Wilmette Baptist Parish Holds Dedication [Part 3]

MISS BEATRICE SEGSWORTH

The first child to ask for Christian Baptism after the organization of the church was Miss Beatrice Segsworth, eldest daughter of Dr. and Mrs. John Segsworth. From the very beginning of her Christian life she has felt the irrestible pull of the call for Christian services in foreign lands, and to that end, gained her education at New Trier High school, the Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn, New York, Northwestern university and the Y.W.C.A. Training school in New York City. For the past two years she has traveled among the colleges of the country in the interests of the Student Volunteer movement. This summer she is to become the bride of W. J. Kitchen and is to accompany him to China where he has been called to fill the chair of Agriculture at the Canton Christian college.

C. E. THOMPSON

C. E. Thompson who serves this year as treasurer of the church, has served throughout the nine years of his identification with the church as a deacon, as chairman of the Board of Trustees, as a Sunday School teacher, as a member of the Building committee and as Church treasurer. Mr. Thompson is assistant to the President of the Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee Electric Railway company.

HARVEY A. BUSH

Harvey A. Bush is now chairman of the Board of Deacons of the church and head of the Membership department. He has also been serving for a period of three years as treasurer of Benevolences of the Church. He is assistant manager of the Fireman's Fund Insurance company.

CHARLES L. MAJOR

Charles L. Major is one of the six founders of the church and has served from the beginning as chairman of the Building committee. He has also served as Church clerk and as a trustee. Mr. Major is the manager of the Chicago House of the American Baptist Publication society.

WILLIAM M. BURNS

William M. Burns is now chairman of the Dedication Week committee. He has been identified with the church for nine years, in which time he has been the leader of the Men's class and has served both as deacon and as trustee. A year ago, he served as chairman of the Tenth Annivesary committee of the church. Mr. Burns is an officer of the Marsh and Truman Lumber company.

FEATURING THE WORK

Children's Hall

A year ago, it was found that the development of the teaching activities of the church made it impossible to wait until the building of the educational unit two years from now, and so there was constructed a temporary building over the boiler room at the rear of the present structure. This is called Children's Hall and is completely equipped to care for the work of the Beginners and Primary departments and serves many other purposes in connection with the activities of the church.

The Bulletin Board

The movable letter bulletin board erected on the lawn in the front of the church and illuminated at night, is used as a means of promoting the preaching ministry of the church. A verse of scripture or a pithy statement bearing upon moral and religious life is placed there each day by one of the Camp Fire Girls, so that all who pass may read. Many testimonials have come to the pastor and members of the church from various sources as to the helpfulness of the board.

The Illuminated Cross

One of the official members of a sister church in the village recently called up to inform the pastor of the Baptist church that on Friday evening, March 28, he was coming home from work feeling very blue and discouraged because of matters which had transpired during the day. His son had also recently left home to take up residence in a distant part of the country and it was raining hard. As he came up Wilmette avenue the illuminated cross, on the front of the Baptist church suddenly flashed on. It was the initial apparance of the Cross, and its significance so warmed the heart of the passer-by that, as he stated to the pastor, when he reached home, his family found him in the best of spirits and completely adjusted to the demands on life. The Cross is equipped with six 60 candle-power lamps and, together with the Bulletin board, is connected with an automatic clock which illuminates the Cross shortly after sundown and turns it off at 11 o'clock.

The Austin Organ

Together with the Dedication of the completed building, the Baptist church is to dedicate its magnificent new Austin organ, according to specifications drawn up by William H. Barnes, treasurer of the A.R. Barnes Printing company who from boyhood has interested himself in pipe organs and has shown for many years an almost uncanny knowledge of the construction of the pipe organ. Mr. Barnes was sought as organist of the church, and to the great delight of all local musical people, has accepted the position. His interest in the new church is further shown in his generous presentation of an additional stop, the French Horn, which is being installed with the organ.

Mr. Barnes' career has been very interesting. He began the study of music at the age of ten, originally on the piano, and shortly afterward he became interested in the organ. At the age of fourteen he had completed the building of an organ of ordinary church size in his father's residence, which today is a part of a greatly enlarged and improved instrument in his home in Evanston, where it has been heard by organists from all over the country. From the experience gained by this feat and continuous study he has acquired a practical and thorough knowledge of the organ which he has given gratuitously to many churches when planning their new organs. He studied under the famous New York organist Clarence Dickinson; also with the dean of the New England Conservatory, Wallace Goodrich. At the age of seventeen he was organist at the Church of Ascension, later for the past twelve years at Epworth M.E. Church, Edgewater. Mr. Barnes is active in the work of various organists' associations. He has just been made president of the Chicago Artists' association and his coming to this new position will mean a distinct advance in the musical life of the village.