We traveled the roads that my great, great grandfather, Seth Gold Clark, traveled when he visited the churches he was pastor of in Missouri. Our first stop was Hume, MO, then we traveled to Rockville, MO, then to Appleton City, MO which was his home town and we ended our trip at Butler, MO. Below are some photos I took today.
The Presbyterian Church in Appleton City, MO. Rev Clark founded this church and from here he went around the surrounding countryside planting churches and ministring to those in the smaller towns.
He died in Appleton City in 1898 and we went by the cemetery to see his grave site.
The Presbyterian Church in Butler, MO.
In less than three years he organized churches at Holden in Johnson county: Greenwood in Jackson county; Harrisonville and Austin in Cass county; Butler, Lone Oak and Papinsville in Bates county; Hudson (now Appleton City) in 8t. Clair county, and Lamar in Barton county.
From 1871-76 Mr. Clark was financial agent for Highland University. The last two summers of that time were spent with a missionary tent outfit, furnished by Sunday schools in the East. He traveled through northern Kansas and southern Nebraska, preaching daily to congregations averaging 100 on week nights and from 150 to 300 on Sundays. This was strictly pioneer work in regions beyond ministers and churches. He was everywhere gladly welcomed. This tent work he was accustomed to regard as the most successful work of his life.
Note from Presbyterian History
There is a tradition that Father Morrison, of Salina, preached the first Presbyterian sermon in our county. He was a good old man and usually took his text from some place in Revelation.
Next came Rev. Seth Clark, with Elder Taylor. They ran what the boys called a "Presbyterian circus." They used a very large tent for preaching services. Seth Clark was an eloquent preacher. Elder Taylor helped by selling and distributing tracts, books and Bibles. They thought the prospects for a Presbyterian church at Lincoln Center very poor. This was in July 1873.
During 1877-78 he supplied the churches of Iola and Carlyle, Kans.; 1879-80, Baxter Springs, Galena and Empire, Kans.; 1881-5, Rich Hill, Rockville and Hume, Mo., all three of which he organized. He then spent ten years in southwestern Kansas, where he found nine counties adjoining, in neither of which was an organized church. During those years he organized eight churches, seven of which, in spite of drought and consequent depopulation of large districts, are still on our " Minutes." The year 1895 was spent with the Church of Raymore, Mo., which under his labors was much revived, and built a beautiful house of worship.
No service did he ever shirk as too hard, no field as too unattractive. Always and everywhere he loved to proclaim salvation to the uttermost through Jesus Christ. Like every other true missionary, he recognized no bounds of race or clime, but worked and prayed for the universal spread of the gospel. No wonder Miss Mary Clark, the daughter of such a home missionary, should be found to-day a foreign missionary in distant Persia.
What a record! It will never be fully written on earth. His mission work in at least five states, the organization of 31 churches, most of which during the time of his ministry erected houses of worship, his army chaplaincy, his evangelistic work in prisons, battle fields, mining camps, frontier settlements, and in well-established communities east and west, his vigorous advocacy of education at home and abroad—these are a few reasons why he will be long held in grateful remembrance. A few months ago he modestly wrote of himself that his had been “a very busy, checkered life; possibly some good may result.”
The purpose of today's trip was to check out part of my great, great grandfather's legacy but also to fire up what God is doing through me with the gifts granted to me by the Holy Spirit. I feel that my legacy will be in some way connected to the legacy of Seth Gold Clark.
The purpose of this post was partly to share what I discovered and also to stir in you a desire to move forward on your dreams that will lay the ground work for your legacy. Research your family and I believe you will discover a gift like I did and it will come just at the right time.
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