Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1936-11-26
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE
DEERFTELD CHURCH

EDITORS Note.-On Thanksgiving
day 1877. memorial services were
held at the Deerfield Presbyterian
church. which followed the erection
of a new church building to replace
the one destroyed by fire. The pas
tor was Rev. Charles B. Taylor, and
following the services booklet was
published which carried the me-
mortal sermon and history of the
church. This article is OF so much
interest that we publish 1T IN full.
We hone that someone will write the
history Of the church where this ar
ticle leaves off, and bring it up to
date. for us to publish. The article
follows:
"Hitherto hath the Lord helped
u.s. / Sam: VILE.
But fifty-three days have passed
away since many of us, with tears,
beheld our beautiful church edifice
destroyed in the flames.
Today we assemble for the first
time for prayer and praise in new
house. already a comfortable place
of worship, and which, when com
plete. will surpass our other temple
in beauty and convenience. He who
inspired our hearts to build, knows
the earnestness and the sacrifice by
which this work has been accom-
plished. Think upon this people,
@ our God, for good
With a heart full of thanksgiving,
I welcome you my people to the new
Deerfield church. Already we begin
to see the silver lining to the dark
cloud. Who Of us will dare to say
that it is not worth sixteen hundred
dollars to have our latent love for
Christ and his church brought to the
surface. and to have the feeble cur
rent of our Christian activities
ouickened into tense earnestness for
Jesus? We love each other better
since we have passed through this
baptism Of fire | believe that we
love God more.
But let our rejoicing be with
trembling, lest. forgetting to look tG
Jesus and neglecting to keep his
commandments. we should drive
away these tokens of his favor. This
dispensation Of Gods providence
brings to us a lesson of ceaseless
watchfulness and conservation
When the Christian activities of 9
church become stagnant, God knows
how to get them in motion, ever
though it be by fire.
have JUDGED this to be q proper
time 10 present to you a brief his
torical sketch of this church, thai
the story Of the past may brighter
our faith for the present and ON
hope for the future.
The Deerfield Presbyterian church
was organized September q, 1921
by Rev. Thomas Moore who was
then laborng in Perry comfy
There are members of the church
still living who remember the frs
communion service, which was helC
at the residence of John Price, neal
the present home Of Mrs. julie
Price. The minister was tall
spare man, reverend and grave; his
sermons and dress modelled after the
last century, even wearing the
breeehes and buckles of old
en- time The original members
were eight in number; Samuel Stan
berry, Thomas Campbell. Josiah
Wright, John Price and their wives
Sarah Stanbery, Mary Wright, Eliza
beth Campbell and Nancy Price
On Saturday. Oct 6. 1921. Sam
uel Stanbery. Thomas Campbell anG
Josiah Wright were ordained elders
and John Briggs and his wife, VIM
MeKitrick HuIdah Brewster and
Susannah Laughlin were received as
members. On the next day, Susan
nah Laughlin was baptized, being
the first adult baptized in Deerfeld