The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-01-09
Something About a Minister
Who Lives the Gospel and
breaches Through Countless
Acts the Sermon on the
Mount.

Tomorrow viii mark the eighth ami
versary of Rev. P. A. Simpkin's entry
upon the pastorate of the Philips Con-
gresstional church. He has become one
of the busiest and best loved men who
ever set foot in the city.
Every one knows "Parson" Simpkin
Some Of his congregation may address
him as Rev. Peter A. Simpkin, D. D.,
but the ordinary individual whose
friend he is, and that classification
takes in every one he knows in salt
Lake, greets him as "ParsOn.''
The Philips Congregational church is
not one of the largest in the city, nor
is its membership so extensive as some
others, but the size of his congregation
does not indicate the number of his
parishioners. Every one in Salt Lake
especially the unregenerate, is among
his charges, and ne not only has the
desire and inclination. but finds thu
time to aid them, both physically and
spiritually.
one of "Parson" Simpkins days
would make the ordinary business man
who thinks he works ashamed Of him
self He is called upon to aid and ad-
wise all sorts of people all the time,
and no one ever found him too tired, or
too busy. to give them his time, his
sympathy and his money. Often his
days work ranges from the sublime to
the ridiculous. He is called upon to
minister to the sick and comfort the
afflicted, he rustles food for the hun
CRY and shelter for the homeless,
watches over the fatherless and COM
forts the fathers of unTegenerate chill
dren, and through his every act runs
a sympathy and understanding which
is unfailing.
1t is to the mans wonderful person.
ality that much of the good accom-
plished by him during his eight years
as a resident of Salt Lake IS at
tributed. He has never been too
busy to cultivate the social side of
life. His list of acquaintance is re-
markable, and there is not a gathering.
from the highest to the lowest, where
his presence is not hailed with delight.
Men who have not been to church for
years and to whom the very mention
of SKY pilot" is anathema, go out of
/ their way to get his CHEEKY greeting
and hearty handclasp. AS one of them
expressed it. I'D rather have PaTson
| Simpkin come along and say Good
morning, Billy than to get money
1 from home" Although he never OBJ
trudes religion on any one, his infiu-
ence for good over those he meets in a
social way, both through his personali-
" and through his broad-minded, lib
eral view of life and his knowledge of
human nature, is widespread
| He is a man of the world as well as a
minister of the gospel. and he works
upon the theory that there is lot of
good in every one. Relying in his gen
| tfeness of Judgment, men and women
have brought him troubles and secrets
which the ministerial products of the
/ sheltered life could not nave wrung
/ from them by torture, and none of
them was ever dismissed by him with
[ out aid
/ Notwithstanding his multitude OF
other duties. he has never neglected the
{ literary and artistic side of life. His
/ sermons are not only Temarka BILE for
( their eloquence. something which the
pulpit is fast loosing, but they are
/ models OF diction and construction. His
verses which have appeared from time
! TO time in local papers and magazines
have excited most favorable comment
l from literary men. and his knowledge
/ of literature. both English and classic
/ extends far beneath the surface.
/ He is one of the few men of Salt
/ Lake who really know anything about
art. and he has done much toward the
/ encoura cement of western art and
] artists. His criticisms are character
I lied by an insight and a fairminde3-
/ ness which make them specially valua-
bic. both to the artist and the public.
l "Parsonv Siapkin has lived here eigss'
/ wears. He has made thousands of
] friends and no enemies He is one to
whom the brotherhood of man is more
/ than a cant phrase. He is gentleman
| and a scholar, which cannot be said of
all ministers, and all who know him
will wish him joy on the anniversary
/ of his coming to Salt Lake