The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-10-03

meetings and services had been in progress for two years previous to that In a store owned by Oliver c. Abel on Walnut street. These facts are revealed by old records of the Oficial Board which have been kept through all the years in the min ister's study.
 The first service of Divine Wor- ship was conducted by the Rev. pr. Wesley w. Bowdish, D. D., then pastor of the First Methodist church. MT. Bowdish took St. Palls Chapel under his care In addition to his work in his own parish. He appointed William c. Mckinley, a lay preacher, as class leader and Charles E. Welch was made super ntendent of the Sunday School. At that first service of worship talks were also given by Charles s. Chap man and Miss Mary M. Abbott.
 For the next two years, the small congregation was held together by the hardworking leadership of Wil- liam C. Mckinley. It was not long, however, before the congregation began to grow so rapidly it was ne- cessary to build the present church. Frederick J. Kingsbury made a generous gift of land and money to help the enterprise along.
 At the time, the following names appeared on the church roll: Wtl- liam A. Holgate, Emma J. Holgate. William A. Holgate, Jr. Louis B, Holgate, Oliver c. Abel, Esther A. Abel, James Lancaster, Sussannah Lancaster, Emily Austin, Anna Brown, Emma Taylor, Archie Lam caster, Sarah L. Burritt, Annie Kirk, Minnie Slocum, Charles Boston Mary J. Boston, Julia E. Flagg, George Condit, Charles w. Carr EDavid Carrigus, Louis 1T. Harris Arthur Knox Jennie E. Knox Sophia Lowe, Ruby Mckinley, Rob ert Mccormick, Jennie Moline Thomas J. Peck, Celia A. Peck, Min nie Slocum, Levi Skidmore, Andrew Wetmore, George H. Woodruff Elizabeth A. Woodruff, William Brown, Clara L. Brown. Clara Con- dit, Sarah Gigon, Eliza Jovel Henry A. Matthews and Phoebe A Totten.
 By March 1T, 1889 the pastor, Rev Edgar c. Tullar, reported a mem bership of one hundred and thirty three.
 The Chapel was dedicated April 1, 1888, and inside of one year was enlarged to seat 500 people.
 The famous Boys Brigade of St Pauls Church was organized in 1894 with Archie Lancaster as cap tain and H. L. Carter as drill-mas- ter. In the years that followed, these boys won contests in all parts oi New England and were so proficient in their drills that in unofficial com petition were rated superior to the State Guard units in Waterbury.
 Aside from the Boys Brigade other youth activities organized early in the church's history wert the Queen Esthers and the Chris tian Endeavor. The Sunday Schoo was of course the most important youth activity then as 1t is now From this Sunday School have gon' at least three young men to thu Christian ministry, Rev. Archi' Lancaster of Westbrook, Conn. Rev. Rawson Holgate of Haddam Conn, both Congregational min isters, and Rev. Kenneth Green O the Wethersfield Methodist church
 During the first World War, 2 young men entered the service o the country: Harold Williams James Horsley, William Wiedorn Thor Hannon, Fred Van Dyne Harold Simons, Russell Kirsch, Al fred Chandelmeier, John Buell., Try ing StarkS, George Stickles. Ma: Kunkel, Joseph Meyers, Fredericl . Meyers, Earl Cooley, Floyd Lawson Duane Young, Rawson Holgate, an' Leon Bennett.
 That the fine spirit of Christian manhood which St. Pauls boys hay always displayed is still part Q the. tradition of the church is evi denced by a letter which the pastor Rev. Louis E. Higgins, has recentl received from one of the churcl |. boys, Robert Smith, of B Beecl street, now serving with the Unite
 States Marine Corps somewhere i
 the south Pacific.
 |. This boy is technical Sargean and expert machine-gunner, yet h , has found time to conduct religiou services for the Marines in his com
 pany. He writes as follows: "A present we are holding non-denom
 national services in our little mes
 hall. My pulpitS have ranged all tn
 way from boxes of hams to boxes ( :, sugar which covered with my rain < coat. The picture of Christ in m z Bible case decorates the front an 8 large handkerchief to lay m r Bibles on completes the job. I hay | quite a number of New Testament
 with Psalms which I give out to tn o fellows. I try to get them to fe' < that these are their services" v Among the very unique service f held in St. PauliS Church were sey f eral during the ministry of Re
 Henry Medd in the early 1920's Whe
 it was frequently the custom to ir
 vite all the Scott people of the eli
 to 8 Scotch Service" in which il
 ushers wore kits and bagpipers ful . nished the music. These servieI
 always drew great crowds and ai
 talked of even today.
 Il It is well to remember the speI i, tacular but when one recalls u
 history of Q church, the most in d portent thing Is not the spectaculi
 but the day by day work of the pa h tors and the people which soml e times is unseen and unknown