Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-07-16

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high honors in the class OF 1880. lie fur
! Their perfected himself at The Union Theo-
| logical Seminary Of New YORK, ana we
! Theological Seminary al Hamilton.
His first pastOrate was az wyoming. y.
Y. where lie remained over three years.
In 1855 ne came 10 Belvidere' ILL.,, as
pastor Of the First church. lie remained
! there four years. In August. 1880 ne J e
| spOnded to a call 10 the church at Nau-
/ kegan. H.. the church there never nav
ing seen him and began Work which
/ has been followed 10y Gods blessing, ihdl-
Z Gated in the general prosperity OF me
church in the ~ additions 30 us mem
bership. eighty-twO of which were ny
baptism. the number Of young people
being noticeable lie IS preacher OF
earncsfness and eff ctiVeuess. and believes
in emphasizing the high privileges OF be-
| levers. lie has always believed mat
Young PEOPLES movement would develop
within his denomination. ana most hearth
| " welcomed the Baptist Young Peoples
/ Union
MR.. w. IL. MERRITT.
! In this connection IL is emmently pro-
per 10 mention Mi. w. IL. Merritt, bust
| ness manager Of the Baptist Union,
/ man who has been Of inestimabie value
| To the National Baptist Young People
| Union organ. Mr. Merritt is a Mlchl-
/ gander IN 1855 ne graduated at Kala-
mazoo COLLEGE. receiving the cesiee OF
Ph. B.: was principal Of Grass Lake High
School for one year. and Tor more than
five years has been connected with the
Detroit Journal. From the start he has
been an earnest friend of the Baptist
Young Peoples Union movement. Inc
North Baptist church. OF Detroit. made
him president Of their Baptist Young
People's Union, and for more than year
he has been president of the Assocla-
tional Union. lie was one Of the hrst 10
agitate the organization Of the Detroit
Union. which was effected In June 1871.
FIRST GENERAL SECRETARY.
Baptist young people would think this
article grossly incomplete without reter-
| ence to the first general secretary on the
Psptist Young Peoples Union Associa-
ton. Rev. Frank l.. wilkins, ID. D., now
pastor of the First Baptist church, Giou-
cester Mass. lie was prominently iden-
tilted with the agitation which led to the
calling of the first convention, which was
| held in Chicago in July, 1891 lie was
! chairman of the Committee of Arrange
/ meuts. and later chairman OF the con-
vention itself. and after the organization
of the union made general secretary. lie
held the position Of secretary unul
/ March. 1897.
DR.. wilkins is a man in the prime OF
life and has in his present neld large
and influential churcn-one OF the pest III
the Old Bay state. lie is born preach
| or and pastor, and both before and since
/ his secretaryship has enjoyed large SUI
/ cess i'm the ministry. He left the active
nastorate TO assume the leadership of
The union. but as soon as It's working
method and general plans were well es-
tablished preferred TO resume Inc nllh-
istry.
He is q New Yorker by birth and
graduate of the University Of Rochester
lie graduated from the Rochester Theo-
! looical Seminary. and settled as pastor
/ at Auburu. n Y, where he remained
nearly seven years. The church was the
| second BAPTIST church in that city, ana
then in its infancy, having Dut lor'y
! four members. His labors, however, re-
! snIted I'm phenomenal growth the
! church reaching some 300 in three years
and a costly house OF worship oeihe
built. r, To
His next field was Davenport, Ia
where he remained six years lue "a
80, church of that city. over which ne
ministered. grew so In mempeIsilp nc
new house of worship was built. one OF
took its present rank as one Of the pest
| =, the denomination in the West. Along
with his pastoral work he fcund uihe 10.
service on the State Convention Boaru
and in promoting the Baptist educauoiidi
t,tcrests in the state. He received me
honorary degree in divinity from cen
49,, T-niversitv. Iowa. while pastor al
Davenport r...,,ror+ tbot
If was while settled at Davenport 'nTt
he was called 10 the secretaryshlp' II
this position he was instaiiea IN UO'oD'.
lsg1 lie was active i'm securing 'he Pul-
chase from the American baptsI Tuoit-
cation Society of the Young feop'o
Union. now the Baptist Union the "rs"'
~ the BAPTIST Young Peoples Union as
ISOLATION. and was It's editor ailer lls
,,o,ol 10 Chicago. He was also promi-
nent in all the counsels OF the DouE, "''I
visited nearly every state IN tue ~"
ard All the Canadian provinces presen,iis
tho claims and explaining the pTihe'pi''
of the new organization - ,,is
out OF the practical eNperieioSS,,, -,
aslorates grew the idea OF 'he u''s.c-
r,,ttr,e courses" which, during Ms SCI
retarvship. he saw succe sstuiF -. ts
roto5 This unique educational system -
today the particular pride OF we D"P''@'
WI, Tor the young people has always
-, Dr Wiikins's especial forte ana IN
- ,'.asent nastorate has very large
IL. ~ Resides a very efficient Young Peo-
80 soc,atv he has two junior societies
~ ~ church; also a Christian culture
anass win a regular attendance Of seven
tv-fye. and Young Men cH'"H VI wv