History: Rev Samuel Bower Celebrates 7 Years at First Baptist - 1910

The Matawan Journal's 3 November 1910 edition congratulated Reverend Samuel Bower on the occasion of his seventh anniversary of ministry at the First Baptist Church of Matawan. Here's the text of the article:

Pastor Bower Begins His Eighth Year 

Rev. Samuel Bower, pastor of the Matawan Baptist Church, began the eighth year of his pastorate on Sunday. During the seven years that Mr Bower has ministered to his congregation there have been sixty members to unite with the church, fifty by baptism and ten by letters from other churches. There have been fourteen deaths from among the members of the church. In round numbers, $11,000 have been raised in that time for church purposes. Mr Bower attended the Baptist State Convention at Atlantic City last week and was elected secretary of the New Jersey State Baptist Conference.

You can see more about Pastor Bower in an earlier piece in this blog.