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

Phineas F. Bresee
A PRINCE IN ISRAEL
By E. A. Girvin
CHAPTER 9
Urged to Go to California -- H. C. Sigler -- Starts for Los Angeles -- Sad Incident on Trip --
Appointed to Old Fort Street M. E. Church -- A Band of Sanctified People -- The Mac Donald
and Watson Meeting -- Another Great Crisis
Urged to Go to California
For a time Dr. Bresee gave serious consideration to the advisability of removing to San Antonio,
Texas, as he had friends there who desired him to accept the pastorate of the Methodist Episcopal
church in that city. But he found that the South was still very much prejudiced against what they
called "The Methodist Church North," and he concluded that it was sufficiently difficult to fight the
world, the flesh, and the Devil without also fighting prejudice.
Much pressure was brought to bear upon him to remove to Los Angeles, California. His friend,
Knotts, had visited Southern California once or twice, on his way to Mexico, going from Los
Angeles to El Paso, instead of taking the more direct route from Denver. He was very much pleased
with Los Angeles and its vicinity, and urged Dr. Bresee to take a pastorate there.
H. C. Sigler
Mr. H. C. Sigler, formerly a banker at Osceola, Iowa, but at this time a resident of Los Angeles,
was a warm friend of the Bresee family. He also urged Dr. Bresee to come to California. He prepared
the way by securing from the Presiding Elder a special invitation to unite with the Southern
California Conference of the M. E. church. Hardly knowing what course to take, Dr. Bresee wrote
to Bishop Simpson, with whom his relations were quite friendly, and the Bishop replied that, if he
needed climatic conditions for himself or family, Los Angeles would be a desirable place, but,
otherwise, he did not so consider it. He stated that Southern California was a new country, and that
there was not much there in the way of churches; that the First church in Los Angeles, was the only
strong church in the Conference; and that the time was not ripe to make the change. Bishop Simpson
had not visited Los Angeles for three years, but Bishop Hurst had presided quite recently at the
Southern California Conference, and was charmed with the country. Dr. Bresee called on Bishop
Hurst, who advised him to transfer to Los Angeles, and said that he himself would be glad to have
any little church around the corner in Southern California. He further stated that, if he had known
that Dr. Bresee contemplated going to California, he would gladly have appointed him to the First
Methodist Episcopal church in Oakland.
As a result of all that he had been able to learn, Dr. Bresee felt drawn to Los Angeles, but the
financial problem seemed very formidable. His family consisted of his parents, six children, and a
nephew, besides himself and wife and the cost of transportation would be large. In discussing the
matter with his friend Knotts, Dr. Bresee finally said that it would cost a thousand dollars; that he