Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-08-09

| came. The Venerab bic pastor, deep
| ly moved, with shaking voice. said
You have accused me of preaching
| politics. / have not, neither have
| forgotten to pray for the bondman."
| AS he spoke tears trickled down his
| face. The audience was deeply
| moved. This incident was told me
| by an aged Winthrop citizen, not a
| processing Christian, more than a
dozen years ago. After this sad
| ending of a forty -four years pastor
| ate MIR. Thurston accepted a call to
| preach in the Litchfield church
where the people were in sympathy
| with him. [ have in my possession
! the names of members who. placed
| their letters in the Litchticld church
| at this time. At a recent meeting
| of the County Association held in
| our Church one of the interesting
| features was the brief statement of
| the yenera bic Deacon Asa Smith OF
| the Litchtield Church, relative to Mr..
! Thurston as their pastor. Mr..
| Thurston lived TO know that the
| slaves of the South were emanci-
| pated. Upon the death of Mr..
| Thurston in Litchfield the body was
! brought here to be buried in the
| Metcalf Cemetery. Our Church bell
l
| preached the village as a melancholy
| reminder of the Church's wish to
| honor him. Upon the monument Of
| the family lot where he is buried
are these words, so appropriate-of
! his miniStry-"For | have stunned
| not to declare the whole counsel of
| God" Mr.. Thurston was inStru-
! mental in making our Church wide
| ~ known. He was a trustee in the
= Bangor Theological Seminary, Presi-
| dent at one time of the American
| Missionary Association, delegate to
| the World Peace Conference at
! Geneva, taking his stand at that
| early date, in behalf of World Peace.
1t was in Winthrop that the Maine
| Anti Slavery Society was organized.
I Also, here. our County Association of
| Churches had its beginning. Mr..
| ThurSton wrote history of this
| town, a book that is still treasured
| in many of our homes. 1t is still
| used AS reference and contains much
| valuable information. The years of
| Mr.. Thurston's pastorate were full
| of many interesting events. The
! Church people Of the time Were of a.
stern disposition, somewhat narrow,
! self -Centcred in matters relating to
! religion. often misjudelns others and
| sometimes unjuStly condemnlng
! those who differed with them. The
| organization of the Methodist
+, Church about this time was almost
! resented and many bitter things
( were said but these incidents of the
/ past may now he forgotten in the
! fine fellowship that exists between
| the two churches today. (Thank
| God for differences that are now
! tolerated in brotherly and mutual
! cooperation in Christian service
! For example. our Brother Aldrich
! pastor of the Methodist Church, a
| warm hearted and sympathetic
! gentleman. kindly offered us his
| auditorium for our services today
+ 1t is always delight to visit him
/ and our hearts are very warm when
| his people come to US. May God
| bless them in their uplifting work.
| | have dear friend. ninety years
! old, an officer of the Association
! fols work among the neglected races,
I who knew Father Thurston in the
/ days of his pastorate and knew OF
| the work he did as president of the
! 4. NJ. a. Many references are made
| to the old Church on the hill. This
/ was built in 1925 and on the day OF
, its raising severe accident occur
red in which three men were killed.
This old Meeting House was sacred
to The people of the community. 1t
represented worship. reverence, de-
votion, service and fellowship. 1t
was not my privilege to see the old
| church as it had been converted into
| a tenement house before caihe
, here. We now worship in a new
building where once the old chapel
t1,N Of 10
! Bowdoin streets. This new building
was dedicated during the pastorate
| of Rev Mr.. Baldwin. For all
! ordinary occas ions it meets the need
i of the Church. 1t is neat and pref
| tily furnished inside with Memorial
/ windows on each side that loving
| hearts have placed in position in
, memory of loved ones who have gone
! before. In the rear of the church
| YOU will find marble tablet dedi-
I Gated in memory of Mr.. ThurSton
! and presented by Seth MAJ Here at
| my right is a picture Of Mir. Thurs
, ton. The old organ still serves in
| giving us melodious music each
| sabbath morn under the fine touch
| of Mrs. Hattie Whiting who has
| served as orGanst Tor more than 70
| years. Our chorister is Mrs. f. G..
| McIlroy who has served faithfully
! and without pay these many years
! | mention these facts because |
! want our children and childrens
! children to know who served us in
| these times. The following are the
names of the pastors who have
| served the Church: David Jewett,
! Jonathan Belden. David Thurston,
| Rufus NJ Sawyer. Samuel d. Bow
kcr. Thomas *. Noble, Edward p.
Baker, Richard W. jenkins, Warren
{ f. Rickford. William +. Obear,
| James r. HAYES, Perley !. Robin
i SON Charles w. Porter, George Ii.
! Credeford, Robert Il. Morson. Archi-
bald CuIlens, Albert X. Baldwin,
| Cha .les +. Cleaves, Charles +. Sar-
gent. Francis Fl. Bate, Harry Trust,
V. Eddy Bragdon, Charles +. Sar-
gent.
In 1876 the Church celebrated its
/ Tooth anniversary with appropriate
exercises. Some of our members re-
member that occasion. In l90S. our
ing Old Home Week. the Tooth an
niversary of our 5. ). organization
was observed. The pastor at that
time was Rev. c. +. Sargent and the
s Supt. Mrs. Adele II. Sargent
who hearted work helped to make
the Sunday School a pleasing sue
cess. The morning exercises at TINS
time were held in this church be-
fore A large audience. All living
former superintendents were on this
platform and appropriate reference
was made to them in the pastor
address On that occasion we were
honored by the presence OF Mr..
Samuel Thurston, a son of Father
Thurston. who, spoke briefly.
Among the early activities OF the
Sunday School was the organization
of the Winthrop Society for 1ooo
Aio,.nlc LIZ nresident was "a nluel