Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-04-01
Semi Centennial of the First Christian
Church is to Be Celebrated This Week
Last Fifty Years Will Be Re-
viewed in Program of
Four Days.
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH

week and next Sunday, reviewing the
last fifty years with a four days pro-
gram. The semi-centennial program
will start Wednesday evening at 7:45
o'clock, w. w. Slabaugh presiding.
This is to be a praise and prayer
service, one of the features to be a
roll call of the present membership
prior to 1900 There will be an ad-
dress on the subject, Purpose and
Object of Celebration" and fellow
ship service.
An afternoon session will be held
Thursday at ESQ o'clock. Mrs. f. G..
Jones is to preside and talk on The
Part Women Have Had in the
Work" Others will talk on "Remi-
niscences" and "The Outlook" The
evening session will start at s o'clock,
L. w. Smith presiding. There is to
be special music by the choir and an
address, Fifty Years Growth in the
Brotherhood" by Rev. A. D. Hartman,
dean of Cotner university, and for
mer pastor. Other addresses will be
made by Rev. George L. Peters, pas
tor OF the North Side church, and
Rev. John A. Albers, pastor of the
South Side church.
Banquet Friday Evening.
A banquet is scheduled for Friday
evening at E o'clock. ]. H. Taylor
will be POSTMASTER, with responses
from the representatives of the Chris
tian churches of Douglas county. The
evening session is to start at 8
o'clock, Charles Musselman presid-
ing. This will be known as fraternal
night, short talks to be made by sew
eral pastors of the city. State Secre-
tary William Oeschger of Bethany,
Neb., will deliver an address on the
subject, Fifty Years Growth of the
Brotherhood in Nebraska"
The morning session next Sunday
will start at GAS o'clock with the
Bible school. ]. R. Cain, jr., is to
preside. At the regular church serv-
ice at II o'clock the pastor, Rev.
Charles c. Cobbey, will preach SER
mon on the subject, "A Program OF
the Future
The pastor will preside at the after
noon session at 3 O'Clock. There will
be discussion of the future program
of the church in terms of the Bible
school. morning worship, Junior
Christian Endeavor. Young Peoples
Society Christian Endeavor, Earnest
Workers, Christian Women's Board
of Missions, prayer meetings and mis-
sions.
Evening services will be held at
7:45 o'clock. There is to be vesper
service by the choir and short talks
and special invitations extended to
join the church.
History of the Church.
The history of the First Christian
church dates back to 1854, when
Richard Brown organized the village
of Brownsville. The same year and
shortly afterward Rev. Joel Wood
came to the village, Both were
staunch disciples, the latter an able
preacher. In January, 1855, they or.
ganized the first church of any de.
nomination in the territory of Ne.
braska. They were both members Of
the first territorial assembly, which
met in Omaha in the winter of 1885,
and 1855. Rev. Wood preached ir
Omaha during the session. Ziba
Brown, an Iowa preacher, preached
in 1857.
In the fall of 1861 DUNCAN ant
Denton held a meeting in store
room on Douglas street, where they
had five baptisms. A small organi.
cation was effected, but the Iowa aid
and cooperation ceased about thai
time and the weak churches shortly
thereafter languished and disbanded
Charles P. Evans of Iowa, who wa:
educated at Hiram, O., preached a
various times in 1862 and 1868.
D. R. DUNCAN, who had much to dc
with the organization of the early
churches in Nebraska, was appointed
as missionary to Nebraska by the
American Christian Missionary so
ciety in Cincinnati, O., in 1864. HI
succeeded J. F. Berry of Washington
ILL.,, the first appointee, who remained
but very short time. These ap.
pointments came from a petition tc
the society by FIVE Nebraska churche.
meeting at Rock Bluffs, Cass county
DUNCAN was then teaching and
preaching in Plattsmouth and vicin.
ity.
First Church Organized.
G. R. Hand Of Missouri in 1864 ant
1865 preached in the Congregations
church in Omaha. In 1867 DR.. Dun
gan, then chaplain of the third session
II the Nebraska state legislature, anc
the last session in Omaha, organized
the First church during that session
when one-half lot was bought or
he south side OF Harvey street be.
ween Fourteenth and Fifteenth
streets. Governor Saunders gave an
other one-half lot adjacent to it anc
also gave $500. Milo Hunt gave an
other $500. With these sums anc
other subscriptions and the aid of the
American Missionary society churci
was erected on the lot. The house
was dedicated by N. A. Mcconnell
and the membership recognized OF
December II, 1867.
Mr.. DUNCAN was chosen chaplain
of the Nebraska senate in its first ses
sion at Lincoln. He oficiated a
chaplain when the corner stone of tn,
capitol was laid. In the winter o
1860 and 1861 Israel Swihart and w
A. Denton organized a church at D,
Sofa, then prominent village twent,
miles north of Omaha. No trace o
the village exists today.
Churches Are Established.
The brethren in western low;
worked hard to establish churches il
Nebraska and in 1861 c. P. Evans
D. R. DUNCAN and w. A. Dentor
preached in the vicinity about Omaha
which then was a very small place
They established churches at Papil
lion Creek, Fontenelle and Ireland