The Greeley tribune., 1908-10-21
GREELEY

! d., ,rH4, is a church, Our honest sex
on tells. ~ .,d
. .|sr.4 tall building, with tower anu
bells,
More than the above lines tel US,
ra. rhurch is the guage by whlch Tue
morals OF a community may De meas
.rrag II is not strange that Greeiey
Irra'd be city OF churches as wen
r. 4 city of homes and schoois.
dozen denominations and sects are
.-l--asspted here. although the broad
.srl liberal views OF most OF the GU
ars make the lines OF demarka-
Tor less visible than in many COM
Lunities.
Il has been said that the beginning
10 brighter days and more perma-
'rsBt achievement in Colorado Con-
grssationalism begins with the Cree
FL church, which was formed Sept
I amler -, 1870. with = membership
M .yenty-seven, but for several
ronths prior 70 this date the Chris
.rFsn colonists had met for worship
In true unity OF spirit in the unfin-
.-Aed upper chamber OF Ranney hall.
stlated where the Exchange hotel
rrw stands. and where the Rev. Al
yrsE Baxter preached the first ser
-ran. His pulpit was a rough organ
Nry. covered with bit of white oil
cloth while a bowl OF gay sunflowers
gave a touch of beauty to the bare
srrroundings. Mrs. Helen johnson
loaned her organ for the services.
Edwin Dunham acted as organist. his
f.ther. ]. l.. Dunham. was chorister
and leading bass, Mrs. n. D. Wright,
'=ading soprano. assisted by Mrs.
Belle Abbott. The choir sat back of
the improvised pulpit on raised
2latform. and could easily view,
through the cracks of the rude struc.
ture, the desolate waste of cactus
and sage brush stretching far to the
east of the meeting place. The pews
we're rough planks, supported by
tougher saw-horses Of wood. But
here, Sunday after Sunday, the early
fathers and mothers gathered to hear
the word preached. Great difficulty
was often experienced in securing
ministers for their poor pulpit, but
one and another came this way. un-
Ill shortly after the formal organiza-
ton was effected when Mr.. Thomas
Cooper became the first settled pas
tor
The first communion Sunday was
IN eventful day. Mr.. Steven Spencer.
he first deacon. asked Mrs. ]. L. Dun
IAN to bake the bread and furnish
the service. The organ box was
'overed with a homespun tablecloth,
wo of her best bread plates. her
leavy, long stemmed goblets and a
now white earthen pitcher for wine,
raced the table and the sacrament
to those loyal loving
ouls was no doubt as pregnant with
meaning as is the service today with
he latest approved individual COM
nunion set and solid silver salvers.
The day came when Mr.. RAnney
to At up the unfinished cham
Der for his home. and the little con-
must look elsewhere for a
place to worship. In the meantime
he old Hotel de Comfort. located
where McConnells livery barn now
stands, which had been the haven
Of early colonists upon their arrival
in the town, had been we'll nigh de-
serted as one after another had built
their little shanties. removing their
small belongings under their own
roofs, leaving Hotel de Comfort invit-
lngiy empty and open to the breth-
rem. and thus it became the next
house of worship. In
due course Mr.. Dowd Was called to
be the second pastor. and he in turn
gave place to Rev. Mr. Allen. The
sun of Christian unity. however. did
not always shine upon this little
church. First a spirit of emulation
woke in Baptist breasts. and by
building the first church edifice in
The town they secured the gift of
i've hundred dollars from New
York friend OF the Union Colony.
rhe Methodists coon sought their own
and formed separate flock; like
wise the Presbyterians drew unto
themselves their own. but the Con-
people had meanwhile
grown into their own adobe church.
located where the First National
Bank block now stands. and the
Rev. A. X. Packard began his long
and fruitful pastorate. II was under
his faithful ministration that the
church building replaced last year
was erected.
The church continued to grow in
AesA oad ana WITH the
same liberal policy that had marked
its course since its inception became
known as the Park church. Rut
the parting of the ways came 10
MI Packard and his peole. and The
Rev. Messrs. Staver. Michael. Par
sons and DUNN came in their respec-
tive turns and served we'll their dav
In 1889 the Rev Theo. Hunt came
and ministered to the people for the
two ensuing years. and then Rev
r. NJ. Sheldon. now pastor of a big
church in Rockford. III.
Two years ago the present pastor
Rev. John Doane was called and
the following year the present splen-
did church building took the place Of
the old frame building.
The congregation has also steadily
grown and now forms one of the
strongest forces for good in the re-
ligfous life OF the community.
Swedish Free Church.
A few years ago a number of NO.