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Show Page 20<br><br>tor of Liberty Park M. E. church and one year and six months as pastor of Iliff M. E. church, of which he is now in charge. <br><br>Iliff M. E. Sunday-School.<br><br> This Sunday-school is one of the most flourishing in Salt Lake City. It was organized in 1889, and Mr. P. A. Grant was the first superintendent, serving in that capacity only a few months, when he was succeeded by Mrs. S. E. Rathbone, who also served only a comparatively short time. The next superintendent in order was Mr. C. M. Wood, whose picture heads this sketch, and he has remained at the head of the school continuously since that time. Mr. Wood is also president of the Salt Lake County Sunday-school association, and is one of the most active church and Sunday-school workers in the city. Under his regime Iliff Sunday-school has fully trebled its membership, both in point of enrollment as well as average attendance, the enrollment at this time reaching about two hundred and fifty, the regular attendance nearly two hundred, and the average per Sunday for the year about one hundred and fifty. He is supported by a most efficient corps of officers and teachers, eighteen in number, two of whom have entire charge of the primary department. [PHOTO: C. M. WOOD, Superintendent Sunday-School.] This department enrolls eighty little ones, with an average attendance of fifty, and is the pride of the school. It is conducted largely along the kindergarten idea, and is quite thoroughly equipped with the modern oppliances. Another valuable and important feature of this school is an organization known as the Epworth Guard, embracing about thirty youths, from 12 to 14 years of age. They are uniformed with caps and canes, and have a regular week-day drill. They constitute an important feature in all entertainments and rally-day exercises, and are a band of loyal soldiers of which the school is justly proud. Many of these boys were by this means drawn into the school from somewhat unfavorable surroundings, and a great change, for the better is noted. A somewhat similar organization is being planned for the girls of that age. Special attention in the Iliff school is directed to the spiritual development of the children, and many conversions are chronicled each year.<br><br> LIBERTY PARK CHURCH.<br><br> In 1891, First church, Salt Lake, opened a mission in a tent at the corner of Seventh East and Seventh South streets. The work was under the direct charge of Emmett G. Hunt, the assistant pastor. This work grew under his faithful labors until July 16, 1892, it was organized and made into a separate work, Mr. Hunt having been made pastor. A lot was purchased and a house of worship was erected, both costing $2500. The new building was dedicated by presiding elder J. D. Gillilan, October 30, 1892, W. D. Mabry, D.D., preaching the sermon and Rev. T. C. Iliff, D.D., managing the finances. Mr. Hunt remained the pastor until June 18, 1894, when J. D. Gillilan was appointed successor, and is the present occupant of the pastorate. The present membership is sixty-five, of which fifteen are probationers. An exodus from that portion of the city has reduced their ranks so that the church is merely a shadow of what it was two years ago. Henry W. Parker is the superintendent of the Sunday-school which rejoices in a membership of almost one hundred enrolled, with an average attendance of eighty. The work [PHOTO: H. W. PARKER, Supt. Sunday-School.] of the school, so well carried on by so admirable a corps of teachers, is a most hopeful adjunct to the work of Liberty Park church. Mr. Parker has had but one predecessor, the Rev. Mr. Hunt. Miss Susie Tatlock is the careful secretary and Mr. M. Carter is the keeper of the purse. Our Epworth League loses heavily in proportion to the removals which are constantly going on. Its present officers are J. H. Gertz, president; Nora B. Parker, secretary, Mary H. Hickman, first vice- [PHOTO: J. H. GERTZ.] president, department spiritual work; Emma Steele, second vice-president, department mercy and help; Alice W. Gillilan, third vice-president, department literary work; Nora B. Parker, fourth vice-president, department social life. Mrs. Ray Gleeson, treasurer. Another valuable aid in the material interests of the church is the Ladies' Aid, which is composed of noble women, who shoulder many of the burdens the church would not know how otherwise to carry. This year, among other commendable enterprises, it has undertaken to assume the interest on a church debt, and makes a proposition as to part of the principal. Its officers are Mrs. R. A. Gleeson, president; Mrs. Wilhelmina Gertz, treasurer; Mrs. Alice W. Gillilan, secretary. The meetings are weekly, on Tuesday, with a business meeting the first Tuesday of every month. <br><br>J. D. Gillilan.<br><br> James David, the second, but oldest living son of Lewis and Mary A. Gillilan, was born in a log cabin in Jackson county, Ohio, May 19, 1858. Having obtained sufficient education to enable him to obtain a teacher's certificate he began teaching in the public schools of his native county at the age of seventeen, being thus occupied until his appointment to Utah in 1883. He was converted in 1877, and at once united with the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1880 Mr. Gillilan married Miss Alice Wiseman and in 1883 they came to Utah, under appointment of Bishop Isaac W. Wiley, and were sent to Tooele, where he taught and preached until 1887, when they were sent to Beaver, where excellent work was done in the school as well as in the church. The school became so important that for one year he was allowed to devote his whole time to it, while a pastor was sent for the church; here [PHOTO: J. D. GILLILAN, Pastor Liberty Park M. E. Church.] they remained until 1890, when they were sent to Nephi to open up work and build. A church was erected and the school he and Miss May Franklin had opened in an old saloon was transferred to the new quarters. Eureka was added to Nephi in 1891, and the pastor moved to the new point, but in 1892 Nephi was cut off and Mammoth added, and Mr. Gillilan made pastor of the new work thus formed. In August, 1892, he was made the presiding elder of Utah, and at once moved to Salt Lake City, where he has since resided. Although in 1894 he was released from the presiding eldership and appointed to Liberty Park church, which he now serves. He has been secretary of the Utah mission consecutively since 1885. His family consists of a daughter and a son born in Ohio, and two sons born in Utah. |
