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| Ames Intelligencer,
February 23, 1911
A PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ORGANIZED - The fourth
ward is to have a new church organization and a commodious building for
the worship of God as understood by those who affiliate with the Presbyterian
denomination. The recent entry into Ames of several Presbyterians
devoted to the church has brought about the new organization. Heretofore
Presbyterians have come and after a short season of looking around have
either united with other denominations or have retained possession of their
letters. But the new kind to enter Ames society are of the Scotch
variety who are "Presbyterians till they die, who've been baptized in the
Presbyterian faith and stay on the Presbyterian side."
In expressing himself on the situation one
of the charter members said: "I suppose these other churches are alright,
but somehow they do not seem like home to me. Anyway, the fourth
ward ought to have another church and I do not see why we cannot have one
of our faith which will prove an incentive to our people to get the church
going habit. This is essential for a college city. The College
Chapel does not supply the need of the community. It is wrong in
principle. It gets regular church members out of the habit of attending
divine worship. You know we have such a practical college here that
our people have adopted the principle that as salvation is free, it should
be provided by the state and so we have the chapel exercises. I enjoy
these services, but it is not a church home. It promotes bad habits.
After attending chapel for a short time I actually get just like some of
the rest of them and when attending regular church services and the contribution
box comes around I go down into my pockets grudgingly. While the
Chapel services are great intellectual treats, they are failures religiously.
Understand me, I do not say that the new organization is to fight the Chapel
idea. We hope to work with those who attend Chapel. We expect
to supplement the Chapel work by having our services at an hour that will
not conflict with the college services. We hope to reach the college
professor, who has strayed from the regular fold and who is satisfied to
have his salvation furnished him on a gold platter free. We want
to get the students back into the church going habit again. Most
of them come here from homes where the family habit is to go to church.
The chapel is attractive for a short time and then a large per cent of
them drop out of even this and the place which knew them once knows them
no more forever. The Presbyterian church is more tenacious.
It hangs on to a man like grim death. If we can get a chance at these
students and salvation free professors we will straighten them out and
make church goers out of them. Our church does not come though to
make war, but to bring peace.
At the home of Thos. Sloss on the College
campus, the Presbytery of Waterloo organized a church of some thirty members
Tuesday evening. Officers of the church were elected and articles
of incorporation were adopted. The following elders were elected:
Thomas Sloss, Prof. Brown, James Reid. Trustees: Thomas Sloss, Alexander
Grey and George Smiley. The charter membership list will be kept
open until March 1st for additional members.
Preaching services will be held this next
Sabbath evening at the home of Mr. Sloss, conducted by Dr. Purmort of Des
Moines, the Synodical superintendent. The public is invited to this
service, after which the session will meet to receive members. It
is proposed to erect a good house of worship during the summer on the site
of the recent home of Mr. Stewart, at the west gate. In due time
a minister will be placed in charge of the new church as pastor.
The name of the church is "The Collegiate
Presbyterian church of Ames," and while it will be nominally under the
care of the Presbytery of Waterloo, it will be supported by the entire
Synod of Iowa. The purpose of this organization is to provide a church
home for residents near the campus and also to give convenient church privileges
to the many students while attending the college. |
(Photos courtesy of Collegiate
Presbyterian Church Archives)
Note the railroad car along Pike Street (known
today as Sheldon Avenue).
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| Ames Weekly Tribune, November
9, 1914
START CAMPAIGN FOR NEW CHURCH NEAR COLLEGE
- Fifty prominent Iowa laymen and pastors will start this week as a "Flying
Squadron" on a state wide campaign to secure $50,000 for an institutional
church building at Ames to be used as a religious center particularly for
the more than 500 Presbyterian students now attending Iowa State college.
Plans for this "Student's Church" campaign
were developed last week at a gathering of Presbyterian workers from all
parts of the state to meet Dr. J.W. Cochran, secretary of the Presbyterian
board of education at Philadelphia, which has general charge of the religious
work for students at state institutions. President R.A. Pearson and
other members of the college faculty who attended a campaign dinner gave
their hearty endorsement to the movement. Mayor Parley Sheldon of
Ames announced that Rev. W.A. Sunday, the evangelist, now in Des Moines,
had sent his check for $500 to the church fund.
Local college professors and citizens, organized
into teams, Saturday pledged themselves to raise $10,000 in Ames for the
new church. Rev. A.E. Kiser, and Dr. John W. Innis have charge of
the state campaign. Among those on the "Flying Squadron" are Dr.
Frank G. McKern and Rev. J.W. Countermone of Des Moines, Dr. J.A. Marquis
of Coe college, Dr. E.E. Hastings of Fort Dodge, Hon. C.W. Black of Malvern,
Willis Jenks of Waterloo, Rev. J.P. Linn of Marshalltown, Rev. J.E. Cummings
of Council Bluffs, Dr. Elmer A. Bess of Iowa City, Dr. Samuel Conybeare
of Cedar Rapids, Dr. S.R. Ferguson of Cedar Rapids and P.C. Smith of Monticello. |
The billboard at left advertises a musical
event to be held in State Gym.
|
| Ames Weekly
Tribune, December 6, 1917
PRESBYTERIANS TO DEDICATE BUILDING - Next
Sunday will be a red letter day for the members and friends of the Collegiate
Presbyterian Bible school and church, for on that day the beautiful edifice,
which stands at the west end of the campus, will be dedicated, and the
services will be such that it will be an interesting day for the people
of the city.
Possibly there is not a church in the state
which will have the same dedication services as the one to be dedicated
Sunday. There are practically to debts, there will be no appeal for
money. In this day of so much want for the different classes of work,
the constant demand for funds, makes the dedication of such a large structure
stand out as most imposing and that it should be completed with the balance
even is a pleasing thought. The program for the day is a most interesting
one, and will be as follows:
Bible school at 9:30 a.m.
Pre-dedication address by Rev. C.H. Purmort,
D.D., Moderator of the Synod of Iowa,
Des Moines, 10:45
Dedication address by Rev. A.B. Marshall,
D.D., Omaha, Neb., president of Omaha Theological Seminary, 3:00 p.m.
At 7:00 p.m. a union meeting will be held
of the Young People's societies of the Methodist and Presbyterian churches
and the Christian Associations of the college, led by Rev. L.A. Brudford,
pastor of the College Methodist church
Starting at 7:45 post dedication addresses
bearing upon student work in universities, will be given by Rev. Mathew
Allison, Presbyterian University pastor, Madison, Wis.; Rev. A.E. Bess,
D.D., Presbyterian University pastor, Iowa City; Rev. Richard C. Hughes,
D.D., secretary University Work, Philadelphia; Dr. Warren H. Wilson of
the Department of Country Life Work, Board of Home Missions in New York
City.
The public generally is extended an invitation
to attend these services and they will find pleasure in attending. |
This photo is believed to be taken at the dedication
ceremony.
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| Ames Weekly
Tribune, December 13, 1917
DEDICATED NEW CHURCH EDIFICE - The dedication
of the new Collegiate Presbyterian church last Sabbath placed another handsome
structure in the city for the public use and the doors of one of the finest
churches in the city were thrown open to the public. The services
were held during the day, while the dedication service was held at 3 o'clock
Sabbath afternoon. The previous day there had been appropriate services
and the building was inspected by a large crowd of people, who expressed
their admiration on the beauty of the architecture, both inside and out,
and the arrangement of the building on the interior where various rooms
have been so handily arranged.
The dedication address was delivered by
Dr. A.B. Marshall, at 3:00 o'clock Sunday afternoon. Dr. Marshall
is from Omaha and is president of the Omaha Theological seminary.
At 10:45 Sabbath morning Dr. C.H. Purmort, of Des Moines, preached the
pre-dedicatory sermon.
The church was founded in Ames in February,
1911 and Dr. J.W. Innes was named as pastor of the church and has held
the position continuously. Rev. H.W. Johnson was also secured for
the church and has served as community pastor. The two men have worked
hard and long and now the realization of a handsome church has been brot
about. Their efforts have been unceasing and the work has been made
possible by their standing over the state and the interest of the Presbyterians
to have a fine building so near the college campus.
The cost of the work has been about $80,000.
Citizens over the state have subscribed about $68,000 and the balance has
been subscribed by local people. The total number of subscribers
to make possible such a magnificent structure totals 1,200 people.
The addresses Sunday evening had much to
do with student activity and student church life.
Drs. Innes and Johnson and the Presbyterians
of the state are to be congratulated on such a building and Ames is to
be congratulated that such a goodly body of men and women have aided in
the construction of one of the finest church buildings in the state. |
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