The Daily Chronicle from De Kalb, Illinois • Page 113

4 DAILY CHRONICLE. DeKolb, Illinois. Jurw 30, 1970, Section 1 A Backward Glance At Church Customs the changing habit patterns of people are likely to be reflected in the internal changes in church life. The first half of DeKalb's history comes within the orbit ofthe so-called Vjcjorian era. It was gilded age and the al of the Protestant churches were already established and at work.

Others were soon to come and all of them were sincerely devoted io the important task of laving spiritual foundations for the growing commu-' nity. In any centennial period. (EDITOR'S NOTE: The folio wins itory it reprinted from The DeKalb Daily Chronlcle'i Centennial edition of June 8, 1958.) When DeKalb became an incorporated municipality, sever movement The Victorian era was one of orators and many of them found their way Into the pulpit. About every kind of lighting has been used in churches: candle, kerosene, gasoline, gas, and electric. The mechanisms for eary gas-lighting systems was operated by a heavy weight which was "wound up" to furnish motive power.

When they grew dim, someone would go down into the basement, and wind it up again. Heating, too. has gone through many evolutionary changes. DeKalb hardly comes within the period of the fireplace for church heating, but there have been stoves of all kinds, wood, coal, oil, and gas. When central Famous Composer Servedv As First SA Officer Here Dorcas Goodell Christians' Sacrificial Giving Has Marked Baptist History intricate tracery (often called in architectural design was a marked feature.

Out of this era came the "Akron plan" of church architecture which-was widely used. Briefly this provided an entrance at one corner of the sanctuary with the pulpit at the opposite corner and often with provision for opening up side rooms for overflow. Hymn singing has always been an important feature of worship. The reed organ was the most commonly used instrument for accompaniment and some of these were really fine instruments. The organist pumped the wind into the bellows with foot pedals.

Later as the churches grew and reed organs had grown wheezy with age, they were usually replaced with a pipe-organ or an upright piano. The first pipe, organs were hand-pumped, usually by a young man of the congregation or the custodian-the going rate of pay being from 10-25 cents for a service. Church became labor-conscious when the "pumper" struck for higher wages. Moreover a "minister's popularity with the pumper decreased rapidly if he insisted on singing "all seven stanzas" of a given hymn. The manner of serving the Lord's Supper has also undergone change.

By the time DeKalb was founded, the temperance movement was strong with the result that in many churches the "unfermented juice of the grape" was used in the communion service The idea back of this was that no young person should get his (or her) first taste of strong drink in a church service, Then about 50 years ago the apostles of hygiene and sanitation were developing another kind of conscience. There was a nation-wide campaign to get rid of the common drinking cup in schools and all public places. Logic is fierce and soon people were raising about the common communion cup?" The church goods supply houses were quick to sense an opportunity so the individual communion cup system was invented and many churches installed this system. -Not the least important feature of Protestant church life hasvbeen the mass "revival" heating came into vogue, the- stoves were replaced with furnaces. Later steam and hot water systems were installed or the hot air system was improved.

The Sunday School had its beginning in 1780 so it was already an established part of the church program when DeKalb began. Jh past century has seen many changes in methods, lesson materials, and philosophy of Christian education. While many have bewailed the decline of the Sunday evening service, numerous other services have been added which are designed to minister to the specific needs of the people. All of these added services are in respyfhse to increased membership and the growing complexity of society. lt has also resulted in adding' a great many items of equipment of all kinds and this in turn calls for increased budgets so that today the financial program of the churches puts them on a level with "big business." A hundred years ago the minister's chief task was to preach a sermon Sunday morning and evening, The work of the minister has multiplied many times until today in addition to being an authority on the Bible, preaching and worship, he must also be expert in property maintenace, finances, office management, operation of all kinds of machinery needed in the running of a church building, organ repairman, leader of youth, and give his time and moral support to everything that is good for the life of the Community.

i One hundred and twenty six years ago seven Christians met for a prayer meeting in a log cabin in the pioneer village of Union Grove. They began plans for a place of worship for those "of like faith and doctrine." This place of worship was to become the First Baptist Church, organized on Oct. 15. 1844. Union Grove was to become DeKalb.

The woman whose log cabin was the setting for that prayer meeting was Dorcas Goodell, whose descendants, even great-great-great grandchildren, are active in the first DeKalb church to this day. It was nearly 10 years before the fledgling congregation was large enough to start building a meeting house. A site was donated by two brothers who donated sites to each church organization in the village. The Baptists built a small wooden structure. Three short pews on either side at the front faced toward the pulpit, and a gallery, extended across the back of the church.

The choir occupied the gallery at first and Ifi George Bennard man that if he could find a meeting place he and Mrs. Harris would come to DeKalb and help establish the work. A hall next to the drug store at Second and Lincoln Highway was secured and furniture was borrowed. An ensign was appointed to assist Wallis and then Bennard was made a captain and appointed to head the new unit. At one point the enthusiastic band of believers was jailed foi preaching on the streets of DeKalb.

They stood up for their rights so effectively, reports a story in the July 7, 1966 issue of The DeKalb Daily Chronicle, that the mayor backed down and even gave them a lent to worship in. A second famous Army figure also served in DeKalb. He was Shirley Symmonds, corps officer here in 1908, He was the so of a Salvation Army lassie and a Salvation Armyitain. His mother was Lt. Eliza Shirley Symmonds.

The Shirley family started the Army in this country (n a Philadelphia chair factory, according to a spokes man for the local corps. WORSHIPPING Km. ft. 0 A' 1 IV if 1 7 Father John E. Reuland, Pastor ra George Bennard author of perhaps the most popular gospel song evef written, "The Old Rugged Cross," served as a Salvation Army officer in DeKalb from December-1898 to December 1899, according to local Army records.

Contrary to a prevalent story, Capt. Bennard did not write the hymn in DeKalb. According to research done by local music teacher Gladys Jackman, "The Old Rugged Cross" was written in 1913 in Albion, Mich. The first public performance was at a large convention held at the Chicago Evangelistic Institute. From Chicago it was carried to hundreds of churches throughout the United States and it became immediately popular.

Capt Bennard was born in Youngstown, Ohio, and began his ministry as an officer in the Salvation Army. After a number of years he left this work due to ill health and became an inter-denominational evangelist, uniting with the Methodist Episcopal Church. He gave much of the credit for the Inspiration that led to the writing of "The Old Rugged Cross" to his experience in Sal-ration Army work. One of the most exciting chapters in the religious history of DeKalb County is the story of the founding of a Salvation Army corps in DeKalb. Joseph T.

Wallis established the corps here in 1898; it was an outgrowth of a Sunday School class he established amongNchooJ boys while he was employed in a local steel mill. After contacting the Illinois Division Salvation Army headquarters in Chicago, he was told to contact the major in charge of the Aurora corps. Major Harris told the young EDUCATING Mi few Serving over 500 families in and around Sycamore, Illinois CATHOLIC nj (i MMM at Sunday School time the Infant Class met there, When hymns were sung, the congregation rose and faced the choir. There were no musical instruments. Sacrificial giving was common.

One young man sold his cow to meet a $20 pledge a large amount in those days. One deacon dressed in his Sunday blacks and steadfastly went to church to attend a Covenant meeting the Saturday afternoon before monthly Communion even though his field of grain was ready to harvest and a storm was coming UP- A young boy spent his Saturday afternoons in the cellar of the church, chopping wood to feed the two big iron stoves for Sunday service. Even with them going full most families carried hot bricks or soap stones to keep their feet warm. The old wooden meeting house served from 1855 to 1884. The new building was dedicated in September 1885 at the present location.

Second Century 1 o'clock Pastor I Hi SOCIALIZING I 4 ,1 Church School Rectory 244 Waterman Street Salem's Centennia Founded April 4, 1870 and Church Dedication Sunday, April 5, 1970 The Church with a great future in its Worship Services at 8:30 and 1 Church School at 9:40 a.m. alem Evangelical Lutheran Church mm I itawJ The 1 145 DeKalb Avenue Sycamore, Illinois Rev. William E. Kmef, CHURCH OF SYCAMORE.