ALASKA CHURCH PASSES CENTURY MARK

Centennial is Observed with appropriate services throughout the day

BIRTHDAY CAKE IS FEATURED

October 2, 1936

Newspaper Unknown

Rev. Graves, Pastor, preaches Morning and Night. Rev. Crane speaks in the afternoon.

The one hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Alaska Christian Church in the northeast corner of Owen county and its thirteenth annual homecoming were observed with fitting services and a dinner and supper Sunday at the church. A large number of members and friends and former workers in the church spent an enjoyable day together.

Sunday school services were held, the National Temperance Board; Rev Crane spoke of the pioneers as individualiss able to do all things for themselves and contrasted them with modern people and their interdependence on the fellow men and the new responsibilities involved.

Short talks were also made by Rev. Lester Ford of Indianapolis, pastor of the Monrovia and Hazelwood Churches; Rev. Mains, Paragon; Rev. A.T. DeGroot of Spencer; Ernest Sink of Ball State Teachers College; Mrs Lola Mannan and others.

A history of the church was prepared and read by Lillian Allee. The church was organized as the Libery Christian Church in Ashland Township in July 1836 and a building was erected two years later. It afterward became known as the Alaska Christian Chruch and the present building (1936) was erected in 1884 in the corner of Owen county, but still keeps its affiliation with the Morgan county churches.

One of the interesting things about the Alaska church is that it has two children--two churches which have been formed by its members who have moved into different communities. One is the Olive Christian Church in Ashland township and the other is the Christian Chapel, northwest of Gosport in Owen county.

The program for the afternoon was in charge of Lincoln Allee, who was ordained to the ministry this year. Rev. Allee was the third man to be ordained there in the hundred years of the church's existence. Mrs Dave Sink and Mrs Webb Stockwell who joined the church in 1873 were both present and were presented with plaques as having been members longer that any others in the church.

Following the supper, an evening service was held with Rev. Graves preaching the sermon. Music was furnished by the Junior choir of the Spencer Christian Church and the evening services at the Gosport Church were dismissed so that the congregation could, with its pastor, attend the Alaska meeting.

Among those attending the centennial were a number of former pastors, descendants of the founders and former workers, including Mr & Mrs N.P. Sink of Indianapolis and their son, Ernest Sink of Muncie; Morton Smith and family and Harley Smith and family of Bainbridge; Mr and Mrs Fred Williams, Vincennes; Mrs Anna Rhea of Indianapolis, and Mrs Lola Mannan of Martinsville. The congregation also enjoyed the fellowship of members from several neighboring churches.