The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-12-09

Second Presbyterian church was OBJ
served with special services Sunday.
At the morning service the pastor, the
Rev. E. e. Davis, spoke on "The Unity
of the Church." and in the evening
conservation service was conducted.
At the morning service the following
historical sketch of the church was
read:
"In the fall of 1892 the Session of
the First Presbyterian church became
interested in the growing East End of
the city, and after much prayer and de-
liberation, decided to launch a move
ment that seemed to have great posi-
bilities for good. They purchased
lot for the erection of a building when
needed. On Nov. II, 1892, Sunday
school was organized with Mr. G. H.
Grant as the first superintendent.
"The first meeting place of the new
organization was a room over Brooks
grocery. This served the purpose I'M
til in 1894, when the present Sunday
school room of the church was built.
This part Of the church was dedicated
Nov. 20, 1894 This in turn served the
purpose for both church and Sunday
school for about ten years.
East End grew, the need for a church
became apparent. Preaching services
began to be held in the summer of
1895. Stanley c. Hughes, then stu
dent in Princeton Seminary, conducted
the services. When the time seemed
opportune for the organization of
church, sixteen persons petitioned the
Presbytery of Whitewater to look in
= ttn 10
organize a church, and accordingly on
November 20, 1893, at 2:30, the Sec
ond church was duly organized. The
new church started with a member
ship of 21. Mr. D. x. Zeller, one of the
prime movers in the new work, having
transferred his membership from the
First church. was chosen Elder, and
thus the new church was constituted.
The movement thus started as Sun
day school grew into a church one
year and three days after 1t was be-
gun. This has often been the case
with such movements. Many leading
churches of the land were first Sun
day schools. So the Kingdom owes
much in its progress to these Sunday
school beginnings.
The church has had five pastors:
Rev. Stanley c. Hughes being the
first, beginning as student, in the
summer of 1894, later accepting call
to become pastor and continuing with
the church until January 1902, when
he resigned During these initial
years he laid good foundation and
is deserving of such credit for faith
full and efficient work done. Rev.
c.. o. Shirley became the second pas
tor, accepting call in April. 1902, be-
ginning his work on April 18th. His
was very fruitful pastorate, in ad-
ditions to the church, also in the
erection of the present building. I'm
der his leadership the chapel soon be-
came too small, and a movement was
started to enlarge the church to &C
commodate the growing work. This
resulted in the erection of the pres
ent commodious building, which was
dedicated May 7. 1905. Mr.. Shirley.
after two more years with the church,
resigned the pastorate June 2, 1907.
Rev. R. NJ. Dunaway became the
third pastor, having accepted call
in July, 1907 During his pastorate
the Earlham Heights church was or
ganized, and building erected and
dedicated July II, 1909. Thus the
Earlham Heights church, a child OF
the Second church. had its beginning.
Mr.. Dunaway resigned the pastorate
Oct. /, 1909, having served the church
faithfully for little more than two
years. Rev. Thomas G. McNary be-
came the fourth pastor, called to the
pastorate Dec. 8, 1909, and continu-
ing with the church until November.
1913. Mr.. McNary worked faithfully
and hard for about four years. The
present pastorate, Rev. e. E. Davis,
began February %, 1914, and Is now
in It's fifth year.
"The church has during these twenty
five years received into its membership
72S.a>2, about SO per cent of whom
have been received during the present
pastorate. So we see that during
these years many lives have been
touched, and we trust. touched help
fully. OF the 81 charter members only
four still have their names upon the
roll. They are as follows-Mr. Ham
ilton Smith, Mrs. Anna Bond, Mrs.
Kate Jessup and Mr.. Oscar Porterf1eld
The church has present membership
OF little more than four hundred.
I'm closing this historical sketch Of
the first twenty-five years OF the his
tory of the church, 1t Is but fitting that