Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, March 27, 1909, Page 39

| i i ) i l BEMIDJI, BELTRAMI COUNTY AND NORTHERN MINNESOTA. / FIRST PRESBYT ERIAN CHURCH, better known as the ‘“Lumber Jack Sky Pilot.”” Mr. Higgins resigned the church to take up camp work, and Rev. F. J. McLeod was called to the pastorate in 1902, and continued as pastor for two successful years, when he resigned, and the present pastor, Rev. S. E. P. White, was called to take charge of the work. The first church home was a small chapel erected among the jack pines on the site of the present structure; this home ‘was soon found to be inadequate for the needs of the church and the present ‘building was erected. < The work wof the church has alway been forward and each year has marked an advance. Under the present pastorate it has reached self support, beside in- creasing its benevolences and charities and meeting the needs of a larger work. The Sunday school enrollment is 264, the church membership 135. The church enjoys large congregations and a marked spiritual life. Rev. S. E. P. White was born at Ash- land, Ohio, January 1, 1870. He spent his early life on his father’s farm and received his early education at a district school; later he attended the Ashland Normal, and prepared himself for teach- ing. After teaching a year he entered the University of Wooster, from which he graduated in 1896 with a ‘bachelor’s degree. His theological training began at. Princeton university, N. J., and was completed at the McCormick Theological FIRST METHO DIST CHURCH. e Ak AL O R R R S S A S A R y g i b N AT S W LA e SRR R Al B SR S seminary at <Chicago, from which he graduated in 1899. The same year, by supplemental study, he gained the Mas- ter’s degree from the TUniversity of ‘Wooster. Rev. White’s ministerial work has all been confined to Minnesota. He was ordained by the Presbytery of St. Cloud in May, 1899, at Harrison, Minn., and installed pastor of the Atwater and Harri- son churches. His next charge was Kerk- hoven and stations, from where he was called to the charge in Lakefield, Minn., from which place he was called four years ago to take charge of the First Presbyterian church of Bemidji, where he is still pastor. BEMIDJI METHODIST CHURCH. The Methodist Episcopal church in Bemidji was organized May 24, 1898, by Robert Forbes, D. D., then presiding Elder of the Duluth distriet. The present house of worship was erected in 1901. It is a commodius bhuilding, with oak pews and pulpit furnishings, seating 200 in the auditorium and 75 or 80 in the lecture room. The church has a parson- age adjoining. The church building is valued at $6,000 and .the parsonage at $1,500, exclusive of the lots upon which they stand. John Howard Dennison, pastor, native of Wisconsin, and comes from a family that has been 1identified with the religlous development-of the great northwest. As to his education, Rev. Deniston holds two degrees, taking his baccalaur- eate at Cornell college. Later he took advanced cources in the university of Wisconsin. He came to Bemidji from the npastorate of the Western Avenue church in Minneapolis, where he added 100 members there in eighteen months. He came to Minneapolis from Pittsburg, Pa., where he was pastor of the Cen- tenary church, one of the oldest churches of that city, leaving this congregation with a membership of nearly six hun- dred. and a church property value at $55,000. Mr. Deniston regards the endorsement of his work by the public and press of Pittsburg as evidence of his character and worth. Coming to this great ecity a stranger and a westerner, his sermons were soon reported as often and as fully in the daflies as those of any of his colleagues. During his last year in Pitts- burg he delivered the Memorial Day ad- dress In the great Allegheny cemetery for the G. A. R. in the morning, and an address for the Sons of Veterans in St. Peter’s cemetery in the East End in the afternoon. The same year he was in- vited by the Pennsylvania Cavalrymen’s association to produce and deliver the quinquenniel oration at their five-year re- unfon upon the field of Gettysburg July 4, the anniversary of the victory. For the past ten years he has con- tributed more or less to the magazine literature of the day, galning recognition through his training when he had an interest in a news sheet and a job office. His “Strenuous West,” a little poem which was written at the time of Roose- velt’s Chicago speech. and published from the Lakes to the Pacific. called forth a letter from the White House. bearing the signature of George B. Cortelyou, then secretary to the president, saying that the president read the verses of the poem with Interest and thanking the author for them. Mr. Deniston was a ranchy in Nebraska, attained his majority in this voecation. He later owned and managed a weekly news sheet and job office in one of the western towns, and withal he is a gentle- man who s amply qualified to fil1 the position he now holds. is a o ‘)m&'-dry:‘a‘:/