The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-04-28
SONS OF Pill GRIMS
To Meet in Wichita This
Week for Four Days,
AT PLYMOUTH CHURCH
Congregational Ministers Of
Kansas TO be in Session.

Next Thursday win gebin in Wichita
the meeting Of the State Association of
Congregational churches and ministers.
Ibis VIII be the forty-seventh annual
Session of the church in Kansas and it
WI be held in the Plymouth Congrega-
tlonal church from May to May 6.
when the AIayhower landed in De
cember. 1920 it brought to this country
the beginnings Of a commonwealth and
nation, and a Congregational church
already fourteen years old. This church
had come 0ut Of various experiences in
England and Holland TO try a new ca
reor away from firm governmental re-
straint- The heroic intent of that church
Esas TO exaIt the authority Of the indi-
TiJual conscience, and to promote private
aud social righteousness The endeav0r
was prospered. and the growth and
strength Of Congregat0nalism are wei
known facts.
la 1854 the same love Of liberty and
righteousness which the Pilgrims mani
Tested. moved some OF their descendants
- come 70 Kansas. Under the auspices
81 the Massachusetts Emigration society
Several companies came to Kansas to re-
deem the territory from the curse Of
slavery With them came the Rev. S.
Y. Lum. commissioned by the American
Home Missionary society" to preach the
gospel in Kansas. Blr. Lum ORGANIZED
The Plymouth church Of Lawrence, in
The autumn Of 1854. Those early days were
times Of struggle. and in the border
ruman affairs Rev. Lum took his place
with the rest of the citizens OF Lawrence
u guard the town This church was al
most wiped out of existence in the Guam
tren raid of 1863 But other churches
Lad sprung UP soon after Lawrence.
Topeka in 1850. Manhattan lie 1856 and
Lsnporia and Wabaunsee in 1851 in the
summer of 1886 four young men in And
over Theological seminary agreed TO
make their homes in Kansas. They were
Rev Lewis Bodweu. Rev. S. D. STAIRS,
Rev. r. D. Parker and Rev. Richard
COrdley. They came to Kansas in 1857
and spent long and useful careers here
one only Of the four is living-Rev. Rich
ard CoFdiev, pastor OF Plymouth church,
Of Lawrence. OF which church he has
remained since his coming to Kansas in
1857
ia this state even as in New England,
the spirit Of liberty and Righteousness
has had firm growth. After forty-seven
years the Cougregationalists viii come
together Thursday afternoon in the Ply
mouth Congregational church in annual
session to plan for larger and better
things The principles Of CONGREGATIONAL
ism. Ike The national ideas, have found
place and development OF which the IA
Khers did not dream. and the end is not
yet. The individual conscience is still
chief IN authority and social and personal
irighteousness are yet in demand, and
lone is your master, even Christ
Nearly two hundred churches in this
Etase are the legitimate result of the
spirit of 1854 Two noble colleges. Wash
burn. OF Topeka. and Paramount. of
wichita continue the zeal for higher
learning. which has ever characterized
the Congregauonalists- These schools
are in line with Harvard, Yale Amhurst,
Williams Dartmouth. Oberlin. Beloit,
etc. splendid Hne which reaches
across the continent.
Among the many pleasant features of
the program VIII be the annual sermon
bv Rev D. IL Fish, DID, Of Topeka
9fr D. w Little viii present a paper on
f'social Settlements i'm Country Dis
tricts." Prof. a NJ Wilcox, of the State
University viii give an address on The
Teaching Function of the Church
'.yVar and Missions VIII be presented by
Rev. ". S. Crouch or 8Iapiehi1-
The evening program viii be of more
popular character. Friday evening being
devoted to Historic Congregahonalism in
Kansas and Saturday evening TO "a sym
postum Oh The Life Of Jesus
The public is generally invited to all
meetings OF the association.