The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-06-23
THE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
YORK A ACCOMPLISHED BY THAT RE-
LrGIoUs BODY IN THE WEST.

Current of missionary Interest Began
to Flow westward After the Creation
ofthe Northwestern Territory-Special
Statement Bearing on "Church Build
ing on the Western Reserves" Being
Issued.
New York, June 22.-The Congrega-
tonal Church Building society has is
sued to It's constituency special state
ment bearing on Church Building on
the Western Reserve of Ohio, prepar-
ed by the Rev. c. H. Taintor. field Sec
rotary of the society for the interior,
Chicago. In part it is as follows:
1t must have been on the Western
Reserve that some one defined Congre-
gationalism as great river that rises
in New England, flows westward and
empties into the Presbyterian church.
An investigation of Congregational
church building on the Western Re-
serve confirms the Illustration
The current of missionary interest
began to flow westward from New
England Immediately after the creation
of the Northwestern territory by the
ordinance of 1887, when a great empire
was creatd comprising what Is now
Ohio, Indiana, Michigan Illinois and
Wisconsin. To this great territory
came emigrants from the east. The
general association of Connecticut In
1889 organized itself into the Connecti-
cut Missionary society, in order that
it might intelligently and systematical-
ly aid the settlers in these new regions
in the sustaining of Christian institu-
lions. Congregationalism has always
stood for missionary evangelization,
and has always been indifferent to
propagation of polity." This grand
westward flow of Congregational ideas
and principles should be remembered
with appreciative gratitude on the part
of Presbyterans. These earlier years
terminated in the transformation of
over 1000 churches which were in orr
gin and usages Congregational, into
Presbyterian churches.
This westward flow of men and mon
ey continued for fifty-fve years, from
1898 to 1858, when the Congregational
Church Building society was organized
While churches and individuals in New
England contributed to the support of
the missionary pastor, they also made
special and direct contributions to aid
in the completion of the church edi-
fees. Letters and appeals were sent to
kindred and friends in the older
churches east, expressing the need for
III j,, ioI, fn in
and generous contributions came to aid
in the building of these tabernacles in
the wilderness.
In my fourteen years Of field service
I have frequently visited churches that
said to me, 1--WE did not have any aid
from the Congregational Church Build
ing society," I visited a church recent
ly in the state of Iowa, where that
statement was made. and taking up a
manual of the church, which contained
a historical sketch, found that Cover
nor William Buckingham of Norwich,
Conn, now deceased, made them do
nation in 1852 of $4,000, paying one-half
the cost of the church building, and
Mrs. Ripley of Connecticut gave them
the communion set which had been
used by the church for twenty eight
years, and SO we have every reason to
suppose that the churches of the
Western Reserve were the recipients of
donations of loving friends which made
it possible for the congregations to
worship in house dedicated to His
service.
Organized assistance in church
building began with the celebrated AL
bany convention, held in Albany, N.
Y, September, 1852. At this conven-
ton a fund was created by the spec
ial offer of $1,000 by Henry C. Bowen
on condition that Congregationalists
would raise $4,000 for church building
in the west. The amount secured was
$62,041.S3. Appropriations were made
fro nlthis fund to aid in building 20
churches in Ohio, 10 in New York, 6 in
Indiana 80 In Illinois, 80 in Michigan
and 46 in Wisconsin. This marks the
beginning of organized aid of church
building In the west. The Twenty-Five
church edifees aided in Ohio received
from the Albany fund $780, Some of
these churches have glorif1ed God to
their death, while others are strong
and active Congregational churches to-
day. Since 1853 the work Of church
building has been continued under the
direction of an organized society and
Ohio has been aided in the erection of
lightweight churches and three par
sonages, receiving assistance amount
ing to s8S,42S.59, yhile in the states
carved from the compact, Indiana. 81
churches and parsonages; Michigan
27S churches and 81 parsonages; Illinois
230 churches and 20 parsonages; Wis
consn, 201 churches and "a parsonages
making total of 800 church buildings
and 1873 parsonages, receiving appro-
priations from the congregational
Church Building society, amounting to
$560,6S6.
The Congregational Church BUILDING
society has been most important fac
tor in the growth and permanence of
our Congregational churches. not onIy
on the Western Reserve but in the cen.
trail states.
The plan of Union" was a mistake