CHAPTER V.

RELIGIOUS HISTORY CONTINUED.

THE SIXTH STREET BAPTIST CHURCH-INTERESTING HISTORY OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL-ARCHBISHOPS AND BISHOPS EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS OF 1911-CINCINNATI A CITY OF CHURCHES-THE SALVATION ARMY-GREAT REVIVALS.

In 1830, the Sixth Street Baptist Church (now the Ninth street) was organized by fourteen members from the Enon Baptist Church, whose place of worship was on Walnut, West side, between Third and Fourth streets, and five members from the church on Sycamore street.

The company was recognized as a Christian Church by a council called for that purpose, November 9th, of that year.

Records of many of the details of this organization during the first eight years of its existence are missing. We have, however, the names of the members of the little church as follows:

William Morgan, Ebenezer Marsh, Joshua W. Kendall, Thomas Harris, Thomas Mitchell, William Bruce, Luke Kendall, John Woolley, Thomas Bevan, Henry Miller. John Shays, Thomas Simpson, Elizabeth Morgan, Laura Kendall, Mary Bruce, Lydia Kendall, Lydia Woolley, Elizabeth Bevan, and Sarah J. Vallette.

The council met in the old city council chamber on the north side of Fourth, between Main and Walnut streets. Among the ministers who took part in the exercises were Rev. Dr. George Patterson, of the Enon church, and Rev. John Boyd, of the Bethel church. The right hand of fellowship was extended by Rev. S. W. Lynd, who had been visiting in the city for a short time and had preached in the Enon, and possibly in the Sycamore Street Church.

Immediately following the constitution of the church, a call was extended Rev. Samuel W. Lynd to become its pastor. He entered upon his duties the first Sabbath of the year 1831, at a salary of $800 for the first year.

For a while services were held Sabbath mornings in the council chamber, above mentioned. In the afternoon they occupied, through the courtesy of the Enon church, their house of worship. For social and other meetings they met at the private houses of the different members.

Later they secured a house in what was then known as the Wing schoolhouse, on the south-east corner of Sixth and Vine streets, on the site now occupied by the Hulbert block.

Contrary to the prophesies of some, who thought the movement, carried away by the popularity of the preacher, would be short-lived, the church, within

four months from the date of its organization, received almost the entire membership of the Original and Regular First Baptist Church, which ceased to exist as an independent church. By the close of the first year the young church was much strengthened in numbers and otherwise, and was enabled to erect for itself a house of worship. This was located on the south side of Sixth street, just east of Walnut. In dimensions, it was 40 feet front, by 75 feet deep, costing about $12,000. It was incorporated by special act of the Legislature of Ohio, February 6, 1832, under the name of the Sixth Street Baptist Church, of Cincinnati.

During the first year the membership of the Bethel Church was absorbed by the Sixth. The Bethel was organized about 1829, and their place of worship was at the north-east corner of Ninth and Elm streets, Rev. John Boyd, a former pastor of the Enon Church occupying the pulpit.

With the addition of the Bethel, we find the Sixth-now the Ninth-formed from four (4) different sources: the Enon, Sycamore, the First (Original and Regular), and the Bethel. Coming, as they did, from churches between which there had existed prejudices and jealousies, the strength of Dr. Lynd was shown in his ability to unite, in one harmonious body, members showing that brotherly love which characterized the church in those early days.

The Sunday school, under the superintendency of T. J. Hawks, was established in May, 1831. The room was not very attractive, being in the basement of the church and almost wholly below the surface of the ground.

On Monday evenings, in this room, were held the prayer-meetings, and on Wednesday evenings, the weekly lectures. The first baptism took place in the Ohio river, at the foot of Vine street, March 8, 1831, the candidate being Mrs. Smallwood.

Additions to the church, by baptism and letter, were such that in the report to the association, in September, 1833, they showed a membership of 199.

The place of worship on Sixth street was now found to be inadequate to the increasing congregation. Opportunity presenting itself, the property was sold to a Presbyterian church, and the present lot on Ninth street, then quite removed from the central part of the city, acquired in 1836.

Preparations were at once begun for the erection of a house of worship. Some inconvenience was suffered on account of having parted with the Sixth street home until the new house was ready for occupancy.

Services were held on Sunday afternoon, by invitation of Dr. Peabody, the pastor, in the Unitarian church, then on the southwest corner of Fourth and Race streets, while the Sunday school held its sessions in the College building, on Walnut street, where the Mercantile Library Building now stands.

The new building, costing about $30,000, compared favorably with the edifices of other denominations. It was ready for occupancy in the spring of 1837, and by reason of the change in location, the name was changed to the "Ninth Street Baptist Church."

In 1840 occurred the great revival, which left an impression felt by the church and this city to this day.

As a result of this revival some two hundred were baptized. At one communion service between one hundred and one hundred and twenty were received.

As a direct result of this work, four ministers were given to the cause of Christ, and the greater part of those who were converted during those few months remained steadfast in the faith.

After this season of blessing, there came a period of depression, during which the church suffered. Dissensions arose among its members, financial matters were subject of great concern, and other causes contributed to bring about the alienation, indifference and discontent, which, for a season, dominated the church.

Such was the state of affairs that Dr. Lynd felt called upon to use drastic measures to bring the members to a realization of the impending crisis. Peace and harmony having been restored, the work was taken up anew and continued without interruption until September, 1845, when Dr. Lynd, having received and accepted a call to the Second Baptist Church, of St. Louis, resigned his pastorate.

During part of Dr. Lynd's pastorate the church had, in addition to a large home school, two flourishing missions-one on George street, west of Plum, and one at or near the elbow of the canal.

After the resignation of Dr. Lynd the church was without a pastor for nearly a year. In September, 1846, a call was extended to Rev. E. L. Magoon, of Richmond, Va. The church during the year before the advent of the minister, liquidated a debt of $2,500 and repaired the house of worship.

The short pastorate of Dr. Magoon was marked by greater interest of the church in work of benevolence, contributions to the foreign missions being larger than at any previous year.

Early in 1849 Dr. Magoon resigned, in order to perfect the arrangements for a new church in some favorable locality, but the project failed for lack of funds, and he accepted a call to the Oliver Street Church, of New York City.

In July, 1849, Rev. E. G. Robinson, received a call which was accepted. He came from the Walnut Street Baptist Church, of this city, which had been constituted in 1847. During the next month the members of the Walnut Street Church, some thirty (30) in number, followed the pastor, making the fourth congregation absorbed by the Ninth Street Church.

It was during the pastorate of Dr. Robinson that Joseph Emery began his labor as a City Missionary, which he continued until called home.

The use of the basement was granted in June, 1851, to Ary Vandalen, to address such Hollanders as might be induced to gather there, and in October following, the church voted a sum not exceeding $300 toward the support of James De Rooy, as a missionary to this people. The mission was established on Webster street.

Information was received December 19, 1852, that Rev. E. G. Robinson had been elected senior professor in the Theological Seminary, at Rochester, N. Y.; his acceptance being urged by many of the leading men in the denomination. He relinquished the charge of the church in April, 1853, assuming at once his duties at the Seminary.

The church at this particular time was engaged in aggressive work. Besides the support rendered Bro. Emery and the missionary among the Hollanders, assistance was rendered the High Street Baptist Church, and a mission maintained on Cutter street.

It was during this summer-1853-that a Sunday school was established on Mt. Auburn, under the superintendency of Geo. F. Davis, with H. Thane Miller as leader of the singing. Out of this grew the Mt. Auburn Baptist Church, which was established in 1856 by nineteen members dismissed from the Ninth Street Church.

On December 14, 1853, a unanimous call was extended Rev. Wm. F. Hansell, of Philadelphia. He began his ministry among us the following February. It was a harvest season for the church. In February, 1855, through the instrumentality of H. Thane Miller, a Young Peoples' Meeting was established. Services were held on Friday evenings. Subsequently the regular weekly meeting of the church was combined with this, and the Friday night gathering has been an institution ever since.

In the summer of 1855, Philip W. Bickel was engaged as a missionary to work among the Germans. Subsequently, the converts were dismissed and recognized as an independent church, with Rev. Bickel as their pastor.

Pastor Hansell resigned July 30, 1858.

In December, 1859, an invitation was extended to E. T. Robinson, and the following March he began his work. Coming as he did, immediately upon the termination of his studies at Rochester, he was ordained May 15, 1860. During his pastorate the country was engaged in the great struggle of the Civil War. The strain proving too great, he broke down under it, and on the 21st of July, 1862, passed away.

In April, 1864, Rev. Wayland Hoyt, of Pittsfield, Mass., was called to this field. He began his ministry with us in the September following.

In 1865 the church for the first time engaged the assistance of an evangelist, inviting Rev. A. B. Earle, of Massachusetts, resulting in a large accession to the membership.

Work was commenced in the remodeling of the church in the spring of 1867. The cost was some $90,000. Before the work was completed the pastor received a call to the Strong Place Church, of Brooklyn, N. Y., and closed his labor with us in October, 1867.

In January, 1868, Rev. Frank M. Ellis, of Bloomington, Ill., having accepted a call, commenced his work. His pastorate was a short one, ending November 13th of the same year, he having accepted a call to the Second Baptist Church, of this city.

Dr. Reuben Jeffery, then of the North Baptist Church, of Chicago, Ill., came to us as our pastor in February, 1869. He found the church burdened with a heavy debt, resulting from the building enterprise. During all the time these burdens were being borne, the church never allowed its offering for the extension of the Kingdom, at home or aboard, to fail.

Dr. Jeffery resigned the pastorate July 13, 1873, and removed to Brooklyn. N. Y.

During a period of eighteen months the church was without a pastor, but the pulpit was supplied with great satisfaction by Rev. G. O. King.

During this period what remained of the church debt was entirely removed and the church edifice renovated.

In January, 1875, a call was extended Rev. Samuel W. Duncan, of Cleveland, O., and accepted. He entered upon his duties in March, and served this church

eight years, resigning in 1883 to accept a call to the Second Baptist Church, of Rochester, N. Y. During his pastorate the church celebrated, in 1880, its semicentennial. Dr. Duncan preached an historical discourse, which was listened to with great interest and satisfaction. This discourse was published in pamphlet form and contained facts of great value. Much that is stated in this paper was gathered from that source. Dr. Duncan's preaching was sound, earnest, forcible and of the highest order.

In the interval-some two years-between the pastorate of Dr. Duncan and his successor, the pulpit was supplied mostly by professors from the Theological Seminary, at Louisville, Ky.

During the summer of 1884, Johnston Myers, a student at the Rochester Theological Seminary, ministered to the church as a supply.

His services were so satisfactory that the church decided to call him to the pastorate. He came to us in May, 1885, at the close of his term in Rochester. His success was remarkable and continued so during a period of ten years, when the church membership, as reported to the association, was nearly 1600. Through his efforts the work at the stations was inaugurated and established in chapels owned by the church, which continue to be important factors in the general system.

To relieve the pastor of much of the burden, necessarily great, in carrying on a work of this magnitude, the church decided to secure the services of an assistant. Rev. W. D. Holt was selected for the office and his acceptance was received in January, 1891.

Mrs. I. B. Byl and her daughter, Mamie, served for a time as our Missionaries, and much of the success at the stations is due to their untiring efforts.

In 1895 Dr. Myers received a call from the Immanuel Church, of Chicago, Ill., and severed his pastoral relations with us in the summer of that year.

Without long delay, after the resignation of Dr. Myers, Rev. Warren G. Partridge, of Scranton, Penn., was called. He soon entered the work and continued for the space of eight years, to June, 1903, when he was called to the Fourth Avenue Baptist Church, of Pittsburgh, Penn., which pastorate he still

serves.

Our attention had been called to Rev. John F. Herget of St. Louis, who, we were assured, was well adapted to carry on the work here according to our plans and methods. On our invitation, he visited us in December, 1903. A call was made and accepted, and he took charge, as pastor, of the prayer-meeting Friday evening, February 19, 1904. He is still with us, the work is prospering, the pastor and people are in harmony, and there appears no good reason why the church should not gain strength year by year in its various enterprises.

In 1880 we celebrated our semi-centennial, at which time we had increased from a little church of 19 members to one of 455. In 1905, at the time of our seventy-fifth anniversary, we numbered 1,221. Our present membership is 1604. Special mention may not be out of order in naming a few of the many who have rendered long and special services during the 80 years of the church's history:

Deacon John Bevan donated the lot on which the church now stands. He served as Deacon from 1833 to 1856 and was one of the loyal members of Ninth