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Show Page 33<br><br>Mission work on lower Twenty-Fifth street was begun in April, 1893, and carried on for some months with very satisfactory results. The young people of the Endeavor [PHOTO: W. W. Howe, S. S. Sup't.] society zealously supported the pastor in Sunday-school and evening services, and he was also assisted by members of other denominations. Sunday-school work has also been carried on in the Reform School, mainly by members of the Congregational Church, superintended during the last two years and a half by the principal of the New West Academy. A little over two years Mr. Forbes continued our pastor, and then deter- [PHOTO: CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.] mined to devote himself to the broader field of an evangelist. Rev. C. W. Luck succeeded him, coming from Pocatello June 15, 1894. The church has 137 members.<br><br> Rev. Charles W. Luck,<br><br> Pastor of the First Congregational Church of Ogden, was born February 2, 1857, at Cleveland, Ohio. He was educated in the public schools of that city. In 1857 he graduated from the high school and entered Howard College. Instead of the sophomore year in college, he studied a year in Germany. At the close of his junior year, an empty purse compelled him to leave college. He taught for a year in Boston, and then engaged in business which took him to Central America for over two years. When he became a Christian at the age of 16 and joined the First Congregational Church of Cleveland, O., God put it into his heart to be a preacher of the Gospel. This cherished purpose becoming dominant, he gave up his business, returned North and entered Andover Theological Seminary, where [PHOTO: C. W. LUCK. Pastor Congregational Church.] he took the full course and graduated with the class of 1887. In June of the same year he was ordained pastor of the Congregational Church in Topsfield, Mass. The following year, while continuing pastor of that Church, he resumed his studies at Harvard College, and took his degree of A. B. with the class of '89. Being impressed with the lack of ministers for missionary work in the West, he left his Eastern parish and accepted a call to Pocatello, Ida., in 1890. There he remained for four years, working happily in a prosperous little church. In June, 1894, he came to his present pastorate. <br><br>FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH<br><br> Ogden, Utah, was organized on Sunday evening, September 29, 1878. Twenty persons were then received into membership and three elders elected. Since that time, so far as can be learned, six ministers have served the church. Rev. G. W. Gallagher, September 29, 1878 to March 1, 1880. Rev. James F. Knowles, March 1, 1880, to December 27, 1883. Rev. Josiah McClain, January 20, 1885, to September 1, 1891. Rev. Joseph Shields, November, 1891, to September, 1892. Rev. R. B. Ewing, February 26, 1893, to May 1, 1894. Rev. Charles F. Richardson, December 1, 1894, to date. During the first five years of the church's history 47 new members were received; the next five years, 53; the next six years, 184, and during the past year, closing September, 1895, there have been received 64 new members. In 1891 the new building was commenced, and although it is not yet finished, what has been done cost about $20,000, every cent of which has been paid, and the prospect is good for its completion. The Church membership is now 163; the Sunday-school about the same number. The Endeavor Society, 45; the Junior Endeavor, 21. The church has entered on an era of prosperity. Says a notice in one of the Church papers: A retrospective view of the work for the past nine months, under the ministration of the Rev. Charles F. Richardson, shows a very healthy condition of things in general, with sixty-one additions to the Church and better attended services in all departments of the Church work. Good contributions to all the Boards of the Church will be made during the year. (Over $150 have already been given.) There has been appropriated and expended for hymn books and the musical department of our church $123; for church directory, invitation cards and other printing, $24.50, and for "fixing up" the church grounds, $3. The ladies have bought a new piano, and the Endeavor Society 50 new chairs for the primary department of the Sabbath-school. In regard to keeping up the general church expenses, every month the pastor is promptly paid the amount promised him by the church. The debts are but few and small, not one of them but that could be paid in thirty days. The prayer meetings are well attended, often more than forty present. This may be said also of the Endeavor meetings. The Sabbath-school has also increased both in attendance and contributions; this may also be said of both morning and evening Sabbath services. Now all this is certainly a most encouraging state of affairs, but better than all, the Church is marching on to self-support, and expects soon to reach that goal. "The good hand of the Lord" is certainly upon this Church. THE Superintendent of the Sunday school is I. N. Lanning; the Secretary, Miss Voorhees; the scholars and teachers number 145. Of the Ladies' Aid Society, Mrs. E. B. Knapp is the President; Mrs. A. H. Gilson, Vice-President; Secretary, Mrs. Edith Richey; and Treasurer, Mrs. E. B. Graham. The membership numbers 35. [PHOTO: I. N. LANNING, Sunday-School Supt.] <br><br>Chas. Frederick Richardson,<br><br> Was born on British soil, June 13, 1863. Desiring to secure a further education and to engage in some kind of public work, he sailed from his home in Swansea, Wales, September 23, 1884, and in sixteen days reached New York City. On landing he was without a single friend or relative in this country, but the Brooklyn Y. M. C. A. became his friend. The General Secretary and one of the directors became interested in him, and on the opening of their new building he became one of the assistant secretaries. After taking the full course he graduated from "Hermon" in 1888. He at once decided to take a theological course and enter the Presbyterian ministry. With that object in view, he entered Auburn Theological Seminary, and graduated in 1891, being class-speaker. On June 4th of that year, he married Miss Mary J. Durkee of Auburn, N. Y. On June 14th he took charge of the Church at Woonsocket, S. D., where he had been called as pastor, and on September 30th, less than four months from his arrival, he was |
