The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-07-16
A CHURCH CENTENNIAL.
Chestnut Street Baptist Church, Camden,
Observes its tooth Anniversary.

Chestnut Street Baptist Church, Camden,
Observes its tooth Anniversary.
The centennial anniversary of the
Chestnut street Baptist Church, Cam
den, was appropriately observed Tues
day and Wednesday, July 18th and 18th.
The opening services were held Tuesday
afternoon, when there we're greetings
from the local pastors, Rev. L. D.
Evans, Rev. Henry Jones, Rev. j. R.
Laird and Rev. C. P. Nash, and Rev.
w. E. Lombard delivered an address on
''The Burden Upon the Baptist Pillar
in the Temple of Christianity" In the
evening there was a reception and
greetings from former pastors. Cox,
Goucher, Whitson, Preble, Lombard
and Dunbar. Greetings from the Lin
coin Baptist Association were extended
by the moderator, Rev. w. j. Day of
Rockland.
Wednesday afternoon there were greet
ings from the various societies of the
church, roll-call and letters from alb
sent members, and the historical ad-
dress by Rev. S. E. Frohock. Wednes-
day evening Rev. F. NJ. Preble of Au
burn delivered an address on Forces
That Allay Fears.
The Chestnut street Baptist Church
was organized July IA, 1908, under the
name of the Second Baptist Church OF
Camden, the original members being
Charles and Sarah Morse, Sarah Coop
er, Sarah Benda, Jedediah and Elisha
Higgins, Isaac Pendleton and Jane
Mathews.
For 30 years the worship was con-
Quoted in private houses and school
houses, with the exception OF time
when they were held in the Masonic
hall. The first pastor was Rev: Noah
Hooper, called in 1926. The first meet
inghouse was built in 1887. One OF the
first pastors to occupy the pulpit was
Rev. Edward Freeman, graduate of
Brown University, who was paid a
yearly salary OF $3.50 and had the use
of the yestry as a schoolroom.
In 1S43 the church had attained a
membership of 112. The years inter
yening between 1S47 and the early COS
were full of trials and difficulties. In
1864 Rev. Nathaniel Butler became the
settled pastor of the church, acting
part of the time also as private secre-
tary to Vice President Hamlin. Under
his pastorate there began movement
to rebuild the church, which up to this
time had contained stores on the ground
floor.
The reconstructed church, finished in
1868, was practically new building. 1t
was rededicated March %, 1868. A bust
ness firm occupied the vestry four days
of the week until 1877, when its privl-
lege was bought by the ladies' circle for
$780, 1t was about this time that the
name was changed to the one the church
now bears.
The pastors subsequent to Rev. Mr..
Butler were Rev. G. w. Bower, who
served five years; Rev. j. H. Cox, three
years; Rev. C. NJ. G. Harvard, three
Years; Rev. w. C. Goucher, two years;
Rev. F. M. Preble, nine years; Rev. w.
E. Lombard, u years; Rev. W. Opium
mer (deceased) six months. Meantime,
in 1898. the church had ordained one OF
it's own young men, Rev. Maurice Dun
bar. He preached four years at North
Haven and is now pastor OF the Bap-
fist church in Pennington.
The present pastor OF the Camden
church is Rev. S. E. Frohock, who came
from Concord, N. H., February 3, 1907.
His religious education was obtained at
Philips Andover, Brown university and
the Newton Theological Institution.
Under his pastorate the church has at
tanned a membership of PIP, and is
ctaadilv growing