The Congregational Church

Tbe rtHgngtlfw of pastors of churche in tliis city seems to have become eplil. mie. and iiow the Ooojrreratioin] 80 clety Iim been placed i" a üke potltlon wiiii the Preebyterlan and Baptist hv roe reslgnatiou of its pastor, I!-v. Dr. Ryder who haa acoepted a profeseorablp in tbe Andover Theologie! Heminary at Andover, Mats, At this time perhapl a ibort h story of the church, togetber wlth a ent of tlie churcli edifico miglit notbe Inapproprtate. In the eaily days of this city the Congregalion alista onlted wlib the Preabyterians, but In 1810 a división aróse 011 some doctrinal polntt. and the Congre(rationallsts agreed to go alone. Oo K b 9tb, is47, at a meeting at the reaidence of Charles Mosley, it was unanlmnuslv resolved "to organize a CongrejfationHl church in Aun Arbor'1 Dr. Oeo. HUI, Win. K'nifley and Win. B. Baundera were uppolnted a committee to seleCI :i lot, and 011 Marcb 2d, purebased one at the cor. of 6th iiud Washington Ma., on wliich the church Bdlflce now owncil and liaed by ZIons church was afterward erected, belny iledlcated In 1841). Ihe soiiety starten wlth 47 inembera In 1S47, and the lirst sermón was preached Sundiv. March 28th, in the eourt hou.'e, BÜêv. E. 1'. Ingersoli preacblng the ser111011. who supplted tbe pulpit bearly iWn .ii-. The nexl paator was Rev. 1Smitii Hobart, who contlnued untll 1884, umi duriDff liis time 109 were recoived into the church. Rev. Wm. L. alnthei c&lled to the paatorate In 1856, reiriMn" about tliree yeara, hnvlnj atlded ;üi ppnouato the church. For the interviiiing year Prof. J.v. EaterbrooV wippi led the pulpit untll l!'-v. Bunuel 1. Uocbran was called in 1868 remainlnji umi] l.srl. nddlit]t (iü memlters. Then followud Itev. Geo. Cüiidee for n tew iimnthr, Rev. E. A. Btldwiu followlnjf i 1 ï ui, resiniiig in Aug. 1 s'7. T27 Ilieinbt-r havIcR b-en recelved during i puslorate. [11 188 Ki-v. Win. A. Smiih fllled the pulpit, ülvlng plaee to Rev 11 L. llubbell in April 1869, who renialued untll 187G. After Mr. Hubbell'i reaignatlon the pulpit wüa Bupplied by varióos minister uu til March 1-t. 1877, vhen the chureli called to it - paatorate Rv Wm. H. Ryder, of Oberlln College, who eatered upon ihe service of the church the flrsl ui May l"l "wiuK. This pastorate stlll coiitiiiiies. Dpon the 4tli of My, iv; atler ulne y ars of unitcd labor, the ohiirvh liad so lar recovared fróin its ".-trong imression iigainst Ih" nlility of lntrtilntln" Miat il united with 1 cmn -i1, mlle.i f.-r tbat pnrpo-e, in Installio Mr. Rydvr. Duriny tliete la-t ten year ihe d.'l.t iif 8,000, conti actftd in building the limic ui woralil', ha been paid, 1 it upon whicli lli; cliuich stands bas been enlurued by pinchase, and $44,606.78 llave ueen expended In paylng the debt, in iroprovenients and current expetiêef, and $13.81)1.117 have been contributed to bi'Di-voli'iit objects. The church has reeiicii ihree uundred and ü f tv Beven members - one uundred and fourteen of wli. .m have uojled upon coufesbion ol taiiii. The Board of I). icons h ai snffi-rcd chaugea by the. deatli of AhrHii A . Wood and Ihe rutiremeot or Jermiab D. Will.ains and Darlua S. Wood. These vac ancles were fllled by the election of Challe K A lams, RobiTt Campbell and iuf WaplciS. The sulisciKiit rcmoval ¦ t' Pihlf. Achwii fnBl the ittf muir a isciticy inch wm iillc'1 iiy the electlon ( Wulter S. l'eriv. A coiiiniiMee I on r wotneti bus also been anDUally inti-il for kever! yeara, t. suist the iator and deacon in the care of the ),or. The Women'í Borne Mlsslonury Society and the Chlldren'l tfissionary Mxit'v have been orjranized. A s'unday S.-hool of about tliirty nuiners TM organized In the Court Houte n oounectlon witli the iir.-.t Stinday set of tli cliurcb, Mareta 28tii, ist:, )eaeon Mills belnfc appointed snperlnen lent. lic held tliis office for neurly ïinetien year. Durilllt tliis pt-rlod tlie icbool grew tu a ruemberíhlp of three lundred, and in.iny of tlie scliolars beame Chriitlani and uuitud witli the ;liu'cli. Aiur lus resijcuHtion In I)etuber, 1865, Thomas White waa made tuperlotendent, wbo QHed tlie office very mccewfiilly untll lii Bodden dettth üi Mav, I8W. Binoe that time ProfeMor Martin 1.. D'Oojfe bas beeu nprlntenJ ent, and Profeaaoi Walter 8. Perry, lus ifglatant. Through uil Cblt perlod Ibe school lias greatly aided tlie church. It iia contrlbuted generously to cl ureh tnd beneTuient purposes, and the majority of those wlio have iniiud willi the church upon confeulon of faith were immixTs of the Suuday School when tiity entered into this coTeneut, The Ecclèalastlcal Society, compoBed ui luciiiiii n o( the chureb, and meniben et the congiexHllon who contribute t ilic support i' tlie cliuich, was organized upon the 80th if April, 1847. Through these forty years it lias been a ino.-i loyal and faltht'ul .-e-iVüiit of the church and Itai coiilrlbuted to the 8Uport il tlie chiireh more than Olie humired th(U8HDÜ dollars. The bietlireii who have serveil upon ii Board of Trustees have cllectrd and di-liui.si'd this ln'tic aniouiil ol money , meetliijf 'la lull every Obllgatlou asumid, liae built two Milil.nilial liousea of vcir.-liii, nd l'althfully cared fur all the prop rty ooniniitted to thcir hands. All Uib scrviie huí been ïenclcred wilh DO ut her CmpetiBHtiou than the eonscioiisiie-8 of (loinjr a (OOd wolk anil the graletul alleelion pi those whom tliey served. The society as not leSully Inctirporated 11 til AI ncli 11, isTit. ui. n tlie enterprlau ol building ihu new uhuruli made il nei 1 -s ary CuiefuUy to observe legal forma, I: wa iluriiig tlie prri d that followed thla tli -ii tlie society was especially uallcd ni"n to xliutv lis gfnerous enthuslasin, 111 irovidlfig luinld fur lilis great uiuleitukinjí, nnd in which a 11 txci ptioually alde Boalt] ol 'l'iuslees, nnder rite preSldeilvy ol üeacon J. Aliatiu Scolt, uere c-speoially laxed rtiili the labor (.1 providiujj way-i ai. (I ineans and planning aml -up rinti-oding tliia euterprise. Bexlnolli uith the liope i.f rá'Iiinr SI,00() tbev actually expended f4U,0O0. N.-arly or (1ulte $8,000 oí tui s was provided by tbe Lidies Aid S clety, whk-h was Organized to ruise timds tor thi purpose and which is siill a (aitlilul helper of the chiireh and society. A.DDITI0N8 AND DIsMISsInNS SIMK lul OUUA.NJZATKI.N (11 l HE lHI 1U 11 . Wliole n u in oer rcceivnl 1(171 Heoelved oo eoofeMion of faltli 37 Itneeivedhy letter cy Wbole niunhfi' removed 7 Dlstnlned iy letter ol ooramendatlon 55h Heiuovt'd by (lt-aLli ]j Eteiuoved olhfirwlsfi -jr Whole number uoiv on tlie rol S5I