The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-05-30
CHURCH HISTORY.

History Of the First Methodist Episcopal Church
in Reading, Kansas From 1879 10 1889.
Prepared and read 10y NJ. w. STRAIT
ton February Bird 1889 at the morning
service. just before the sermon by Rev.
Hillary a. Goblin Z. NJ. ID. ID. presi-
uent OF Baker University at Baldwin
Kansas. ION the 9Th anniversary OF
church building.
Tue first Methodist Episcopal pray
er meeting was held iii the village of
Reading the first Sunday night of
March 1879 in the home of Mrs. George
King i5 being III the home now occu-
pied by Capt. j. a. StrattOn Oh the ex
tension OF first street eastward.
There were some thirty present bit
as only four NJ. K. families lived here
at that time, there were but seven
Methodist church members present,
who with the help of those gathered,
most of whom we're in sympathy with
the idea of holding "A prayer meeting,
and helped, especially in singing. NJ.
w StratUon read a chapter III the BIZ
Bile, Mrs. King lead the singing and
we spent an hour III prayer aud praise
and felt it good to be there. To most
of us, it was, something we were unac-
cuStomed to, viz. to hold a religious
meeting without either minister
| or a class leader, but we desired to wor-
ship the God of cur Fathers and keep
the Sabbath day Holy.--SoLne think it a
| little puritanic.
At that time our little village of not
over fifteen houses. had in it two Sd
| looms, and plenty of custom, seven days
| in week. About this time we wrote
| Presiding Elder d. p Mitchell of EN-
pOria asking for Methodist preaching
once in three months if he could ar
range it. His reply to us was Hold
| the Fort and after conference March
| 1871 he would try to help us.
Soon after this our Methodist fami
| lies felt the need of Sunday school III
struction and met at the house of M
! w. StrattoD to arrange for it, ant
sent for the Bereau lesson leaves. Th'
writer was requested to act as Sunda.
school superintendent and hold the
school in the Congregational church
| which We did. It was a Union Sun
| day school, and its influence is seeI
even at the present time. We Startet
with four classes and worked for Got
and humanity, meeting weekly. Sun
day forenoon.
The saloon keepers said 1.-THE Sunda,
school is detrimental to our business;
| they felt hurt, the school fell off il
numbers and but few attended during
the summer. but some of our famiiie
stood shoulder to shoulder and tn
Sunday school lived.
Rev. Newcomb preached that yea
for the Congregational people and va
a solid man. He lived in ATvonia
and aided us in the Sunday school b.
: his council and his sympathy
During the year 1879 Rev. d. Hart
man was sent here by the presitiDg el
/ 4. D, nd
the prospects. He preached once ii
May or June, again in July and i
September preached his third and las
sermon to us.
In January 1880 the presiding eide
lent listening ear to our petition an
sent Rev. H. J. Cooker to look afte
the Dunlap circuit work. On his wa
from Burlington to Dunlap he stOppe
over night with US an
made an appointment for preachin
the following Sunday night, and the
the prairie for Dow creek and theme
on to Dunlap.
Bro. Cooker proved TO be a IiV
man and full Of the love of God; b
was anxious to improve the field til
elder sent HIM into, and being youn
man. strong in body and full of tb
Holy Ghost He rode horse back
miles and preached three times almoS
every Sunday. while on the circsIi
during January and February unit
conference. He held week of revivs
meetings at Dunlap, also Dow creel
and at Reading
It was in the month of February h
held the meeting here. He preache,
every night and was visiting fron
house to house during the day. .Th
common people heard him gladly
1 He certainty was diligent in bust