Gleanings From
In Christian Fellowship
By Shirley Lindahl
Edited by Jerry Rutherford
Financial Problems Mounting
Executive board meetings for the newly formed Community Church (the joining together of the First Congregational Church of Kirkland and the First Methodist of Kirkland) were held in the office of Burke and Farrar, realtors, instead of the church. Perhaps it was an economy move for at this time they also voted to discontinue the lights in the Methodist building and to remove the meter. The church was $461 in arrears on the pastor's salary. A fee of 41 per week was charged the school district for use of a room by the school orchestra.
Finance became a prime concern and who understood the problem better than Rev. Newberry, who suggested "that the pastor be supported in the matter of the systematic canvas be helped by volunteers to call on all of a list to be prepared by the pastor." A. B. Newell came up with a possible solution. He suggested that the poll books of the town be procured and a committee select from them a list of names to solicit for subscriptions. When this had been done 1800 letters were mailed soliciting support for the Community Church. (The record book shows among those responding with donations were the Kirkland Pool Hall and the Pastime Cigar Store!!)
For non-payment of the balance due on the bill to the Lang Stove Co., for the furnace installed the year before, the company threatened to remove the furnace. The treasurer was instructed to pay $10 a month on this bill to avoid removal.
More trouble arose when Northwestern Mutual Fire Insurance Co. inquired whether the fire risk in the building had been reduced as had been recommended. In May the company canceled the insurance on the church building.
"The pastor, Rev. Bowen, also spoke of the advantage of an automobile in his work as it would allow him to do much more work than he could do without one. It was generally agreed that the pastor's work was greatly hindered by not having a machine." He added that if $200 could be paid him in the next few weeks he could handle the balance. (At that time the church owed him over $400 but only had $84 in the treasury.)
A transportation committee was organized to "carry the old people to church on Mother's Day" but no mention was made of helping the pastor obtain his own automobile.
The Community Church sponsored a special Memorial Sunday service in 1923. Invited were members of the American Legion, G. A. R. and Spanish-American War veterans. The church also hosted the Baccalaureate services for the Union A High School on June 4.
The annual meeting held in May, 1923 featured Rev. Bowen's report outlining his eight months in Kirkland. No mention is made in the church record showing if Rev. Bowen ever received any money to help him purchase his automobile, but he did announce that he had purchased one and it had greatly enlarged his field of service. He served as minister until Sept. of l924 when Rev. Newberry returned again.
The Ladies Aid Mother-Daughter banquet realized a profit of $22.50 and it was voted to turn this over to the building committee to pay for cost of construction of a wood shed and garage for the parsonage.
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