Part 15: Financial Woes in Church History during early 1900’s
Having found few detailed records for Stewards and Leaders or Administrative Board from the 1890’s through the Era of World War I, I am indebted to Dr. Malcolm Cass and some of the earlier historians for compiling what is included in this piece of the retold history of Peoples Church. In January 2004, Rosemary Herd in cleaning the old kitchen in the vestry discovered a rich trove of records including some of the missing trustees’ records and membership books. Some of the information that those sources produced can be found within the writing of the next few months as well.
In 1890 T. F. Jones was appointed to the charge and served two years in 1893 and 1894. Ira Ross followed him from 1895 to 1897 and William Wood who served for the following two years succeeded him in turn. It is noted elsewhere that it was during his ministry that on the occasion of Rev. Wood’s presence he recommended that the outstanding debt be paid off. The church body took two actions to raise money. One method was by adopting a special subscription program to pay off the long-standing debt incurred during previous years. Pastor Wood must have been something of a taskmaster because the other means of paying the outstanding debt was to have an additional collection each Sunday for those that may not have been willing to accept the subscriptive method of pledging. At any rate the church was successful in paying off the debt, perhaps because of the tactics that this particular pastor seems to have insisted on.
The next two pastors, W.F. Holmes and J. A. Corey served for a short term each until 1903. No outstanding pieces of information were recorded that involved them or the congregation during that period of time. One small piece of information discovered in the records of the trustees for the year 1903 was gleaned from a receipt paid to Southworth Brothers on March 3 of that year. This was a bill owed to them in the amount of $1.25 for 250 flyers pamphlets) that had printed. Southworth Brothers was a printing company located in the city of Portland. During that same year in addition to paying for a pastor the church voted to pay both the organist and the chorister (leader of the choir). The church also voted to give to the music department a total of $25 for new music. What does that say when the 2004, 101 years later included $50 to be expended on music?
Often the significance of a period of time in the life of a church is determined by the effectiveness of its pastor. From 1903 until 1909 Reverend Wilmot P. Lord and his wife graced the spiritual leadership of Peoples. To this date no one had been Pastor of the church for more than a few years at a time. The short term that most pastors had served in the past was a remnant of the day when most pastors were itinerant and didn’t stay in any parish for any great length of time or were expected to serve more than one charge at a time. During the term of the Lords’ the parsonage next to the church was sold and moved from that lot, and a parish house and kitchen were added to the rear of the vestry. The cost of the project undertaken, only a few years after nearly a disastrous financial condition had prevailed, was $760. Since the parsonage was sold and no other parsonage would be purchased until 1914 a housing allowance was provided during the interim between church owned parsonages. It is also reported and recorded that sometimes the housing allowance was used to pay a parishioner for the housing that they provided the pastor and his family through the rental of rooms or a floor in multi-family housing. When the trustees had voted to sell the parsonage and prepare the area for the new parish house, the pastor already was living elsewhere and the parsonage had actually become a church run apartment house with two tenants. There was some question about whether one of the families “were behaving themselves” even though they were not forced out until the trustees took their vote. It may have been that the trustees felt uncomfortable as landlords and that maintaining the property was costing as much as the rent that was taken in. Charles A. Tilton, the elected President of the Trustees proposed that he buy the parsonage for the amount of the remaining indebtedness on the building and also pay for the cost of moving the building to another location of his choosing. With Trustees approval the parsonage was transferred to Mr. Tilton, the inhabitants were evicted and the house was moved. Mr. Tilton had to move the house by July 1, 1904, which was done, even though authorization and transfer didn’t occur until May.
Adding members to the Board of Trustees in 1903 apparently was by interview of said candidate by committee. The interviewing committee consisted of the pastor who at the time was W. P. Lord and the head of the trustees, Charles A. Tilton. The candidate in August of that year was Captain Lincoln Jewett. Captain Jewett in response to the interview indicated that at this time he was reluctant to become a member. In another interview the candidate was Captain Arthur J. Brown who was emphatically interested. Trustees at the request of Captain Jewett did not vote for his membership while they did vote unanimously for Captain Brown. However in all the records that have been perused can we find any mention of Captain Brown actually attending any meetings.
Most frequently recorded names of trustees from the 1890’s through the years of World War I included Charles A. Tilton, George. W. Doughty, Albert E. Thurrell, William Studley, Edwin Boultenhouse, and John Fisher. Many of these same names are recorded as the primary members of the Board of Stewards and Leaders as well. In time the latter Board would become known as the Official Board which eventually became the Administrative Board and finally the Church Council. The Church Council actually was a merger of the Administrative Board and the Council on Ministries..
The other major change in church procedures that took place during the period of the Lords was that the practice of selling pews came to an end. This was not just a local option, this was a directive from the Maine Conference. Selling of church pews had been a practice in many New England churches in particular and not simply a Methodist practice. Many older Congregational churches in New England still show by the configuration of their pews that pews had been family owned. When the change occurred at Peoples the end of the exclusive use of pews by individuals or families happened. One would also say that social-class differentiation also came to an end. The old pews that had been used since 1853 were taken out and replaced by new pews that provided a semi-circular configuration to the sanctuary. Even though the selling of pews came to an end we can be assured that some pews even in the church of today are known as the pew for a particular family. Even today the ushers seem to know where people prefer to sit and, therefore, guide newcomers to seats away from those that one might think are reserved for church members of long standing.
Before the Lords moved on the fiftieth anniversary otherwise known as the semi-centennial of the Ferry Village Church occurred. A booklet describing history of the church to date was compiled along with a full description of church activities available at the time. Black and white photographs of some of the influential people in the church added to the booklet that was not published until 1905. The list of trustees included one woman, Mrs. Lucy F. Studley, widow of William F. Studley, among its 10 members. The Board of Stewards included two women; Mrs. John E. Fisher who’s husband also served with the Stewards and Mrs. James M. York. This body also consisted of 10 members. The elevation of women into roles of significance was beginning to increase. One would note that the impetus for the women’s movement on a national scale had a great deal of impetus from the church life gave to women.
The Ladies Circle, Home Guards (Girls), Epworth League (Mixed Youth), Queen Esther Circle (Missions), Knights of the Twentieth Century (Boys Group), Standard Bearer Company (Missions), and Little Light Bearers were all active organizations of the church with worldwide and conference affiliation during this time. Additionally we would assume that the choir, also took active role in the spiritual life of the church.
The world of Peoples sadly missed the Lords, but accepted the itinerant nature of the pastorate and welcomed Reverend Frank H. Hall in 1909. Reverend Hall served until 1912. It was during his pastorate that the church choir raised $800 to match a like amount given by Andrew Carnegie for the purchase of an Esty Pipe Organ. While it may place some information out of order the next, episode in this history of Peoples will concern itself with the history of the organs that have served Peoples Church.
Having found few detailed records for Stewards and Leaders or Administrative Board from the 1890’s through the Era of World War I, I am indebted to Dr. Malcolm Cass and some of the earlier historians for compiling what is included in this piece of the retold history of Peoples Church. In January 2004, Rosemary Herd in cleaning the old kitchen in the vestry discovered a rich trove of records including some of the missing trustees’ records and membership books. Some of the information that those sources produced can be found within the writing of the next few months as well.
In 1890 T. F. Jones was appointed to the charge and served two years in 1893 and 1894. Ira Ross followed him from 1895 to 1897 and William Wood who served for the following two years succeeded him in turn. It is noted elsewhere that it was during his ministry that on the occasion of Rev. Wood’s presence he recommended that the outstanding debt be paid off. The church body took two actions to raise money. One method was by adopting a special subscription program to pay off the long-standing debt incurred during previous years. Pastor Wood must have been something of a taskmaster because the other means of paying the outstanding debt was to have an additional collection each Sunday for those that may not have been willing to accept the subscriptive method of pledging. At any rate the church was successful in paying off the debt, perhaps because of the tactics that this particular pastor seems to have insisted on.
The next two pastors, W.F. Holmes and J. A. Corey served for a short term each until 1903. No outstanding pieces of information were recorded that involved them or the congregation during that period of time. One small piece of information discovered in the records of the trustees for the year 1903 was gleaned from a receipt paid to Southworth Brothers on March 3 of that year. This was a bill owed to them in the amount of $1.25 for 250 flyers pamphlets) that had printed. Southworth Brothers was a printing company located in the city of Portland. During that same year in addition to paying for a pastor the church voted to pay both the organist and the chorister (leader of the choir). The church also voted to give to the music department a total of $25 for new music. What does that say when the 2004, 101 years later included $50 to be expended on music?
Often the significance of a period of time in the life of a church is determined by the effectiveness of its pastor. From 1903 until 1909 Reverend Wilmot P. Lord and his wife graced the spiritual leadership of Peoples. To this date no one had been Pastor of the church for more than a few years at a time. The short term that most pastors had served in the past was a remnant of the day when most pastors were itinerant and didn’t stay in any parish for any great length of time or were expected to serve more than one charge at a time. During the term of the Lords’ the parsonage next to the church was sold and moved from that lot, and a parish house and kitchen were added to the rear of the vestry. The cost of the project undertaken, only a few years after nearly a disastrous financial condition had prevailed, was $760. Since the parsonage was sold and no other parsonage would be purchased until 1914 a housing allowance was provided during the interim between church owned parsonages. It is also reported and recorded that sometimes the housing allowance was used to pay a parishioner for the housing that they provided the pastor and his family through the rental of rooms or a floor in multi-family housing. When the trustees had voted to sell the parsonage and prepare the area for the new parish house, the pastor already was living elsewhere and the parsonage had actually become a church run apartment house with two tenants. There was some question about whether one of the families “were behaving themselves” even though they were not forced out until the trustees took their vote. It may have been that the trustees felt uncomfortable as landlords and that maintaining the property was costing as much as the rent that was taken in. Charles A. Tilton, the elected President of the Trustees proposed that he buy the parsonage for the amount of the remaining indebtedness on the building and also pay for the cost of moving the building to another location of his choosing. With Trustees approval the parsonage was transferred to Mr. Tilton, the inhabitants were evicted and the house was moved. Mr. Tilton had to move the house by July 1, 1904, which was done, even though authorization and transfer didn’t occur until May.
Adding members to the Board of Trustees in 1903 apparently was by interview of said candidate by committee. The interviewing committee consisted of the pastor who at the time was W. P. Lord and the head of the trustees, Charles A. Tilton. The candidate in August of that year was Captain Lincoln Jewett. Captain Jewett in response to the interview indicated that at this time he was reluctant to become a member. In another interview the candidate was Captain Arthur J. Brown who was emphatically interested. Trustees at the request of Captain Jewett did not vote for his membership while they did vote unanimously for Captain Brown. However in all the records that have been perused can we find any mention of Captain Brown actually attending any meetings.
Most frequently recorded names of trustees from the 1890’s through the years of World War I included Charles A. Tilton, George. W. Doughty, Albert E. Thurrell, William Studley, Edwin Boultenhouse, and John Fisher. Many of these same names are recorded as the primary members of the Board of Stewards and Leaders as well. In time the latter Board would become known as the Official Board which eventually became the Administrative Board and finally the Church Council. The Church Council actually was a merger of the Administrative Board and the Council on Ministries..
The other major change in church procedures that took place during the period of the Lords was that the practice of selling pews came to an end. This was not just a local option, this was a directive from the Maine Conference. Selling of church pews had been a practice in many New England churches in particular and not simply a Methodist practice. Many older Congregational churches in New England still show by the configuration of their pews that pews had been family owned. When the change occurred at Peoples the end of the exclusive use of pews by individuals or families happened. One would also say that social-class differentiation also came to an end. The old pews that had been used since 1853 were taken out and replaced by new pews that provided a semi-circular configuration to the sanctuary. Even though the selling of pews came to an end we can be assured that some pews even in the church of today are known as the pew for a particular family. Even today the ushers seem to know where people prefer to sit and, therefore, guide newcomers to seats away from those that one might think are reserved for church members of long standing.
Before the Lords moved on the fiftieth anniversary otherwise known as the semi-centennial of the Ferry Village Church occurred. A booklet describing history of the church to date was compiled along with a full description of church activities available at the time. Black and white photographs of some of the influential people in the church added to the booklet that was not published until 1905. The list of trustees included one woman, Mrs. Lucy F. Studley, widow of William F. Studley, among its 10 members. The Board of Stewards included two women; Mrs. John E. Fisher who’s husband also served with the Stewards and Mrs. James M. York. This body also consisted of 10 members. The elevation of women into roles of significance was beginning to increase. One would note that the impetus for the women’s movement on a national scale had a great deal of impetus from the church life gave to women.
The Ladies Circle, Home Guards (Girls), Epworth League (Mixed Youth), Queen Esther Circle (Missions), Knights of the Twentieth Century (Boys Group), Standard Bearer Company (Missions), and Little Light Bearers were all active organizations of the church with worldwide and conference affiliation during this time. Additionally we would assume that the choir, also took active role in the spiritual life of the church.
The world of Peoples sadly missed the Lords, but accepted the itinerant nature of the pastorate and welcomed Reverend Frank H. Hall in 1909. Reverend Hall served until 1912. It was during his pastorate that the church choir raised $800 to match a like amount given by Andrew Carnegie for the purchase of an Esty Pipe Organ. While it may place some information out of order the next, episode in this history of Peoples will concern itself with the history of the organs that have served Peoples Church.
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