The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-04-01
The old south's New Pastor.
His Coming Inhalation and BrieR
sketch of y is History,

The second call extended by the Old South
Church and society of this city to the Rev George
A. Gordon of the Second Congregational church In
Green wich, Conn, to become its pastor, having
been accepted by that gentleman, letters missivs
have been sent to the Congregational churches in
soSt1n and vicinity and to several prominent cer-
gymen, invited as individuals, converting council
o install him in the pastOrate. The council Will
meet ia the church on Wednesday next a. O'Clock
in the afternoon, when the action Of the chureh
aud society will be considered, the pastor-elect VIII
be examined and If the couucil votes TO prosoed 70
stalatiOu the several parts in the services will b
a. signed The services of install alton will take
place in the evening" and 1t is understood that the
ID. d., of the Andover theological Seminary, who
has supplied the pulpit the past six months. Other
DR. mnent cler2ymen will take part In the exercises
and an original hymn. written for the occasion BY
Rev. 1. N. Ta box, d. D.. will be sung.
The Old South church has been without pastor
since the death Of Rev. j. NJ. Manning, d. D.. who
lied Nov. 20, 1882. The attention Of it, members
was directed to Mr. Gordon by President ri iott OF
Harvard University, and Rev. pr. A. = Peabody,
and fine scholarship. A little more than year ago
a call was extended to bim but he had so recantly
entered upon his psstorate IN sas me ne
more important fsld, until he could do 81 without
detriment to his charge. His declination Of The
call was not accepted as final BY the Old South
people, but feeling that eventually they would 80
him, they have remained satisfied with tempo
rarS supplies of their pulpit. Recently their call
80 shaped bis work in Greenwich, and had come TO
such an understs nding with his people there, that
the way was clear for him to accept the renewed
ca |, ewing the greenwich charge with an excel
lent feeling on both Sides The church Of which he
has been pastor has been invited to participate N
the council Mr.. Gordon was recently receivs Into
membership in the Old South church the polity Of
which demands that the pastor shall be a member
Of the church organization.
. he Rev. George Angler Gordon Is native a
Aberdeen, Scotland and is 81 years old. He Ia
one of a large family, was born In humble circum-
stances and came to America when about ~ years
old to see whas he could do in Lew country. He
had received a goot English education and vas
other language. A young man Of hne intellect
scholarly in bis tastes and of religious nature his
ambition for literary career. and that, COS
sible. as clergyman. His own lack OF mans
out of his reach and in 1874, in which year his
present career opened, he was at work keeping
books and doing miscellaneous writing in small
printing office in Boston. He had made good
friends, however, and through them he became ae-
Quainted with Rev 1. N. Tarbox, ID. D., secretary
of the American Coilegs and Education
Society, who found to enable
him to enter the Bangor Seminary. After a course
Of three in this Institution hewas In
1877, and was ordained 10 the ministry. preaching
and popular preacher, and his early work Yves sue
cessfuI, but his scholarly interest demanded more
development than it had received at Bangor. and
80 he took up his residence in Cambridge, where he
and other branches, under professors OF Harvard
University. His aptness for study and his great ap
phcation together with his general qualities ~
man, attracted the attention Of President Eliot,
among several of the Harvard scholars. and as y
suit he remained iu the University two year., TAX
ing degree with the class of 1881. He became
pastor of. the s. cond Congregational church In
Greenwich, Conn.,, the same year.