The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-17
KANSAS NEWS.
CongregatiOnalists Hold Noted
Meeting at Lawrence.
Plymouth Church Scene of a
Pioneer Gathering.
HISTORICAL REVIEW.
Struggles of the Early Days in
Kansas Reviewed.
DR.. Richard COrdley AZ Years
Pastor of One Church.
HISTORICAL REVIEW.

Lawrence. Kas, June 1.-THE
semi-centenniaI meeting. of the Gen
eraI Association of Congregational
Ministers and Churches of Kansas has
onened here. The sessions are to con-
tinue the remainder of the week and
over Sunday. They are being held in
Plymouth church, which bears the
distinction of being the first Congre-
Kational church organized in Kansas
and the first church of any denOmina-
ton, save those formed among the
Indians, in Kansas territory
The semi-centennial feature of the
meeting was definitely brought out at
the meetings Thursday In the morn
ing a review of the first fifty years
of egationalism in Kansas was
given. The subject was opened with
a review of the beginning of Congre-
gationalism in Kansas by the Rev.
Richard Cordley, d. D., the Oldest
minister in point of service in the
state, and for forty-seven years
(barring an absence of two years. the
pastor of Plymouth church in Law
renee.
The Rev. L. c. Schanacke of Nc
Pherson spoke on "Congregahonalism
and Education" Capt J. G. Haskell
of Lawrence on the home missionary
work, and Mrs. Alice E. Beck of Rus
sell on the Christian Endeavor work.
In the afternoon the prospects of
the church work for the coming fifty
years were discussed by the Rev. P.
B. Lee of Topeka, the Rev Q. P. Con-
nelly of HiaWatha, the Rev. G. S. Fisk
of Sabetha. the Rev. F. S. Hayes of
Topeka, the Rev. Frank Ward of To-
peka, and the Rev. c. S. Sergeant of
Wichita.
Last evening there were greetings
from neighbOring states, as follows:
Missouri, the Rev. Albert Bushnell,
Kansas City; Nebraska the Rev. Her
man Bross, Lincoln; Colorado, the
Rev. J. B. Gregg, Colorado Springs;
Oklahoma, the Rev J. H. Parker,
Kinghsher; response, Kansas, the Rev.
Richard Cordley. Lawrence.
The Kansas writer's of history agree
that Lawrence is the home of Congre-
gationalism and that the first church
OF that denomination west of the Mis-
souri, river was founded here in 1854.
A number of the white settlers who
nad come out from the Yankee states
and brought with them their religion
which savored somewhat of Puritanism,
held meetings on the site of the present
city OF Lawrence in that year. There
was no minister present and the meet
lngs for awhile were on the devotional
order conducted by laymen. In the fall
OF 1854, however, the Rev. Samuel Y
Lum and his wife of Niddletown, N. Y
arrived with a party of settlers from
Boston. and church was regularly or
ganized. 1t was called Plymouth
ehurch, and among its founders was
States senator, and Charles Robinson
Famous as Kansas war governor. S. N.
simpson, for many years a real estate
agent in Kansas City, Kan, who is
attending the celebra ton, was one of
the founders and was also the first
superintendent of Sunday school, which
was organized in the church the year
following.
The church had been organized in a
hay tent, and services were afterwards
heid III the homes of the settlers to
1919. however, Mr.. Lum, the pastor, and
Mr. Simpson went east and secured
gifts of $4,000 with which to build a
house of worship. Then was erected the
little stone church in Lawrence, which
passed through the stormy days of Dor
DER warfare, the smoke and fire of the
Quantrel raid, and was used as a house
OF worship until in the 70s when it
gave place to the splendid new Ply
mouth church.
FOUNDED BY FREE STATE MEN.
The old Plymouth church was founded
Dy free State men and their influence
was directed toward the abolition of sia-
very and IN Lawrence in the territorial
Gays Immediately preceding the war there
was plenty of excitement and plenty for
everybody to do.
The old Plymouth church was the
scene of many political conventions Of the
free state order and it was there that
4ecompton constitution being forced upon
ths Free State people by congress was
The Rev. Mr.. Lum, the founder Of Ply
mouth church was forced by i'll health to
give up his work in Lawrence after two
years of hard work, but he was retained
LOT several years BY the American board
IS superintendent of missions in Kansas
Rev. Louis BodweII, Yankee, who came
10 Kansas in 1856 and organized a Con-
gregaUona church at Topeka. He was
a pronounced Free State man and helped
JoHn Brown conduct slaves, by the ''un-
foreground route, to the North Star. He
was Tor many years one of the leading
men OF the cnurCh IN Kansas.