Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1918-08-07

box in the corner stone. Two mem
bers of this choir were present. The.
were Mr.. A. NJ Sherwood, who SAM
tenor, and directed the choir; and Mrs
Mary Bradford, who sang soprano. Thu
other members of the choir were
Louise Manning, soprano; Kitty Man
ming, alto; Mrs. F. Bethel, alto; an(
Thomas Toogood, bass. The photo
graphs of the members of this choil
were arranged in neat folder by Mr.
A. NJ Sherwood and were excellent
likenesses of the people who took sucf
an important part in the activities Of
of the church in the early days.
Address by Judge Geo. W. Durham.
? Over half century ago few OF
the citizens of this community, i'm
PEELED by their reverence for God, and
a desire that the people in their lives
should accept and be governed by
Christian principles, organized the
First Congregational church of Man.
chester, Iowa. Shortly thereafter
they, with the help of other good peo-
pie not members of the organization
but whose hearts were in the enter
prise, erected on the lot where we
stand house of worship. The COM
munity was new. Life here was not
far removed from that of the frontier.
The people were few and that house
was built and the work of the Church
carried forward under circumstances
which would today seem to have been
great self sacrifice on the part of the
contributors. The ends were attained
only by the most careful economy and
the denial of comforts we have grown
to consider necessities. Most, if not
all, of those who as members of the
Church organization had part in the
original enterprise have passed to
their reward, and of the good people
who were not identified in member
ship and yet had part in the building
or the work of the Church in that day
few remain.
We, who through the years have re-
ceived the benefit and have recognize
ed to some extent the blessing to this
community that have come through the
ministrations of that Church have
grown to look upon those who built
so we'll, who worked so faithfully, as
in those matters peculiarly the SER
wants and agents of loving God who
wished his children well. Many saint
ly lives through this organization
found opportunity for expression and
through their love for God and sweet
ly human sympathy with man have
awakened and called to action much of
the dormant better nature of this peo-
pie leading to better life and higher
resolves. We who have known them
realize more and more as the years
go by what privilege that acquaint-
ance has been to us, what profit to the
individual and to the community.
Through their broad sympathy and
their belief in Gods infinite and uni
versal love the principles on which
they sought to build their work of the
Church were so all-embracing as to
what was good, and yet so free from
limitation if the heart was right, that
those who loved the right and wished
to be helpful in advancing the princi-
Piles of Christian living without sub
scribing to creed found here and with |
them the opportunity for service. And
so with the Church as the years pass
ed we find having part in the work
of the organization, and often as regu-
lar contributors to its needs, a great
body of the influential, the solid, the
good men of the community who were
identified in membership with no
Church Society, men who, I believe,
really in their hearts considered this
their church home, though they may
not have so expressed it. And so,
though this is and has always been a
Church Congregational, we are pleas
ed to consider that it has become for
service in fact, though not in name, a
Church Universal Its doors have
been open and its welcome sure to all
who were seeking a place to worship
God and that without regard to their
tenets of belief or creed, and to its
communion have always been invited
those who loved God and accepting
Christ wished to live and further
Christ's principles of life, whether
members of Church or not.
From it's pulpit the Gospel has been
preached by earnest, Christian men,
fearlessly urging all to good citizen
ship, clean life, to earnest Christian
living; have called men and women to
service in all things which tends to-
ward progress in a true, Christian
civilization.
It's bell throughout the years has
spoken regularly it's message of eau
ton and cheer. It's assurance that
God should be, and that He is, here
honored Its call to worship has
brought many weary questioning
hearts to the sanctuary, to it's strength
the burdened, to the careless and to
giving and soothing influences. It's
silvery tones sent forth it's message to
the carefree, stopping not in narrow
limits, but speaking to all and in every
home, where perhaps the voice of the
minister or the layman would not
have been welcome, yet everywhere :
anu dlWdyo IL opohC loi iCNCi CliCC W
God and love to fellow men.
And sad, indeed were the good peo-
pie of this community when it's last
note was struck as it fell to lie in the
smouldering mass of the church which
had been. Fire changed the plans and
has somewhat retarded the work of
the organization, but as that organi-