Thu, Apr 09, 2009, 00:24 CT
Typed by Wm. C. Bitting, II (Tom).
In the headline section, the lines
match those in the paper. Below
that no attempt was made to have
lines end on the same word as
the printed article.
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[Top of page 3A, first column
on left. Large, bold headline.]
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Monday, January 12, 1931.
ALL FAITHS HONOR
DR. BITTING AT
FUNERAL SERVICE
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Jewish and Catholic Church
Men, Pall Bearers, Hear
Eulogy by Dr. Mathews
of Chicago U.
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'HAD PASSION FOR
SHARING THE TRUTH'
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'The Herald of an Intelli-
gent Religious Faith That
Will Make a Better To-
morrow.'
Church, civic and educational leaders gathered today at the funeral of the Rev. Dr. William C. Bitting, former pastor of Second Baptist Church, held at the home of his son, William C. Bitting Jr., 5240 Westminister place.
Rabbi Samuel Thurman was one of the active pallbearers, and Mgr. P. P. Crane, Vicar General of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese, was among the honorary pallbearers who stood in line as the casket was taken out for burial in Bellefontaine Cemetery.
The national scope of Dr. Bitting's influence was recognized in the memorial address of Dr. Shailer Mathews, dean of the University of Chicago Divinity School, who said, "From the Atlantic to the Pacific, he was the herald of the intelligent religious faith that will make a better tomorrow."
"He was one of the best preachers of his time," Dr. Mathews said. "He was an incomparable leader of great movements. But above all, he was a born teacher. He had a passion for sharing his perception of new truth, and new realization of old truth, with others.
"Anyone who knows the history of religious thought in this city will recognize that it was his unrivaled influence that stimulated the younger ministry to adjust themselves, their message and their method to the new world in which they lived.
"I can understand how those who did not share his breadth of understanding, and feared that theological change meant religious decay, might, years ago, have looked with apprehension upon his growing influence; but he lived to see his hopes largely fulfilled, and to enjoy the affectionate support and gratitude of his brothers in the ministry.
Defended Views Vigorously
"He was too much of a man not to defend his views vigorously, and with a mastery of language which few could equal, but during all these years in which he stood as an evangelist of an intelligent and broadening faith, theological tolerance and religious co-operation, I never heard him speak disparagingly of any man, except one or two whom he believed to be insincere. I have heard him state the position of those with whom he differed, so fairly that they might very well have been content to leave their defense in his hands."
Dr. Mathews spoke of Dr. Bitting's activity in civic matters, and in the formation of the Northern Baptist Convention, of which he was secretary for several years. [note: He was the Corresponding Secretary continuously from its founding in 1907 to 1928. WCB, at the Baptist convention (1907) that authorized the NBC, made the formation proposal. Shailer Mathews I believe was there, an active supporter, and I believe also played a key role. Mathews was head of the NBC in 1915 (1916?) and naviagated it through the thory patch of accepting Darwins perspective on evolution, an issue that threatened the survival of the NBC. The library at the Divinity School or the Univerisity of Chicago has an extensive archive of Sailer's corresponce covering his time as head of the Divinity School, roughly 1907 to 1933. I hope to get up there to spend a few days reading parts of it. wcb ii, 7/24/2011]
A song written by Dr. Bitting, "Come Unto Me," to music also? composed by him, was sung by the Second Baptist Church choir at the beginning of the funeral service. Tennyson's "Crossing the Bar" was the second musical selection. Arthur Lieber, church organist, in a prelude to the service, alternated familiar hymns with the airs of Brahms and other masters of music, of which Dr. Bitting was a lifelong student.
List of Pallbearrers.
The active pallbearers were the Rev. Dr. John W. MacIvor of Second Presbyterian Church, Bishop Coadjutor William Scarlett of the Episcopal Church, Rabbi Thurman of United Hebrew Congregation; the Rev. Dr. J. T. Stocking of Pilgrim Congregational Church, the Rev. J. J. Runyan of Southwest Baptist Church, and the Rev. Dr. M. Ashby Jones, Dr. Bitting's successor at Second Baptist.
Honorary pallbearers were the Rev. Dr. A. H. Armstrong, Bishop F. F. Johnson, Monsignor Crane, the Rev. Dr. G. A. Campbell, the Rev. Dr. J. E. Crowther, the Rev. Dr. Ryland Knight, the Rev. Dr. W. B. Lampe, the Rev. Dr. A. H. Lowe, the Rev. Dr. C. W. Tadlock, the Rev. John S. Bunting, Dean A. S. Langsdorf, Prof. E. J. Swift, Prof. F. W. Shipley, the Rev. Dr. E. S. Travers, the Rev. Dr. L. E. Todd and the Rev. Dr. W. C. Timmons.
Others listed as honorary pallbearers who were not present, most of them being out of the city, were the Rev. Dr. Ivan Lee Holt, the Rev. Dr. G. R. Dodson, the Rev. K. M. Block, Rabbi Samuel Sale, Percival Chubb, and the Rev. Dr. C. A. Wing.
Ex-Cabinet Member Attends.
Among those attending the funeral were Charles Nagel, former Secretary of Commerce and Labor, James E. Smith, Luther Ely Smith, former Mayor Kiel, Augustus L. Abbott, and officers and members of Second Church, where Dr. Bitting was pastor from 1905 to 1924. Dr. Bitting died Saturday, at the age of 73, at his son's home, after a prolonged illness.
A memorial to Dr. Bitting was adopted yesterday by the congregation of Union Avenue Christian Church, of which the Rev. Dr. Campbell is pastor. The memorial mentioned, the part taken by Dr. Bitting, with Dr. J. H. Garrison and Dr. S. J. Niccolis, in forming the St. Louis Church Federation. "He was a builder, not for a day, not for a generation, but for the unending years," the resolution said.
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