The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-01-29
HEARS LAST CALL
AND ANSWERS It
Or. Alexander Chemist Pass
ed Away at His Home in
Pittsburg Sunday,
BURIAL HERE ON THURSDAY
STORY OF HIS LIFE WHICH WAS
ONE OF ACTIVITY ALWAYS
DOMINATED BY THE TRUE
CHRISTIAN SPIRIT.

! the death of the Rev Alexander Gil
/ christ, d. d., of the United Presby
| trian church at Pittsburg, Pa
Funeral services will be held Tues
day evening at Pittsburg. The body
will then be brought here for inter
ment and general services will be
| held on Thursday in the Reid Me1no,'
| ial church of this city
| The deceased was born March %
| 1856 at West Hebron, Washington
| county, \. Y He graduated from
| Wooster University, 1879 and gradual
| ed in theology at the Allegheny sem
mary, Allegheny, Pa, 1891, and was
| licensed to preach June 9TH, 1881 by
| Allegheny Presbytery.
The Richmond Indiana congrega
tion called him to their pastorate and
| on June 3, 1881 he was ordained pas.
tor of the congregation. The member
ship was fifty when the pastorate be
gan and practically disorganized and
very small Sabbath school, but
within year the congregation was
well organized in all it's departments
and each quarterly communion was
marked with goodly numbers of new
members. The end of the first year
showed an increase of forty five mem
bers. This prosperous condition con-
tinued for thirteen and one half years
Throughout his pastorate. Ire con
gregation was receiving aid from the
boards at the beginning of Rev Gil
christs passionate but very soon be
came self-supporting and indeed con-
tributed TO the various boards of the
church. Rev. Gilchrist being man of
more than ordinary ability soon be-
came prominent in church work in
Richmond and throughout the United
Presbyterian church. He took an ac-
tive part in the various reform move
ments in city and state, was always
Identified with every good cause
which had for it's object the better
ment of the social and moral life in
Richmond and Notwithstanding the
unmistakable attitude he bore to all
forms of evil and the perpetrators. he
made hosts of friends in and out of
church.
He was united in marriage October
22nd, 1885. to Miss Cora Seaton,
daughter of Mr.. and Mrs Jas A. Sea-
ton of Richmond
On October IL, 1895 he accepted
call to Central church. Omaha. Ne
braska and preached his first sermon
there November 20. 1895 Richmond
congregation and citizens were brok-
en- hearted over his removal to Oma-
ha and it was great trial to both
when the day of separation came.
Rev. Gilchrist remarked that had he
have consented to leave.
The Degree of D. Doctor of
Divinity-was conferred in 1892.
On June 2Sth, 1899, after nearly
four years of most prosperous pastor
ate of Central church, Omaha. he left
that field to fill the most important
perhaps of the whole church. cores
ponding secretary of the board of
home missions with Headquarters at
Pittsburg, Pa, which office he has fill
ed to the highest satisfaction of the
church
The following extracts are taken
from General Assembly minutes for
1906 on home mission board report.
OF unusual success in the work: the
record showing greater progress and
gains than in any previous year in our
history.
There was a total increase of s.
400 in the membership of the mis-
sions. The number received upon
profession of faith was 1897. The net
gain was 2.297, 1874 per cent.
There was a very substantial and
considerable extension of the work:
is new missions were enrolled and
many other fields investigated with
view to entering them as soon as it
shall be practicable to do so: Il mis-
sions passed from the list of Deepen
dent stations
DR.. Gilchrist wrote a book for the
home mission board entitled Our
Country and Our Church. designed
for the use of young peoples societies
In their mission studies. Seven thous-
and copies were quickly taken and
were the means of better informing
our people and awakening a deeper
interest in home mission work Gen.
eral assembly passed a resolution
and thanking the board
for this book and the good it was
doing.
DIR. Gilchrist preached the dedica
uon sermon on the occasion of the
dedication of the Reid Memorial
church which was the last sermon he
preached in Richmond Little did any
one think it was the last time they
would hear his voice although he was
not feeling well then and no doubt the
deadly cancer was commencing its
fatal work. From that time until No
vember he complained more and more
OF Illness and not until December rs. /
could his physicians give a correct
diagnosis of his disease. When told
by his physicians that cancer was
taking his life he seemed undaupted
and although extremely weak and
daily growing weaker and suffering
he bore up with remarkable fortitude, /
resigned to the Lords will and vet
hopeful to the last that his life would
be spared TO resume the great task
to which his life was given