The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-01-12
COMMUNICATIONS.
THE ELGIN CHURCH.

Last Sunday we had the pleasure of
preaching to the Elgin people, and the
opportunity of taking a brief note of
their progress and present status. Bro.
Alcott's pastorate of nearly nine years
has illustrated the value of ga long pull
and strong pull. and pull altogether"
But, while the time element is valua-
BILE one, under favorable conditions, it is
not necessarily the most important one.
1t is not SO in this case.
Bro. Alcott himself would be the last
one to detract any thing from the noble
work that had heretofore been done in
that parish by number of excellent and
able pastors Skinner, Slade, Balch
Brigham and others.
There are several elements under the
pastorate of Bro. Alcott that have con-
spired to give the church new lease of
life, to enlarge it's numbers, it's influence,
its power in the community, to destroy
prejudice, and to greatly increase the
respect and confidence exhibited toward
pastor and people by the ministers and
members of other churches in the COM
munity. and by the community at large.
First, they have had the wisdom, en-
terprise and liberality, and confidence in
the great possibilities Of their own flu
ture, to build for themselves first class
church, in first-class locality-a church
truly modern and beautiful. and most
admirably adapted to the purposes of a
public assembly, and of public speaking.
with fine organ, and with all modern
attractions. equipments and couvenien-
ces.
Then Bro. Alcott has given nearly nine
years OF hard work to this enterprise.
He has sought to develop it gradually
into many-handed institutional church.
He has made it profoundly religious
movement, and Universalist movement
in the very broadcast and best and most
Christian sense.
Bro. Alcott is fine scholar and hard
student, and man of literary skill and
ability of high order. He thinks reads
and studies broadly, and aims to keep
abreast of the best and largest thought
of the times. While he is thoroughly
free, and in a noble sense broad and
progressive, he is always reverent, always
constructive in his thought and work.
These qualities, combined with favor
ing conditions, and supplemented by a
sympathetic and united cooperation on
the part of the people have conspired to
make Bro. Alcott's labors eminently sue
cessful. and to develop the church into
a greatly increased and commanding
power in the community.
The church has still greater future
before it, perhaps. if it resolves to con-
tinue in the ways of activity, enterprise
and growth.
We were informed that Bro. Alcott is
called upon more than twice as often as
any other pastor in the city to attend
funerals. He has every reason to feel
proud of what he has been able to &C.
complish for our cause in that city, and
his people are certainly proud of him
for what he has been able to do, with
their kind and hearty cooperation.
He leaves them, we may hope, only for
brief season. *His noble wife, his
charming home life, his interesting child
rem have inspired and helped him in his
work.
Then he has had many noble friends
and strong fellow workers in the. parish
All these things have conspired to make
success inevitable and to win most graf
flying and splendid results, even in the
midst of the hard times.
The membership and strength of the
church and it's standing and power in
the community have been increased
more than four fold as the result of Bro
Alcott's pastorate. The church has still
some burdens of debt. but none that il
can not readily obiterate, if it continues
the same united, vigorous, progressive
policy. BY this policy it will still con.
tinue to rise to greater and greater sue
cess in numbers, and popular power, and
the firm and abiding respect and conf
dence of the entire religious community
in the midst of which its work is to be
done.
We congratulate the pastor and people
on their splendid achievements. and for
the yet greater and more perfect things
to which they are bravely and unitedly
resolved to attain. JAMES GoRToN.
CHICAGO. Dec. 25th. 1894.
[*It is understood that Mr.. Alcott has
received leave of absence from the Elgin
church to enter upon his work as Score,
tary and Missionary Of the American
Congress of Liberal ReligiousSocieties. y
-EDIroR.l