NEWS ARTICLES
Of
PIKE COUNTY ILLINOIS
Before the Quincy Baptist Association last Evening
From the Quincy Daily Journal, October 6,1892
Contributed by Delaine Donaldson
The Jubilee Session yesterday evening of the Quincy Baptist Association was well attended, the First Baptist church, Fourth and Jersey streets, being well filled. The speaking platform was banked in lovely plants and flowers and on the wall above the platform in letters of evergreen was the word, :Jubilee.
Moderator, the Rev. J.T. Green, presided, and the devotional services were led by Elder Henry Lynds.
Then came the feature of the evening, an historical address by Elder William Hawker of Perry, Illinois. The venerable elder is a man of impressive appearance. Rather below the average height, his well-built frame must have possess great strength, and it is yet sturdy despite the many years that it has withstood. The frank, open resolute countenance is lighted by kindly dark-blue eyes. A snowy beard that lends effect to the face and the silvery locks that cover the splendid head, all add to the impressiveness of the Nestor of the association.
In reply to inquiry after the session, Elder hawker gave the following points about his life:
He is 77 years of age. He was born in England, but was brought to this country when an infant. He has been preaching for over fifty-six years. He preached his first sermon in New York when but 20 years of age. He reached Chicago in 1843, and that year became pastor of the church in Dundee, Kane county, Ill. He went to Pike in 1814 and preached at Pittsfield and Payson.
Elder Hawker is the eldest minister of any denomination in Pike county. His home is in Perry, Pike county, Ill. he is not now in a pastorate, but as he laughingly expressed it, h is congressman-at-large. He lost his estimable wife about four years ago. He has one child living.
Of his valuable work in the cause of Christ others speak in the highest terms. His has indeed been a long life of Christian labor.
Elder Hawker is an excellent speaker. His voice is strong and his enunciation is clear and distinct. He never read a sermon in his life, always preaching extempore. Following is a full synopsis of his able, interesting and eloquent address, of which he has been an entire year collecting the material.
In all the business affairs of this life it is thought to be wise to call a halt to examine and find out, if possible, the true condition of our business. The merchant will invoice his stock of goods and examine his book to find out his financial condition. This is wise and commendable. On this fiftieth year of our existence as an association, we call a halt to examine our past history, or recall all the way the Lord our god has brought us..
November 10, 1832, a meeting was called at Perry, Pike county, Illinois, to consult in reference to the formation of an association. At this meeting it was agreed to meet with the Blue River, Baptist church Couth at Griggsville, June 8, 1833. At this meeting an association was organized called the Blue River Association of United Baptists. September 4 and 5, 1840, a convention was held with the Union Baptist church, Mendon, Adams county. T6he result of the deliberations of this meeting was the formation of the Western Baptist association; the Blue River and the Western, with the First church, Quincy, Payson and Centerville churches belonging to the Salem association.
August, 1842, the Blue River association met with the Griggsville Baptist church. At this meeting the following resolution was passed:
Resolved, That our delegates to the Western association be and are hereby empowered to negotiate a union of the two associations, provided a union can be effected satisfactorily to the contracting parties.
The committee brought about a union of the Blue river and Western associations Sept. 9, 1842. The new association was called the Union association. Aug 24, 1843, this Union association met with the First Baptist church, Quincy, and the constitution was then amended by changing the name in the article first from Union to Quincy.
At this first meeting the following nineteen churches composed the association: Barry, Blue River, Union Salem, Centerville, Griggsville, Payson, Bay Creek, First church of Quincy, Perry, Liberty, Pleasant Vale, Hadley Creek, Mt. Sterling, Pittsfield, Chambersburg and Brooklyn.
The ordained ministers and elders were: Charles Harrington, Calvin Greenleaf, Jesse Elledge, Thomas H. Ford, Henry Davis, Ambler Edson, Wm. Hobbs, Edwin Brown and J. C. Seger. These pioneer ministers have finished their course, kept the faith and have received their crown of righteousness. In the abundant facilities of this day and age for ministerial education, the impression on the minds of some is that these pioneer ministers were unlearned, if not ignorant men. But no person ever labored under a sadder mistake. It is true not one of them, so far as I can remember, had spent from six to ten years in a college studying for the ministry or learning how to preach; but all of them were men who were mighty in the scriptures. There were few books and reviews and newspapers in their day, if there had been their salaries, if they received any, were so small they would have been unable to have bought them, and if they could have obtained them, the larger part of them would not have been able to spare the time to have read them. I have seen Elder Thomas H. Ford, pastor of the Barry church, working on the shoe bench with the Bible open before him, study his sermon for his sermon for the Sabbath. The sermons of those men were gathered out of the Bible. They made the Bible the one book of their study. The preached that Gods only plan of saving sinners was by faith in a divine but crucified and risen Savior, and God abundantly blessed their labors in the development of the Christian in his spiritual nature and in the conversion of sinners. It would be a godsend for this world if a D. D. of this age could have received a few lessons of Bible theology from such old pioneer Baptist ministers.
In connection with those old pioneer ministers we must not omit to notice those sainted women, their wives. Many of the church of this association will never know how much they are indebted to them for their existence. These noble women would remain at home spinning, weaving and making clothes for themselves, their husbands and their children, besides doing their other household work, while their husbands would be away for weeks at a time preaching the gospel in the then sparse settlements of the country. Often living miles from a neighbor, with the grey wolves howling around at night and an occasional panther crying and whining, I have asked them, Were you not afraid? They answered, No we would roll a backlog against the closed door, for there were few if any door locks in that day, put our little children into bed, then kneel down by its side and commit all into the hands of our Heavenly Father. These noble women are now in heaven resting from their labors, and their works are following them.
The following statistics for the fifty years will be of interest:
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Baptized.............7, 275
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The gain has been as follows:
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It should be remembered that of those who have gone, very many are helping to build up church elsewhere.
Arriving now, as we have, at the half way of the century, solemn facts and weighty responsibilities force themselves upon us. Those who organized this association and labored to bring it up to what it is are resting from their labors or are laid by with the infirmities of age. The work must be laid upon other shoulders. With the work of the past fifty years to commence with and all the other advantages of this generation, God has a right to expect from greater things than the fathers ever saw.
My days of active life are almost gone, but long as I live I shall say in reference to the Quincy association:
For her my prayers ascend,
To her my cares and toils be given,
Till toils and cares shall end.
The address by Elder Hawker was followed by short speeches of the oldest members of the association, who related many interesting reminiscences. Among those who spoke were Mrs. Thompson, of Payson, and Deacon Henry Lynde, of Griggsville, both of whom attended the first meeting of the association fifty years ago was listened to with closest attention and at times more than one eye was moist as the speaker brought up the tender memories of half a century; years echoing with sweet labor for God; years illuminated with the good work done; years draped in the sadness of the parting from the co-laborers, gone to their reward.
After the address there was a short silence. Then a delegate arose and moved that the address be spread upon the minutes of the association and that it be printed and distributed among the churches. The motion was adopted by a unanimous vote. . . .
