the best in Decatur. The Rev. Dotson came to the pastorate in 1922 and the new church was dedicated. Sunday, November 30. 1924. The approximate cost of the building was $45,000 During the pastorate of the Rev. Isaiah Imler in about the year 1909, a very good eight room parsonage was built. It stands just south of the church. This is one of the few churches in the west side of Decatur and is very active under the present pastorate of the Rev. H. W. Franklin. All departments are in excellent

Methodism In Adams County Reflects Steady Growth

By REV. H. R. CARSON The Methodist Episcopal Church lis the daughter of the Episcopal ' church and the grand daughter of . the Roman Catholic church. Her truly catholic spirit is shown in the celebrated ‘‘Historical State--1 ment”, a part of which runs as follows : ‘‘The doctrine and spirit of Primitive Christianity have existed at different times and in different deI grees in all branches of the King- ' dom of Christ. There ware embodied in a new form in this wise. In 1729. two young men in England reading the Bible, saw they could ( not be saved without holiness, follI owed after it and incited others so so do. In 1737 they saw, likewise that men are justified before they are sanctified; but atill holiness , was their object. God then thrust them out to raise a holy people. This was the rise of Methodism as given in the words of its founders. | John and Charles Wesley of Oxford University. Presbyters of the ; Church of England.” In 1766, Methodist preachers I crossed the Atlantic and began their work in the New World After Independence was achieved, John Wesley sent Francis Asbury a message suggesting that an Am- | rican church be organized. This was done at the celebrated “Christmas Conference” of 1784 and Francis Asbury was elected the first American bishop. One of the acts of this body was to send a delegation to the newly elected president, George Washington, pledging the support and prayers of the new Church and thus Methodism was the first American church officially to pledge her loyalty to the new country. This conference took as its obi jective, 'to reform the continent and to spread Scriptural holiness over all these lands,’ certainly a laudable and challenging task! The Methodist Circuit Rider pushed west with the immigrant and when Indiana was opened up it was a Methodist who preached i the first protestant sermon in the state in Clark's Grant just before the opening of the eighteenth cen-

First M. E. Church — ’ ' l ' t » 1 y — ;■ < ■ ■ 7/ ; A . glgl L ■I“l r gr—nJl >.... ..... X ,W 7 . gf|rJflw TT it. : jf X ’ j

growing condition with a large number of young people and a great many children. The Sunday school attendance averages 270, and on many Sundays there are more than 300 present. The splendid leadership in , this church is noticeable. Roy Mumma is general superintendent. Mrs. Ruth Williams is primary superintendent. Her assistants and other outstanding leaders make up this splendid church. The present membership is 425. Through the years many members of this church have been and are now prominent in the affairs of the world. Miss Ella Schenck went from this church as a missionary to Africa, sailing from New York. September 23. 1891. She was martyred near Rotifunk. Africa, on I May 3. 1898. Odis Baker, a quarterly conference minister, is studying in Indiana Central college. The following is a complete list (Continued On Page 54)

H. R. Carson . —- -11111111 L ol ’The Rev. Herman R. Carson, pastor of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Decatur, has written a history of this religious group in Adams county for the Democrat’s Centennial Edition. tury. Methodism In Adams County As immigration advanced toward what is now Adams county, Methodism kept pace. Fort U ayne has had a sucession of resident Methodist preachers sirice 1831 and Jay county, on the south welcomed its first Methodist preacher in 1832 It was a Fort Wayne pastor, the Rev. Stephen R. Ball who is said to have preached the first Protesta.nt sermon in Decatur and perhapo to have conducted the first religious service in 1838. He had been a resident there for over two years at service in 1838. He had been a resident there for over two years at this time. Os the five houses in Decatur at this time, at least two were the homes of Methodists. S. L. Rugg, founder of Adams county and James Crabbs. John Reynolds, at whose home the commissioners met and chose the site of Decatur, (Continued On Page 54)

Marshall Writes History Os Church Os God In Decatur

The beginning of the work of the church of God In this city dates! back to the year 1895, when an evangelist, Willis M. Brown, held a revival meeting here. After this revival service, .Mr. Lewis Reynolds was ordained to the ministry and took charge of the work. The work was pmall and for a number of years the services were held in the homes of the people. The home of Mr. Reynolds, on Cleveland street, and that of Mr. William Sheeler on ninth street, were the regular meeting places of the church until the year 1912. These first years of the work were years of persecution and severe criticism The doctrines of salvation from sin, sanctification and the sinless life, divine healing of the body, and the unity of all God’s people, as the church of God people taught them, were not generally accepted doctrines then, as they are today, and the preaching of such doctrine was the occasion of a great deal of persecution For eighteen months during the years of 1912 and 1913 the church worshipped in a hall on Madison street. On March 20, 1913 the church named a committee to select a building site for a place of worship. The lot on Cleveland street was purchased on July 21 of that year and the building was started on October 15. The church building was dedicated on January 11. 1914. Mr. Reynolds continued as pastor until 1918 when Rev. Denny M. Lyons accepted the work. He continued as pastor until 1924. For a while then, the church was without a pastor, but w-as cared for, jointly, by Mr. Lewis' Reynolds, Mr. Elmore J. Cook and Miss Nellie Hawkins. Rev. E. l A. Ball came as pastor in 1925 and cared for the church for a | little more than a year. In 1929 the church building burn- - ed. The building was not a total loss, but great damage was done. I Immediately the people set about ! , on a campaign to rebuild, and she j building was rebuilt, remodeled j and redecorated. For sometime be-1 fore the fire. Rev. Marvin Coffman !. began to preach for the people on Sunday and his services continued | for some time. The Rev. Coffman was not officially the pastor of the i congregation, but came every two I

Baptists Churches Existed In County As Early As 1832

I By REV. HOMER JUDSON ASPY The first Protestant denominai tion to settle in Indiana and to : hold religious services were the ' Baptists. Several regularly organI ized Baptist churches were func- | tioning during the early years of i the last century. The history of the struggle to organize these churches is indeed interesting as the problem of an attack by the j Indians constantly faced those who I attended the services of the church. While the Baptists were the earliest protestants to settle in Indiana the date of their coming to Adams County and to Decatur is not definitely known. When Thomas Johnson made the offer of his land for the town of Decatur on May 18. 1836, he designated that four lots of ground should be given to four churches. These were the Presbyterian, Roman Catholic. Methodist, and Baptist. That an organization of Baptists existed at that time in the community is doubtful although there were several residents who were Baptists. The plot of ground alotted the Baptists was never claimed by them and at the present time this spot is occupied by the residence of C. L. Walters at the corner of Fifth and Madison Streets. It is known that Baptist church- , es existed in the county as early as 1832. There was one located in the southeastern part of the county in Jefferson township, known as the Jefferson Baptist church, deeded to Elisha O’Hara, William Jones, John C. Montgomery, trustees, by Ebeneezer Loofburrow.

First Baptist Church ■ 1 ’ B * i *-12 a >. ,!f j| i al L ii ii ■

Glen Marshall * 4 '**• |h <illh MKKk KMK The Rev Glen ManshaP, pastor of the Church of God of Decatur, hae contributed a history of his church to the Centennial Edition of th“ Daily Democrat. weeks to preach In the services. In 1930, Rev. E. L. Bragg of Marion, Ind., took charge of the work and preached for the church every other week. He held a number of revival metings for the church, before and during the time he remained in charge. His service to the church closed in 1931. The work was then placed, temporarily, in the hands of Miss Nellie Hawkins and she remained in charge until the present pastor, Glen E. Marshall took the responsibility of the work, August 21, 1932. The work of the Sunday school has progressed through the years along with the other phases of the work. We have at present eight classes and during the Sunday school year of 1936 have had an average attendance of around sev-enty-five each Sunday. The Church of God has no formal membership, that is, people are not received into the church by formally joining. Such a practice we hold lo be unscriptural. Those (Continued On Page 54)

J. Homer Aspy ■ X ■ \ The Rev. J. Homer Aspy, pastor of the First BBaptist Church of this city, has written the history of the Baptist churches of the county. Rev. Aspy has been pastor of the local church for the past year. (Deed Book I, page 262). Another was located in the southwestern section of the county in the Linn Grove neighborhood. In 1850 a Baptist preacher from Virginia, Elisha Gulick, came to the county. He preached when and where hd had an opportunity, with or without money. In 1876 the oldest resident of Adams County was

this same Elisha Gulick, the Baptist preacher. There was a Baptist Association In operation nt that time. The Baptists of Decatur were organized many years before the Civil War but they had no house of worship and during that disturbing period most of the original members scattered and the society virtually was lifeless until its revival in 1884. In 1867 the Baptists in the neighborhood of Pleasant Mills organized the Pleasant Mills Baptist Church and became a member of the already existing Salamonia Baptist Association. Sometime in the summer of 1884, Rev. Willard, who was at the time pastor of the Willshire, Ohio and Pleasant Mills Baptist churches, came to Decatur and called a meeting of such Baptists as he could find here. This meeting was held in the Reformed church and in it the Baptist cTiurch was organized. There were 12 constituent members. For some time after, the meetings were held in the Old Methodist Episcopal church, which later was known as the opera house.

Decatur’s Best Cream Market extends a cordial welcome to ev?ry one and heartily congratulates the various committees on the splendid entertainment they have arranged. LENHART DAIRY PRODUCTS CO. Third and Monroe

"-sig- - ■ ■ n nl i <2l 1 S We’ve Been Raising Cars For IO Yea rs I We should know the source of trouble — should know the remedy. When it comes to greasing, we know exactly what to do and how to d<« it. In addition we use only the finest grades of grease. All in all we can give you the best job on your car of any place in the city. When you need repairing — w hen you need a lubrication or oil change — when you need mechanical work on your car—then see us. We have a most complete and efficient equipment for repairing your car. . . Wrecker Service - Day or Night Congratulations We extend our hearties congratulations to Decatur and the county on their Century of Achievements. We are more than proud of the part we have played in its growth and progress. I RIVERSIDE SUPER SERVICE H Phone 741 Day or Night

PAGE FIFTY-ONE

Then a hull was rented, which constituted almost ull of the second story of u business building belonging to Robert D. Patterson, on the east side of Second street, three or four doors north of Madison. After meeting for some time in that hall, the church moved to another belonging to Judge David Studebaker, on the east side of Second street, facing the courthouse. During all this time there was at least part time preaching services and the regular Sunday school. Rev. Willard acted as pastor for a year or more and was followed by Rev. D. B. Reckard, who was pastor during the time that the meetings were held in the Studebaker building, und at the time the present church was built. There had been a Baptist church at Monmouth, which still hud its church building, no longer used. A few members of the former Monmouth church became members of the new church at the time of its founding, or soon after. In 1886 a business meeting was held, at which it was decided to build a church building. A lot on (Continued On Page 54)