The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-05-19
TIE ASSEMBLY.


Assembly of the Reunited Presbyterian Church
which met this morning, until permanent officers
are elected
The Rev. Melancth?n w. Jncobus, ID. d.,
who as Moderator of the last ''Old School"
Assembly, acts as senior presiding officer, puts
all questions and decides all points of order as
they rise was bo n Mt Newark ~ J., September
49, 1916, entered Princeton College at fifteen
years of age, and was graduated with the highest
honors at eighteen years of age After years
interval he entered Princeton Seminary, and on
his graduation was retained as assistant to DR..
Addison Alexander. in the department of He
brew instruction In 1889 he took charge of the
First Church of Brooklyn, and, in successful
pastorate of twelve years, placed that church on
a strong foundation as one Of the most impor-
tant in that city. His labors there were such as
demanded respite and recuperation of health,
and his people granted him leave of absence for
one year, at the same time supplying his pulpit
and awaiting his return in the hope of his re-
sumption of the charge He travelled extern
tivey at that time in Europe, Egypt Palestine,
and Syria. he also made another foreign tour
few years ago.
During his first absence he was elected by the
General Assembly Professor of Biblical Litera-
ture and Exegesis in Allegheny Theological
Seminary, position which be still holds He
has illustrated it by the fruits of study in seve
raj volumes of commentaries on both Testa-
ments, which have been widely circulated in
this country, and in part republished in Scot
land. In addition to these labors, he undertook
pastoral charge in Pittsburg, and has built up
one of the new and leading churches of that
city. In 1852 he received the degree of d. d.
from Jefferson College, and in 1866 LII. d. from
Princeton. His urbanity of bearing united
with his tact and promptitude in the moderator
ship of the last Old School Assembly, contri-
buted greatly to the excellence of its proceed
ings, and earned for him additional praise in the
churches.
The Rev. Philemon H. Fowler, ID. H.,
who, as Moderator of the last ''New School,
1nfn tly vrytft Nv 1ann nbVr6
and breaches the opening sermon, was born in
! Albany, N. Y, February Q, 1874 He graduated
at Hobart College gin 1882 and Immediately
| afterwards acted as tutor in his Alma Mater
! His theological studies were pursued at Prince
| ton Seminary where he graduated in 1885, The
Presbytery of Albany licensed him to preach in
1885, and ordained him sine titulo in 1886, in
which year he was called to the Second Church,
! Washington, ID. G. He remained there until
1889, when he was called to the First Church,
| Elmira, n. Y. From that field of labor he re-
moved, in l849, to the First Church of Utica,
/ N. Y, of which he is still the honored pastor.
| He has been uninterruptedly engaged in the
pastoral work for thirty-four years. with the ex-
ception OF two years vacation spent in Europe
| in 1S4S and 1868.
The high esteem in which DR.. Fowler is held
in the ecclesiastical and educational world is
manifested by the fact that for twenty years he
has been corporate member of the American
| Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions,
! trustee of the Auburn Theological Seminary and
member of it's Prudential Committee, and
| trustee of Hamilton College and member of its
| Executive Committee He also served on the
! Reunion Committee from first to last; and the
| Doctorate of Divinity has been conferred on
him twice-by Norwich University and by Will
| liams College.
! The Rev. Alexander r. McGilI, ID. D., LII. D.,
| who acts as one of the Stated Clerks of the As
eembly until his successor is elected, by virtue
| of having been Stated Clerk of the last "Old
| School, Assembly, was born at Canonsburg,
Pa in 1897. He graduated at Jefferson Col
/ IN, efn diad Ia and duoc sIv tod 10
| the bar in Georgia, where he held several i'm
| portant appointments by the Legislature which
bhe, however, relinquished in 1889 in order to
g. enter the ministry. In 1885 he was ordained in
the Associate Presbyterian Church and settled
q at Carlisle. In 1888 he transferred his connec-
tion to the Old School General Assembly De-
clining the Presidency of Lafayette College, to
which he was elected on the first retirement of
DR.. George Junkin, he accepted In 1842 an cleo
tion to the Professorshfp of Ecclesiastical His
| tory and Church Government in the Allegheny
i Theological Seminary. In 1S4S he was Mode
rator of the Assembly.
In 1850 he was chosen Permanent Clerk, from
which office he was in 1862 transferred to that
of Stated Clerk, SO that he has been officially
connected with the body for twenty years. In
1854 he was transferred from Allegheny to the
sprofessorship which he still holds in Princeton
Seminary. He has clung to the work of theo-
logical instruction through many urgencies to
take the presidency of colleges and the pastoral
charge of important churches-declining the
latter only on account of feeble health. The
degree OF ID. d. was conferred on him In 1912
by Marshall College, Pa, and LID. by Prince
ton, in 1868.
DIR. McGill is very popular as a theological
instructor, as preacher he is possessed of great
force and eloquence, and he is one of the best
church parliamentarians in the denomination.
| In his position ~ Stated Clerk he has been the
| right-hand man of the Moderator on questions
| of order.
The Rev. Edwin r. Hatfield. ID. D.,
who acts as DIR. McGilrs coadjutor, having been
the Stated Clerk of the last New School Assem-
bly, since 1S46, was born at Elizabethtown New
| Jersey, in 1907 and graduated at Niddlebury
| College, Vermont In 1929. After studying at
Andover Theological Seminary he settled in st..
| Louis in 1892 In 1885 he became pastor of the
Seventh Church, New York. The abundance of
his labors and the success of his ministry in that
field are attested by the fact that in twenty years
he delivered not less than 6000 sermons, lee
lures and funeral addresses, baptized 5o3 adults
and 1870 infants, performed the marriage cere-
mony In 1121 instances, and received into the
communion of the Church 1855 persons on ex-
animation and 662 on certificate. In 1856 he
established the North Church in New York, and
continued its pastor until 1868. He is now the
very efficient Secretary of the Frcedmen's Com
mittee of the late New School branch. He has
the reputation of being very fond of antiquarian
research, and is aspecial expert in the field of
Hymnology.
The Permanent Clerks of the Assembly, until
a successor is chosen, will be the Rev. William
E. Schenck, ID. d., and the Rev. j. Gentworth
Butler, ID. ID.
The Rev. william Is. Schencis, ID. d.,
became Permanent Clerk of the sold School"
Assembly in 1862. He was born at Princeton
n. j., March 80, 18l9 entered Princeton Col
lege in 1884, and graduated in 1885, After
studying law he entered Princeton Theological
Seminary, from which he graduated in 1912
Subsequent to his licensure in that year he spent