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Show Page 22<br><br>where to get money to build a church no one seemed to know. It is needless to mention where the means has come from, but it has been raised and the beautiful, commodious and substantial church is built-a valuable property in a good location. The work, from the first, has never lost interest for one hour; it has been pushed in season and out of season, and results are manifest. The religious workers gathered in have been devoted to the cause and are zealous and consecrated. There is a great field for devoted Christian labor in the west part of the city, and the work is promising, being well organized, and the machinery of the church is running smoothly. The Epworth league is flourishing and the Junior league is excellent.<br><br> Rev. G. C. Waynick.<br><br> "Was born at Putnamville, Ind., in 1843. His father moving to western Iowa in 1852, he was raised and worked on a farm, with no school opportunities until he was 16 years old. Then, after two winters of poor school advantages, which were then offered in western Iowa, he entered Depauw university in 1861, and mostly working his way through college, he graduated in 1867, receiving the degree of A. B., and three years thereafter the degree of A. M. was conferred upon him by his alma mater. After leaving college he studied law one year in Indianapolis, then entered the Northwest Indiana [PHOTO: G. C. WAYNICK, Pastor Heath M. E. Church.] conference, and at the end of one year was transferred by Bishop Clark to the Des Moines conference, where he did effective work, having built many parsonages and many of the best churches in western Iowa, and having successful revivals on nearly every charge served. He was transferred to the Utah mission by Bishop Andrews in 1890 and stationed at Iliff chapel, Salt Lake City. During the year there were twenty-five conversions and the membership was more than doubled. He was appointed by Bishop Joyce to open up a work and establish a church in the western part of Salt Lake City in 1892, which has materialized in what is known as the Heath church, where he is now pastor. <br><br>BAPTIST.<br><br> Late in the year 1871 the American Baptist Home Mission society sent Rev. Sewall Brown as missionary to Evanston, Wyoming, with instructions to give half his time to Salt Lake City, Utah. When Rev. Sewall Brown visited Salt Lake he found General Dodge holding regular services in the various Baptist homes. In February, 1872, during one of Rev. Brown's visits, a church of twenty members was organized. After nine months, Mr. Brown left the field. Two years after General Dodge and family returned to Washington. Other families scattered and the First Baptist church organization in Utah was lost. January 1, 1881, Rev. Dwight Spencer reached Ogden under appointment by the American Baptist Home Mission society, as general missionary. At that [PHOTO: DWIGHT SPENCER, First Baptist Superintendent.] time, says Brother Spencer, "the nearest church was at Laramie, Wyo., 500 miles east, and that had no pastor. At Helena, Mont., 496 miles north, there was an organization without a meeting-house. West there was a church at Reno, Nev., 500 miles, and south there was not, as far as I could learn, a church anywhere." At once the Odd Fellow's hall was rented and a Sunday school and regular preaching services inaugurated. In this hall May 22, 1881, a church was organized with eleven constituent members. The following June the first convert was baptized. A year later Rev. Dwight Spencer visited the East and raised $8000 and returned to build the first Baptist church edifice. Soon after the contracts were let Rev. Richard Hartley became pastor at Ogden, and Mr. Spencer began work at Salt Lake City, a history of which will appear under the head of First Baptist Church, Salt Lake City. Great credit is due the faithful few in those days of beginnings. Utah now has five organized churches, with a membership of 478; six mission stations, ten Sunday-schools, with 924 scholars. The Baptists have six young people's societies, three C. E. and three B. Y. P. U. Utah Baptist church property is valued at $90,000. The Utah Baptist association was organized in 1883, and the twelfth annual session was held in Ogden September 27, 1895. For several years the church at Evanston, Wyo., belonged to the Utah association, but in 1892 withdrew to join the Wyoming association. Three churches in Idaho, Pocatello, Blackfoot and Idaho Falls also belonged to the Utah association, [PHOTO: S. G. ADAMS, Present Baptist Superintendent.] until 1894, when they withdrew to form the Southeastern Idaho Baptist association. This leaves only the five churches of Utah as members of the association. The American Baptist Home Mission society is the mother of all these churches. Only one, the First Baptist church of Salt Lake City, has reached self-support. The Swedish Baptist church has no pastor, but holds services in the Y. M. C. A. rooms. The Women's Baptist Home Mission society, both of the East and the West, are doing a great work in Utah. The society of the West supports five lady missionaries. The Eastern society supports two teachers for the day school at Provo, which has eighty pupils enrolled. Formerly this society maintained a day school at Ogden, and another at Salt Lake City, which was opened September 10, 1883, with Miss Fannie Thompson principal and Miss Mary E. Berkley assistant. After two years Miss Berkley became the principal. Miss Lydia Paine was largely interested in the establishment of this school. These schools were discontinued because both cities had come to maintain free public schools of high grade. This year (1895) the sum of $7410 mission money is being expended in the Utah work besides $5000 self-support raised on the field. How this money is expended and cuts of the leading workers will appear under proper captions in the following pages. S. G. ADAMS, General Missionary.<br><br> FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.<br><br> In the winter of 1871 the Government sent to Salt Lake City, as Superintendent of Indian Affairs, Gen. Dodge, who was a warm-hearted Christian and staunch Baptist, as were also his wife and two daughters. The General at once began a search for those of like faith. Having found a goodly number, he took the lead in holding-regular services, rallying the people in some of their houses. |
