Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-31
JUBILEE SER VICE.
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
CELEBRATES ANNIVERSARY.
7 DAY OF JOYFUL THANKSGIVING
Or. J. M. McElroy, First Pastor, Deliv.
rrs Address PAPER by Or. w. L. Orr
Il, Organizing Member-sermon by
Or. r. w. Hinitt. Former Pastor.

From Mondays Daily.
The results of fifty years of sery
\ ice in the life of church can not bt
estimated by calculus" said President
nr. F. w. Hinitt, president of Parsons
college at Fairfield, former pastor Of
the First Presbyterian church of OF
tunlwa, yesterday morning in the open
ing service of the fiftieth jubilee ami
versary of the organization of that
church body Z The day was one OF
great thanksgiving and rejoicing
among the members of the congrega-
ton and the attendance at both the
morning and evening services was
large.
All the Pastors Are Living.
In it's fifty years of existence the
church has had but five pastors and
all are living. Three of the five were
present yesterday at each of the serv-
ices and all took an active part in the
anniversary celebration
The morning and evening services
were conducted by DR.. F. F. Stoltz
the fifth and present pastor of the
delivered by DIFF. w. Hinitt the fourth
pastor of the congregation. DR.. J. M.
McElroy of Ottumwa, the first pastor,
delivered the chief address of the
evening service.
At the evening service letters were
read from the two former pastors who
were unable to be present: Rev. Her
vey B. knight of Tacoma, WASH, and
Rev. B. q. S. Ely of Des Moines.
The Five Pastors.
Rev. j. M. McElroy, the first pastor,
began his service in 1855 and continu-
ed until 1869. Rev. knight began in
1859 and continued until 1881 and Rev.
Ely continued from 1881 to 1894. Rev.
Hinitt accepted the call to Ottumwa
in 1895 and continued until his resign
alton to accept the presidency of Par
sons college at Fairfield in 1900. DR..
+. +. Stoltz the present pastor, and to-
whom 1t was given to preside over the
fiftieth anniversary of the church or
ganization began his labors in 1901.
Jubilee Service.
The evening service was devoted es-
pecially to the jubilee anniversary
Rev. McElroy, the patriarch of the
church, and of living pastors, held the
most absolute attention while he told
them of the early struggles of himself
and his little congregation to preserve
their church organization. Consider
ing h.3 seventy-four years age, with
the Lest and strongest part of his man
hood spent in the hardships necessitat-
ed by the life of the pioneer mission
q Y-U Pnu Nil &c.,
and he spoke with surprising power
and vigor.
OF Struggles and Hardships.
The story he told was of the great
est interest, not only to the older, but
to the younger members of the congre-1
CATION. The tribute he paid to the eff
forts of the little church to do for their
pastor all that was possible in those
days of small beginnings, and espe-
cially the tribute he paid to his life
partner whose sacrifices made possible
his continuance in missionary field
of OttumWa, made deep Impression
upon ALL
One Of the Organizing Members
He was followed by DR.. w. Il Orr,
one of the organizing members OF the
church, and one of its elders from the
first upon the history of the church as
shown by the church records. The pa
per was full of interesting facts, and is
worthy of preservation by any member
of the church. Following this paper
the letter of Rev. Knight, of Tacoma,
Washington, was read by DR.. Orr, and
the letter from Rev. Ely was read by
DR.. Hinitt.
An Interesting Past.
1t was an interesting fact to note
that of the five pastors of the church
at the evening service, three were on
the platform, and upon the pulpit lay
the two letters from the two absent
ministers.
Social Meeting.
This evening banquet and a social
meeting of the church and congrega-
ton will be given under the auspices
of the women of the church. The ban
quet will begin at $50 o'clock and will
be held in the lecture room of the
church. Following the banquet the
social meeting will be held. The invi-
tation is extended to every member of
the congregation. Senator S. II. Har-
per will be the POSTMASTER for the ev-
ching and there Will be a number of
responses from representative mem
beIs of the congregation and of the
ministerial association of the city.
A Magnificent Sermon.
The sermon of Dr. Hinitt was al
magnificent effort His familiar face,
form, and voice brought back to nearly
every member of the large audience,
memories of the years between 1895
and 1900 during which he was pastor
of the CT lrch. He has lost none of
the eloquenee that characterized his
work at that time but rather has gain
ed in power and impressiyeness.
The "churoh Of God"
+ DR.. limit chose for his subject, 1.-THE
Church Of Cod" and spoke along two
lines, the first upon what is meant by
"a church of Cod" and second, the
reasons for glorying in the church of
Col.
u his eloquent and impressive man
Her he traced back the idea which
lead to the foundation of the church
IT, its original conception in the coun-
ellis of the Trinity THE church be-
longs not to time" said he, 1T plays
FL. ri In ~ - =.