The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-11-02
Installation Ceremonies
Held For Rev. Alvin J.Lee
Pastor of Baptist Church

/
Theological Seminary to the pastor
ate OF the local church and while
duly authorized to preach by that
school and the Baptist organization
of Massachusetts, Minnesota pro-
cedure requires formal ordination
after due examination of all Bap-
list ministers preaching in that jur-
isdiction. 1t Is not ceremony only,
but a searching test and solemn
pledging of obligations. 49,
! The exercises were in charge OF
the Minnesota Valley Baptist asso-
citation and the local church. About
thirty officials, delegates and visit
ing ministers were present from out
Of town and the services were
largely attended by the members Of
the local church and ministers of
all the Protestant churches of the
city.
Mr.. G. NJ. Palmer had been chosen
moderator but owing to his alb
sence from the city in the afternoon,
H. r. Harmer presided until the
moderator of the council, Rev. D.
B. Martin D. D. of Winnebago, was
elected to preside at the formal ex-
animation of Mr.. Lee by the council
OF ordination. ..... .....
Report of Afternoon Council
In the evening Mr.. Palmer, pre-
siding after reading the Scripture
lesson from the eleventh Chapter
of Hebrews and offering prayer
called on Rev. H. A. Stoughton of
the Baptist church at Worthington,
who was clerk of the ordination
council, to report on the results Of
I
Stoughton reported the hearty re-
commentator of that body that Mr.
Lee be duly ordained. The church
choir, Messrs. H. R. Hammer, Hol-
ley Brandrup, Mrs. Valta Peterson
Johnson and Mrs. A. J. Lee, who
took the place of Mrs. ]. D. Craw-
ley, rendered beautifully Shelley's
"Hark, Hark My Soul, with Miss
Mary Cheshire at the organ in the
absence of Mrs. H. R. Harmer.
Following this, the ordination
sermon was preached by Rev. John
A. Earl of the First Baptist church
of st. Paul, taking his text from
Jesus words to Jairus, the man who
had lost his only daughter, Fear
not, only believe. Mr.. Earl, in a
mastery address showed the uni
versal presence of fear and its pow
er to cause breaking down of the
morals of men. Fear is the cause of
all hatreds, call chickering's and jeal-
ousy. It creates feuds between men
and wars between nations; 1t is the
basis of most avarice and OF much
i'll health and nervous disintegra-
ton. Fears are OF three classes
fears of matter, fears of maladies
and fears of men. Mr.. Earl then
proceeded TO. show how Jesus fear
ed none of these things, and put
that power into his disciples.
Mastering of Fear
This mastering of fear lies IN
faith, "the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things
not seem The speaker then pro-
ceeded to show some of the char
acteristics of this conquering faith.
He is first of all intelligent-not
blind credulity, but a principle of
our nature and is not confined to
religious life but is the basis of all
science, all business, all social and
industriar progress. No community
life is possible without an intelli-
gent faith IN the workings Of Gods
laws. Faith is also an emotional
state and without the emotional,
sympathetic side of faith, all intel
lect is cold and business is merci-
less and life is dead. Faith is also
volitional. 1t is a matter of ones
own choosing and "is seeing through
the heroes of the worlds history
had made this choice of the better
part and had the faith to see the
thing through. 1911
In closing Mr.. Earl charged the
new minister to remember that only
with such a faith as this could he
be successful in his great work in
the truest sense and that with 1t
the highest possible results would
come from his work.
Messrs. Harmer and Brandrup
rendered very effectively "The Lord
Is My Shepherd" by Spross, after
which the moderator read tele-
gram of congratulation from Mr.,
Lees predecessor, Rev. Ralph A,
Jensen of the Second Baptist church
of Chicago, who is so Kindly re-
membered by the church and the
community as whole.
Charge To The Church
i Rev. E. H. Rasmussen, executive
secretary of the: Minnesota Baptist
convention, in the charge to the
church, called attention to the re-
sponsibility which the certificate OF
ordination imposes on the local
church to help the newly ordained
man to make good, and Rev. John
G. Briggs of the Woodland Avenue
Baptist Church of st. Paul charged
Mr.. Lee to remember that his re-
sponsibility to the charge imposed
on him required him to keep him
self physically fit, mentally alert
and grow, socially useful and dis
Greet, and spiritually minded. The
world wants praying men, reflect
ing in the world life that which is
given to them in their religious
meditation.
An unusually solemn and touch
ing incident was the ordination
prayer offered by Rev. d. B. Mar
tin, D. = moderator Of the council
and thdV. and of fellowship was ex-
tended by Rev. Mr.. Brown of the
Luverne Church.
The church was beautifully dec
GRATED for the occasion, and prior
to the evening service the dele
gates and members of the council
were entertained at an evening
lunch by a Division of the Ladies'
Thimble bee with Mrs. John Page
in charge.
| Mr.. Lee has been here only two
months but the church is starting
out well with all activities in thriv-
ling condition and the members en-
Ithusiastic and active. Promise is
good for a very live earnest year
and great expectations for the sue
cess Of Mr.. Lees pastorate are en-
tprtafnpd ... y. .. z