Thursday, March 23, 2006

Rev. Athalia L. J. Irwin - A Bouquet of Verses

For those of you who read the UU history magazine, Rev Irwin was featured in an article in the last few years - certainly saved me a lot of research! As noted earlier in the blog, I went to her grave in Columbia, SC - and will at some point post pictures. On her tombstone is words to one of her poems, and this little book contains more. It was privately printed in 1905, dedicated to her friend of spiritual benefactor, the Rev. Quillen H. Shinn, D. D. As typical of poems of that era, they're sentimental - the Victorian era was known for that. I include below not the best poem, but a typical (and atypical shorter) one. She includes a poem written July 1898, when she left the Baptist Church - and one she wrote on the day she was ordained as an Universalist minister, November 30, 1902. Father Clayton didn't keep his Columbia SC Universalist Church open very long - but certainly Rev Irwin was one of the major highlites!

Sunday, March 12, 2006

My Going to various U Churches - part 1 introduction

Today, I had planned a crazy plot of going to Red Hill Universalist, near Clinton NC
hearing the service there, and then heading fast back to Florence SC UU and hearing the service there (eating lunch in the car) . The Florence folks would appreciate that, as we have the hymnals.....

We've been to Red Hill a couple of times, usually making a day trip of it;
but I had heard that someone was going to be doing a talk on a topic I was highly interested in.
So I wanted to go. And didnt want to not fullfill my responsiblities to my local church either.
(note that important word: responsiblities)

The topic I was interested in, was made smaller, and a new - more important topic added -
and I still wanted to go.

But this morning, I woke up - sinsus were bad, head was throbbing, and I just knew we couldnt drive all those miles and then drive all the way back with no break ...

So my SO looked at me with amazement when I said that "it doesnt make much sense to go, does it?" And as the time approaches 10 AM, I feel bad that Im not at Taylor's Bridge, getting ready to discuss the sunday school lesson....

... at least I will be going to an UU service later today....

Ya know there are people who dont want to go 10 minutes to their local church - why do i go 30 -45 minutes (one way) to mine, and why would I litteraly spend hours going to 2-3 other churches?

Not going to provide an answer in this introduction,
(of course, that's why its an introduction!)

Saturday, March 11, 2006

Canon, GA again


Scott Wells linked to the previous post (and he even got a comment on it!)

so, I figured i would get another link from this one ;-)

so, Scott, did you get to live and this place? and note Rev Rasnake....

Thursday, March 02, 2006

What the Universalist Church is Doing 1907-1909

this is "an illustrated Compendium of Information Relating Chiefly to the Years 1907-1909"
complied by the General Superintendent William McGlauflin.

"Faith working through Love"

I need to get my scanner working as this includes a picture of the "Universalist Headquarters in Canon, Georgia" a two story building with equipment costing $5,500. Home of the Universalist Herald, Rev. John M. Bowers, editor and propereitor; and the headquaters of the district Supervisior, Rev. J.M. Rasnake

The National Council of Superinendents are pictured, Rev A. G. Strain of Ariton, Alabama.
Rev C. W. Hilstren of Hopkinsville, Ky. Rev L.R. Robinson of Harriman, Tenn, Rev Thomas Chapman of Clinton, NC. The 25 state superintendents include Rev. J. M. Rasnake of the Canon Georgia District, Rev John S. Cook in South Carolina.
Chatanooga, Tenn got their first pastor.

the Women's National Missionary Association surports a Home Mission and church extention movement at Durham NC - Rev W.O. Bodell in charge.

the Young People's Christian Union has led missions in Harriman, Tenn, and Atlanta Ga.
it's convention in 1894 in Harriman, Tenn was the first National Universalist meeting in the south. Its 1900 convention in Atlanta was the second.

The Junior Young People's Christian Union was founded in Harriman, Tenn in 1894 by Mary Grace Canfield, who was its first superintendent.

Universalist Herald is a weekly - Devoted to Temperance, Moderation and reasonable interpertaion of Religion.

there are two other southern universalist papers
the Colored Universalist, edited by Rev. Joseph Jordan of Suffolk, Va
and the Universalist Bulletin, published in South Carolina!

New Church buildings include
Tarpon Springs, Florida - the old building burned in 1908, new building and parsonage
Camp Hill, Alabama - 263 members

New Parsonage include
Canon, Ga

Mission work includes
Rev Richard M. Smith working in Montgomery, Al
Rev. J. Wyatt in North Georgia
Rev Leonidas A. Lowery in South Georgia
Rev W. O. Bodell in Durham, NC - working for WNMA
Rocky Mount, NC - planning to build, owns lot
Pink Hill, NC - Union of Universalists and Unitarians in 1908, own building
Chattanoga, Tn - organized 1907
Newberry, SC - building parsange

pictures include: the 1907 Outlaw's Bridge NC building; Burruss church in Hamburg, Florida,
Clinton, NC church building

missionary work in Suffolk, Va; Co-operative Church in Cuba,

and news flash: October 1909 committee exists to build a church to honor S. H. Quinn in the south - among the members were the southern supers and: Mrs. M. O. Winstead, NC; W. Crouch, WVA; John S. Cook, Newberry SC (new super); W. M. Conine, Al; Mrs. T. C. Credile, Fl; and Rev Ahalia L.J. Irwin, NY

besides Cook mentioned above, another new super is Charles P. Hall of Penasacola, Fl.

Mississippi NWMA state convention founded.

Friday, February 17, 2006

universalists in Atlanta, part 2

http://www.pitts.emory.edu/Archives/text/rg026.html the link is the Emory U collection of UandU material from Atlanta - it tells a slightly different story than has been mentioned earlier here.
Rev W. C. Bowman started an Universalist church in Atlanta in 1879, it lasted a year. Father Clayton in his autobiography mentions that Bowman left after one sunday service to become a spirtualist - leaving Clayton to edit the Atlanta Unversalist weekly newspaper! Rev Q. H. Shinn was next starting in 1893, leading to the formation in 1895 of the First Universalist Church of Atlanta. They merged with the Unitarians on November 14, 1918 to become the Liberal Christian Church, and moved over to the Unitarian Church building in 669 W. Peachtree St. In 1944, they broke away from affliation with the Unitarians (dunno about the Universalists) due to disagreements over segregation. In 1951, the AUA sold the building out from under the congregation. In the Spring of 1952, the AUA send Rev. Glen Canfeld to restart the United Liberal Church (as it had been known since 1927). The last Universalist Register i have is from the 1930s, and it was affiliated then. Emery has board minutes of the FirstU from 1900-1907, and Mission Circle Minutes from 1897-1899, as well as a history of Universalists in Atlanta.

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

1937 Southern Young People's Conference

christian leader august 28, 1937

"Southern Religious Liberal Young People's Federation" met July 23-15, 1937

hosted by the members of the YPCU at Burruss Memorial Universalist Church near Ellisville Mississippi.

representives:
Kentucky 1
North Carolina: 6
Georgia: 21
Alabama: 15
Louisiana: 1
Florida: 1
Mississippi: from Burruss and 2 from Our Home Universalist Church near Laurel.

Miss Juddye Bowers, granddaughter of John M. Bowers was president of the SRLYPF
Charles Herrington was president of the Burruss YPCU.

speakers included: Rev Leonard C. Prater, superintendent of Georgia
Rev. Thomas Chapman, minister of Burruss
Rev. Charles G. Girelius, minister of the Unitarian chruch of New Orleans
Dr. Lyman Ward, president of the Southern Industrial Institute of Camp Hill, Alabama
Rev. George C. Boorn, "in charge" of Friendly House, Canton , NC

new officers for next year include (1937-8)
J. Andrew Frazier, Cover Creek, NC president
Eugene Luening, Lousville, Ky vice president
Juddye Bowers, Cannon, Ga, secretary
Rufus McCall, Pensacola, Fl treasurer
Oleta Grantham, Ellisville, Ms board
James Guffin, Winder, Ga board

Dr Ward hopes to have the 1938 conference at Camp Hill.

2006 note: this was both Universalist and Unitarian youth