The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1910-06-30
HISTORICAL SKETCH
Continued from page L.

son, then OF minneapolis.
Not long afterwards it was dis
covered that judgement had been
filed upon the lots before their pur-
chase by the Presbyterians, and thus
the property was held for several
hundred dollars of debt. Nothing
had as yet been paid to the Presby-
terian board, because nothing had as
vet been realized on the original
Congregational building. And now
the church refused to make any pay
ment until they could get clear
title to the property. Several years
later the Presbyterian Board paid the
judgement lien and agreed to give
clear title to the Congregationalists,
if they would pay the original grants
with interest. This amounted, all
told, to $1,000 and was paid and title
secured seven years after the church
was turned over to the Congregation
alists.
Brother Pike reports that there
was small Sunday school when he
came with Dean Stabler as superin-
tendent. This continued to grow and
was promising feature of the work.
the attendance sometimes reaching
125. The congregations also gradu-
ally increased until 100 or 12O was not
unusual. These congregations inclu-
ded the children, most of whom
attended the morning service. A
mong the preaching places of Mr..
Pike were Bishops Grove, the Irish
district. Fairy Lake, Birchdale and
Melrose, which were taken up at
various times during his ministry of
over nine years.
A promising feature of his work in
those years were the children's meet
ings which were held on Friday
evenings Atthese meetings familiar
talks were given on bible subjects
with questions and answers. The
attendance soon grew to 30 or 40, and
finally reached IS, and the foundations
were laid for the splendid Christian
Endeavor society which later came
into existence and did such good work.
There was no general revival during
this pastorate, but the church had a
growth corresponding to the growth
of the country.
From the first contributions were
regularly taken for benevolent objects.
When Bro. Pike first came to this
church the communion set was pit
cher and tumblers, but little later a
brother of the pastor, Rev. E. d.
Pike d. d., presented the church with
silver service, which was in use
until the adoption of the individual
communion set in 1908.
The first musical instrument used
in the church, was violin in the
hands of O. A. Heath. 1t was not
long until melOdion was procured,
which few years later was eXchang-
ed for reed organ still in possession
of the church. In the fall of 1877,
after service of a little over nine
years, Rev. A. J. Pike was constrained
to give up his work here, the longest
and one of the most fruitful pastor
ates in the history of the church.
After Mr.. Pike left there was no
regular preaching through the fall
and winter. The sabbath school was
kept up and occasionally sermon
was read by Prof. Webster, principal
of the public school.
During the summer vacation at
Oberlin College, j. L. Cory, student
of that institution supplied the pulpit.
Mr.. Cope, another Oberlin student,
preached here as a candidate. In the
fall of 1878 the Baptists were given
the use of the church building, the
Congregationalists uniting with them
in service but conducting the Sabbath
School separately. The Baptists con-
tinued to use the church until the
following summer, and when they
left to occupy their new house of
worship, they presented the church
with a handsome pulpit Bible.
In 1878 the church extended I'M
animous call to j. L. Cory to become
pastor of the church. In the follow
ing September, Mr.. Cory was ordained
and installed pastor of the church.
On Oct. %, 1879, meeting was held
to take action in regard to paying the
church debt which at that time
amounted to 81, 100. Mr. A. j. Smith
pledged himself to pay one half of
the Indebtedness provided the other
half could be raised by Jan. /. The
members of the church were DESTROYS
to accept this liberal offer and de-
cided to sell 66 feet of land to the
school board. On Dec. "a, when the
mercury stood at so degrees below
zero, during the festivities of Christ
mas eve., the committee placed a
draft for the whole sum in the hands
of the naStOr The DaStOrate of Rev