Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1915-06-17

clined on account of advancing age.
The Ladies Aid Society was organ
ized soon after the church and has
been an important factor in the life
of the church Mrs. S. E. Pierce is
the only president the society has
ever had.
The Church Building.
Plans for house of worship were
begun in the fall of 1892. The build
ing committe was composed Rev. s.
B. Ervine, A. f. Brown, j. A. Ad-
ans, John Lewellyn and B. e. Nc
Mama. Mr.. McNama was chosen sec
rotary and Mr.. e. r. Locke of Mexico
was asked to act as treasurer. The
contract for the building was let on
the 18th of March, 1898. The house
was finished in September of the
same year. 1t was set apart on the
gath. Rev. E. c. Gordon, d. D., at
that time president of Westminster
College, preached the sermon of ded-
ication. The Bible, the light plant
and the organ were gifts of the La
dies Aid Society. From 1893 to
1900 the brethren of the M. E. church
South used the building one Sabbath
in the month, also part of that period
the Cumberland Presbyterian church.
During this same time the Methodists
and Presbyterians Joined in maintain
ing a Sunday school. On the with
dTawal of the Methodist brethren the
Presbyterians continued the school
with 20 members Mr.. Milton Sayre
was the first superintendent. Owing
to severe domestic bereavement he
served only a few months. when Mr..
]. H. Brown was elected and contin-
ued in office from July, 1902, to
1910. He was succeeded by Mr.. Lewis
Best, after whom Mr.. A. ]. Lasher was
elected and is the present incumbent.
All these brethren were faithful and
rendered good service while in office
| Pastors
The first minister to serve the
church was Rev. B. NJ. Shive who re-
manned only a few months. He was
a young man of promise and has full
filled the expectations of his friends.
He is at present pastor of the First
Church, Paris, Ky.
Rev. S. B. IRVINE came next and
preached 81 months. He died several
years ago and his remains lie in the
cemetery at Bethel church. The
Bethel people have placed a neat
headstone at the grave.
The next pastor was Rev. A. R.
WoodsOn who came in May, 1894, and
remained IS months. He made a
favorable impression during his
short stay. He is at present assist
ant pastor of the First Church At
lanta, Ga.
Rev. w. M. Langtry, a brother be-
loved and respected by all who
knew him, followed Mr.. Woodson.
After two and a half years of useful
work he removed to Clayton,
county seat of st. Louis county,
where he still remains. He has been
pastor in his present charge IT years.
Rev. Mr.. Adams was next called
by the church but he remained only
three months on account of his
health. He was taken sick suddenly
while in the pulpit and never fully
recovered. He went ON hurried
journey, in charge of his wife, to
Kentucky, where, in a short time,
he died.
The next minister was Rev. w
Beale, who began his labors in the
spring of 1908. His pastorate tho
short was one of the most active and
useful the church has had. Bro
Beale was a man of orderly methods
which he endeavored to introduce in,
to the business of the church. He
was painstaking student, always
making conscientious preparation fol
his pulpit AS consequence he was
a strong preacher and his sermons