Phineas F. Bresee - A Prince In Israel - Media Sabda Org

Appointed To Creston
At the Annual Conference in the autumn of 1879, with the full consent of Dr. Bresee, and in
accordance with the desire of the Presiding Elder, the former went to Creston, a railroad town, which
was becoming a place of considerable importance. All the churches there were weak, But the
Methodist church was especially so. Upon the arrival of Dr. Bresee and his family at Creston, on a
rainy day, nobody came to meet them. After stopping at the hotel one day, they cleaned the
parsonage, had their things brought in, and began the work. The church was very small, and Dr.
Bresee suggested to a few of the brethren that they had not any place in which to accomplish
anything; and that the church would not hold enough people to bring about real success. The brethren
looked very serious, and said that they would be greatly pleased if the church could be fairly filled.
Brother Bresee started the work with his usual earnestness and zeal in the cause of the Lord. As
a result, the people came, and God began to pour out His spirit, and crowd the little place clear out
to the sidewalk. Later on, they accomplished the wonderful feat of making the little church wider
than it was long. They put two sides on it, and spread it out so that it would seat a fairly good sized
audience. The revival for the first time attracted the railway men, who made rather a unique
congregation. They would remain until the time came for them to get on their engines, when they
would leave the church. If somebody whom they did not like got up to preach, or if they were not
especially interested in the preacher, they would rise in a body and go out.
When Dr. Bresee commenced his work, the church was poor, owed money in all directions, and
had no credit. He made it his business, however, to search out the different creditors of the church
and pay their bills, sometimes with his own funds, for at that time he had an income from sources
entirely disconnected with his pastorate. So little confidence had men who held the notes and other
obligations of the church, that they could scarcely be induced to look up the matter and ascertain the
amount of the indebtedness. On one occasion Dr. Bresee called on a man who held one of the
church's notes, but he did not remember how much it amounted to. He was utterly indifferent in
regard to the matter, and wanted to know what Dr. Bresee's object was in inquiring about it. When
informed that the debt would be paid, he was very much pleased, and soon found the note, which
was promptly paid in full.
As time went on the church was still further enlarged, so as to seat four hundred people. Brother
Bresee's pastorate at Creston lasted two years.
Council Bluffs
In the fall of 1881, at the earnest request of the Broadway church, at Council Bluffs, Dr. Bresee
again became its pastor, and remained there for one year. The work went on quietly but steadily, and
there were conversions and a fair degree of prosperity.
At the close of the year quite a number of the members of the Broadway church, and some leading
citizens who did not belong to any church, combined together and asked that Dr. Bresee be appointed
to a new work in the southwestern and newer part of the city, the object being to build up a large,
central church. After Brother Bresee left for Conference, these people held a meeting, and put in