ABOUT the year 18??, some Friends in or near Muncie, and belonging to the Winchester Quarterly Meeting, sent up a request for the establishment at Muncie of a Preparative Meeting of Friends. The petition was granted and the meeting organized. The persons composing the meeting were eighteen in number, twelve adults and six children. The names of the adults were Joseph A. Goddard, Mary H. Goddard, Samuel T. Haines, Calvin Haines, William Carson, Deborah Carson, W. H. Harrington and Lydia Harrington. The Overseers were Samuel T. Haines and Mary H. Goddard. There were no recorded ministers nor elders. Meetings were first held in a room on the north side of the public square, the use of which was freely proffered to the meeting for the purposes of worship. The congregation continued to occupy that room until in January 1880, when their new meeting-house being -completed, the meetings were subsequently held there.
Meetings and Bible-school have been kept up without intermission, from the beginning. Meetings on First Day mornings and evenings, and on the fifth day evenings Bible-school on First Day mornings, before the day meeting. A series of meetings has been held each winter and the refreshings of the Spirit have been very manifest in the hearts of His children, and of all who waited on Him for the revealing of His power. Especially was this the case during the winter of 1878-79, in a series of meetings held for a period of five weeks, under the ministrations of Nathan and Esther Frame, who have been in many places, greatly owned and blessed of the Master in the labor they have been enabled to perform in His vineyard. A large number joined the meeting, and some have done so at other times also. The number at present in the society is about eighty, three-fourths of whom are adults.
The Bible School on First Day morning averages about one hundred, and it is an interesting and profitable exercise. There are eleven teachers engaged in giving instruction. The officers of the school are Joseph A. Goddard, Superintendent; James Cropper, Assistant Superintendent; Edward Moore, Secretary; Samuel T. Haines, Treasurer.
Early in the month of August 1879, final action was taken in reference to the building of a meeting house or place of worship. On Monday, August 4, of that year, the contract having been let, Messrs. Hamilton & Westlake measured and staked the ground at the southeast corner of Wall and Mulberry streets, and on Tuesday, August 5, commenced work on the foundation of the Friends' New Church. The building is a frame, 35x55 feet. Work was commenced immediately and progressed rapidly toward completion. The house, though not a large one, is neat and commodious, and was erected at a cost of $1,400. It was finished in the first month of 1880, and its first occupation for worship was on the third First Day in the first month of 1880. The house was fully paid for before it was opened for religious worship, an example richly worthy of general imitation. It has a seating capacity of about 400.
The Muncie Preparative Meeting of Friends belongs to White River Monthly Meeting, and to Winchester Quarterly Meeting. The present Trustees are Joseph A Goddard, Calvin Haines and Robert Meeks. The only Elder is Mary H. Goddard. The Overseers are Mary H. Goddard, Elizabeth Stuffier, Samuel T. Haines, William T. Carson. There are no Recorded Ministers within the limits of the Muncie Meeting.
A good state of harmony has always prevailed, a fraternal spirit exists among themselves and toward other religious assemblies of the city, and a purpose of unity and cheerful co-operation with every good and benevolent work pervades the hearts of the members of Friends' Meeting. The Friends in Muncie feel that the Master has a work for them to do among the people, and they are humbly trying to follow the leadings of the Heavenly guide, and the light within that lighteneth every man to profit withal, in accomplishing the work allotted them to perform. (Page 155)
CHAPTER IX.
EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION-PROTESTANT METHODIST.
FIRST MEETINGS OF THE ASSOCIATION-FIRST MEMBERS-MINISTERS IN CHARGE-- PRELIMINARIES TO THE ERECTION OF A CHURCH EDIFICE. -TRUSTEES-THE NEW CHURCH, ITS COST AND DEDICATION-EMBARRASSMENTS-SALE OF THE CHURCH BUILDING-DISSOLUTION OF THE ORGANIZATION.
THE first meetings held by this organization were at the house of Emamuel Rich, on the south side of East Adams Street, in March 1859. Rev. Mr. Myers was the minister and preached the first sermon. Through the agency of these meetings, a standing among the religious societies' of the day was obtained, and meetings frequently held at the house of Mr. Rich and elsewhere, Mr. Myers being a frequent visitor. During the progress of events other meetings were held and other ministers were in attendance and participants on these revival occasions. In this way services were held for about two years; the congregations consisting, generally, of about the following persons: Emanuel Rich and wife, Levi Rich and wife, Charles Gift and wife, Henry Bartlett and wife, Elizabeth Wilson, Emma Miller, William Rich, Mary Kepley and a Mr. Geiger and wife.
The officiating ministers in their order were about as follows: Rev. Chamois, Rev. Rhodes, Rev. George Wails. Under the administration of Mr. Wails, about the year 1867, the congregation purchased a lot of Mr. Charles Rickert, for $300. At that time, the Trustees were Charles Gift and Levi and Emanuel Rich. An effort began to be put forth, shortly after, to erect on that lot a church edifice. In due time the building was put under contract, and finally completed some time in the year 1870, at a cost of about $2,700. Afterward, in August following (1870), it was formally dedicated by Rev. Mr. Shaffer, assisted by Rev. George Wails, the Pastor in charge. About the time of the purchase of the lot for church purposes, the Association was regularly organized under the law, then in force, governing church corporations. On the 4th of February 1867, the following certificate was prepared and filed, and subsequently recorded among the miscellaneous record of Delaware County: "Muncie, February 4, 1867. This certifies that pursuant to a notice in the 'Delaware County Times, January 24, 1867, by P. Roth, preacher in charge, the following named members of the Evangelical Association met at the house of Emanuel Rich: Emanuel Rich Levi Rich. William Rich, George T. Wilson, Charles W. Gift, J.C. A, Sholz, James Kepley, James Churchill, Thomas Wilson, Mary Rich, Mary Kepley, Elizabeth Wilson, Clara A. Wilson, Emma B. Miller, Phoebe Gift, Ann Mott.
The following officers were then and there elected: Trustees-Emanuel Rich, one year; Levi Rich, two years; Charles W. Gift, three years. George T. Wilson, Secretary and Superintendent of building; P. Roth Preacher in charge; L. Rich, Chairman."
The association maintained an active existence until some time in the year 1872, when, owing to financial embarrassments brought about in the building of a church edifice and other expenses incidental there to, it succumbed to the pressure of circumstances, and sold the church building to the congregation, since called the Protestant Methodist Church of Muncie, for the sum of $1,800. Since that time the Association appears to have disbanded, as we find no evidence of its continued vitality. (Page 156)
METHODIST PROTESTANT CHURCH.
This church was organized in the autumn of 1872, in the building then recently occupied by the Evangelical Association, from whom it was purchased by this society. The outgrowth, indeed, of the Methodist Church, came from the dissolution or disbandment of the Evangelical Association. The dissolution of the one and the organization of the other, which were nearly simultaneous acts, was not necessarily a mergence of the former into the latter, notwithstanding many of the members of the Association united with the successor. Some of them, however, did not, nor did any of them as a body.
The organization was effected under the leadership of Rev. J. H. Luse. Simon Dick was elected Leader; D. V. Buchanan, E. A. Keys, Emanuel Rich and Mary Campbell, Stewards. Rev. J. H. Luse continued in charge of the pastorate until the fall of 1875, when he was succeeded by Rev. B. F. Clark, who continuing with the church one year, was in turn succeeded by Rev. H. M. Bayer, who remained till the fall of 1878. Then came Rev. S. J. Jones, who, remaining one year, was succeeded by Rev. T. E. Lancaster, whose charge terminated in September 1880, since which time the church, has been without any permanent Pastor.
The church in its brief career, has encountered many obstacles tending to retard its progress, but one by one they have been overcome through the well-directed efforts of Pastor and people, and these efforts have been crowned with success, while the prospects for the future are encouragingly propitious. In the meantime, the church edifice has been remodeled, the room painted and carpeted and otherwise rendered more pleasant and inviting. Now, the building presents a very beautiful interior as well as exterior. It is of brick, one story in height, very commodious and easy of access, being situated on Lot No. 7, of Kirby's Second Addition to Muncie, on the north side of Jackson Street, west of Vine.
The following persons constitute the present membership: D. V. Buchanan, Susannah L. Buchanan, Christina Bartlett, Naomi Clark, John Culbertson, Mary Culbertson, Mary Campbell, Simon Dick, Susan Dick, William Dick, Lizzie Dick, A. J. Fleming, Mary Fleming, Robert Gordon, Margaret Gordon, James Helvie, E. L. Keys, Eliza A. Keys, Louisa Miller, Susan Nichols, Emanuel Rich, Mary Rich, Mary Betts, Mary Watts, Louisa Adams, Thomas Hassett, Laura Hassett, Anna Ballinger, Nancy Clark, Mary Luckey, Delila Howard, Cass Simpson, Lucy Simpson. (Page 156)