Rev William Mathews, greeting parishioners
Unknown, Chester Lay, Dawn DeLong, Dorothy Lay, Rev. Mathews, Charles Trenckmann

 

 

William Barnes Mathews

October, 1957-January, 1959

Acknowledgement: Diane Shaffer Bingham, grand-neice of Reverend Mathews provided much helpful information and photos of Rev. Mathews.

Reverend William B. Mathews was the minister of the church from Nov. 1957 until January 1959. He arranged for leaders of the denomination to talk with the members about what changes could be made. The name change of Pilgrim United Church of Christ was rejected. Three Congregational leaders, Dr. Philip Widenhouse, Dr. Stanley North and Dr. John Scotford suggested worship area changes. These included painting the woodwork the same as the walls, removing the globes under the fans for floodlights located near the ceiling, and bringing the pulpit out of the recessed area to a place in front of the wall at a lower level. The members did not approve these suggestions, and drawings of renovations to the sanctuary were submitted to the Building Society which disapproved of them at first. However, by the time approval was received, church school space had become a priority.

In 1936-39, Rev. Mathews was in Detroit. He visited Chicago Theological Seminary in 1939. Also appeared in Winter Park, FL in 1952, he was retired, apparently, he came out of retirement to come to the Austin church. He may have been ordained in 1917.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The entry below is from:

Harlan, Edgar Rubey. A Narrative History of the People of Iowa. Vol IV. Chicago: American Historical Society, 1931

"REV. WILLIAM B. MATHEWS is pastor of one of the flourishing congregations of the Disciples denomination at Des Moines, the Central Church of Christ, at Ninth and Pleasant Streets. Rev. Mr. Mathews has had several assignments of duty in the ministry and, for several years, was engaged in YMCA. work and was in that line of duty while overseas during the World War I and the post-war period.

"He was born at Newcastle, Pennsylvania, May 30, 1892, son of Thomas and Annie J. (Barnes) Mathews. Thomas is shown at right. His grandfather, William John Mathews, was a native of Ireland, of Scotish ancestry, was a linen merchant at Belfast, and later came to the United States and died in Pennsylvania. His son, Thomas Mathews, was born in County Antrim, Ireland, and came to America at the age of twenty-seven and has spent his life largely as a farmer. He and his wife reside at Newcastle, Pennsylvania, and are active members of the Christian Church there. He is a Republican in politics and has filled some minor offices in his community. His wife was born at Pittsburgh, daughter of William Thomas Barnes, who was born in Belfast, Ireland, and was educated at the University of Dublin and became a minister of the Christian Church. Later he engaged in business as a land dealer and farmer in Pennsylvania.

"Thomas Mathews and wife had a family of five children and the four now living are: Lillian, at home; Sarah, wife of George Shaffer, foreman of a tin mill at Newcastle, Pennsylvania; Miss Martha, a school principal at Newcastle; and Rev. William Barnes Mathews, a minister.

"Rev. Barnes grew up in Newcastle, attended public schools there and graduated in 1917, with the AB degree, from Hiram College of Ohio. He taught school a year before going to college, and after being ordained a minister of the Church of the Disciples, had a church in Pittsburgh, leaving that to go overseas as a YMCA. secretary under the war council. He remained overseas until the latter part of 1920, having charge of YMCA work with the Greek forces in Turkey.

Rev. Mr. Mathews, after returning home, resumed his residence at Pittsburgh, where he was continued under the authority of the YMCA. for one year. For two years, he was a student in the University of Chicago, from which he was graduated with the degrees of Master of Arts and Bachelor of Divinity. Since graduating Rev. Mr. Mathews has given his time to two churches, spending four years at Bloomington, Indiana, and in 1926 came to Des Moines as pastor of the Central Church of Christ. He has had a very congenial sphere of work here, has a congregation of over 1300, and is the type of minister who is a community leader as well as a successful churchman. He married in 1923, Miss Edith E. Smith, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she was reared and educated. (Edith was born in 1893). They have a son, Thomas George Mathews, born in 1925. Rev. Mr. Mathews is a member of the Delta Theta Chi honorary professional fraternity and is a member of the Kiwanis Club and the Chamber of Commerce at Des Moines."

A church directory suggests that Reverend Mathews was ordained in 1917.

Reverend Mathews and his wife had three children, Thomas George, Jean and William. Thomas was born in Bloomington, Indiana. Edith died in 1967 and is buried with Rev. Mathews. Following her death, Wiliam married "Azora" in Florida in 1969.

In the 1930s, Rev. Mathews was the pastor of the Boulevard Congregational Church in Detroit, Michigan.

He retired to Winter Park, Florida in the 1950s. He came out of retirement to serve as an interim pastor at the Austin Church.

Further information about Reverend Mathews is contained in a bio associated with his books and is shown below.

 

 

William Barnes Mathews Documents

Reverend W. B. Mathews at copying machine.

 

Reverend W. B. Mathews at the altar of Congregational Church of Austin. Ushers: Light suit: Mr. Alfred J. Johanningsmeier (1923-2004), in dark suit is C. Van Walton. 1957. Alfred's wife was Ruth Schuckman Johanningsmeier. He was City Tax Assessor.