Untitled Document

BAPTIST CHURCH OF EDGINGTON

The Baptist Church of Edgington Township, organized on August 10th, 1846, has enjoyed a most remarkable history, and extensive religions influence ; sustaining at one time ministerial services at no less than six stations, and acquired a membership of five hundred and fifty-five in the aggregate, of whom three hundred and thirty were received by baptism, one hundred and fifty by letter, and seventy-five by experience.

From this Central Church, three others — the Baptist Church at Antioch, in the township of Duncan, Mercer County, in 1866 ; another — the Hamlet Baptist Church, in Perryton Township ; and the Andalusia Church, located in the village of Andalusia in 1867, assumed separate organizations. The meeting at which this church was organized was held in Mr. Geo. Parmenters' barn, where the village of Edgington is now located.

The congregation, when organized, consisted of seven members. The success of this church is in marked contrast with its organization. Subsequently their meetings were held in a log school-house, and later in a frame school-house, both of which stood where the present school building of Dist. No. 3, known as the Centre school-house, now stands. Rev. Mr. Brabrooks, of Davenport, preached the sermon at the organization of the church, and Rev. Mr. Clark, of Mercer Co., was the first regular minister, and preached about every month until 1848.

The congregation, when organized, consisted of seven members. Rev. Mr. Clark was succeeded by Rev. Charles E. Tinker .from 1848 to 1850. Rev. A. G. Eberhart took charge in 1851 ; this year a meeting was held to devise means by which to provide a suitable meeting-house, and Joseph Seaver, Henry Cline, and Elder Eberhart were appointed a building committee, and during the summer of 1853 — they erected the present church building, at a cost of $2,000, including labor, most of which was provided within the means of the church.

Rev. A. G. Eberhart's pastorate continued into 1853. He was succeeded by Rev. P. Watts in 1854-5, Rev. W. Whitehead in 1856, Rev. John Cummings 1857-8, Rev. 0. T. Conger 1859-67, Rev. J. C. Post in 1868, Rev. J. M. Titterington in 1869, Rev. Samuel D. Ross 1871-2, Rev. Mr. Wylie in 1873, Rev. Ansel Post 1874, son of Rev. J. C. Post, preached a few months in 1875.

The present pastor, Rev. T. A. Williams, was born in Gibralter, April 21, 1823, where his father was a soldier in a corps of sappers and miners in the British service until he was soon afterwards killed; the family then removed to England. Mr. Williams was early brought to a knowledge of the truth, and commenced ministerial services at the age of seventeen years, in Soath Devon. He was educated for the ministry at Houghton, Huntingdonshire. He was ordained as pastor over his first charge at Haddenham, Cambridgeshire, in 1859, remaining six years; he was then called to the Baptist Church at Swaffham, in Norfolk, in 1865, for seven years. His two last years in England were spent as pastor of the Baptist Church at Uxbridge, near London. On March 11, 1847, he married Miss Hepzibah Hayman, of Dartmouth, England. He has one son, Thos. A., and two daughters, Charlotte E. and Mary A., living, and three children dead. He came to this country in 1874, and settled as the pastor of the Baptist Church at La Salle, in June of that year, and in 1875 came to his present charge, having preached the gospel continuously for twenty-seven years. "Wm. Cline was the first deacon.

The present deacons are Jos. Seaver, Stephen Brayton, Jno. Spiekler. The trustees are Jos. Seaver, Lorenzo Parmenter, Dan. Bopes,Jno. Spickler, and Elijah Bateman. The following ministers were ordained by the church : Rev. O. T. Conger in 1859, Rev. J. M. Titterington 1869, Rev. E. N. Elton 1869, now pastor of the Cordova Baptist Church, and Rev. Ansel Post 1875, now pastor of the Baptist Church at Victor, Iowa.

The present membership is fifty-four. A comfortable parsonage was built in 1863, at a cost of about $500, on a lot bought for that purpose for $200. The parsonage and church building are located near the Centre school- house, Dist. No. 3. East of the village of Edgingtoc, for several years after the organization of this church, a Union Sabbath School was kept up by the friends of the various churches; and subsequently in 1852 a Baptist Sabbath School was organized. This school was well provided with such papers as "The Child at Home," and "The Sabbath School Banner." During recent years the Sabbath School is taught during the summer season

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