The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1905-12-29
VETERAN METHODIST PREACH
Frs.

"REMINISCENCES OF G. B. FORD.
My brief "reminiscences of SO years of
minister al life may properly be intro
duced by a short mention Of events
preceding. 1 have been repeatedly
asked why 1, Methodist, have the
name of "Calvin." My ancestors, for
generations, were of the Calvinistic
faith, and my parents we're connected
with the Congregational church. When
prayer meeting, l was thoroughly con-
victed of sin, but failed to believe to
the saving of the soul. At fourteen |
was SOundly converted in class meet
ing which l attended for the first time.
Soon after L joined as prObatiOner,
though having no intention of ever
becoming full membe of the Metho-
dist church. My thought was to avail
myself Of the help to be derived from
the experiences of older Christians,
until l should become strong enough
Jn get on we'll without such aid when l
proposed to 90 with my parents. But.
not having reached position where
could we'll dispense with the Metho-
dist class meeting have continued in
the Church until this day. The Metho-
diStS in my native town, at the time of
my conversion, we're few and feeble.
They had no church edifice and no
regular pastor, while the Congre-
gationalists had two large churches,
strong and Influential. II grieved my
parents that I should go with the
despised company, which met some-
times in an old dlapidated schoolhouse
Der of the church. My mother told
me that these Methodlsts would never
nave any standing in the community,
would never have church, and that l
would bring disgrace upon myself and
upon the family by following them.
My father spoke of them as a set Of
| fanatics who knew not what they be-
| lieved. Their pastor, from bis pulpit,
denounced Methodist preachers as
wolves in sleeps clothing. l thank
God to-day for the wonderful change
which has been wrought. Methodism,
10 old Milford, occupies as honorable a
standing as any church in the town,
having an ediice which cost $780, 900,
the most costly one in the place, and
4 comfortable parsonage, all free from
TO be the first Methodist to preach in
the church of my parents. and since
have frequently been cordially vel
coined to the same place, and to the
pulpitS also Of the other Congregational
churches in the town. l had also the
honor Of being the first Methodist
Chaplain of the Legislature Of Con-
necticut. This was in the winter of
1890, and was the Chaplain of both
houses. My father, when dying, in
1872, after addressing message to
each member of the family present,
left the following for myself, being alb
sent: Tell Calvin that 1 believe God
called him to preach the gospel; tell
him to be faithful and he will have his
reward" My education, preparatory
to entering college, was obtained at the
high school in my native town, and
completed in Wilbraham, Mass, where
spent eight weeks in the spring of
1850. In the fall Of that year entered
the Wesleyan University at Middle
town, from which 1 graduated in 1854
l taught school during the winter
months of each year and was blessed
with seeing scores of my pupils con-
verified to Christ, a number OF whom
are officials in the churches to-day. l
was licensed as an eXhOrter in March,
1913, and as a local preacher in Deem
Der, 1850. joined the New York Fast
Conference IN 1885, and was stationed
at Forestville, Connecticut, where l
mad labOred for nine months under the
Presiding Elder, and where organized
the church which has afforded several
Of our preachers very comfortable
appointment. For 48 years [ was
effective In my relation to the con-
ference, when failure of health COM
PEELED me to Superannuate. No church
under my pastoral care ever increased
dollar of it's Indebtedness, while l
have assisted to raise and pay the full
debt of number of churches, and have
repaired some at the cost of thousands
of dollars. | cannot give the number
protesting to be converted in con-
nection with my ministry; but some
churches doubled their communicates
while l was pastor, and to some others
more than one hunured me mberS were
added. l always enjoyed my work,
whether in country or city churches,