Volume III - ElectricCanadian.com

268,EV. ALFRED FOWLER, B.A.,(Toronto) Pastor Knox,PresbyterianChurch, Morris, Manitoba,was born April i9th, 1861, inOxford County, Ont. His parentswere Bartholomew and Phillippa (Inch)Fowler, both English. When fourteenyears of age, Mr. Fowler left the publicschool, and entered as clerk in agrocery store, and when seventeenyears of age, had full charge of thestore. He was converted in 1875, andthen joined the Methodist Church,under Rev. J. B. Clarkson, and fromthe age of fifteen had thoughts of enteringthe ministry. He devoted himselftovarious occupations,in order to get money foran education, and after attendingthe Manitoba Collegeand Stratford CollegiateInstitute, for someyears, he entered VictoriaCollege, in connection withToronto University, graduatingB.A., in May, 1890,being an honor graduate inPhilosophy. During hisstudies, he also suppliedmany prominent pulpitsvery acceptably. After preachingtwo years, he joinedthe Presbyterian Church atLondon, Ont., July, 1892,and shortly afterwards cameWest as a missionary, andwas appointed to Morris,Man. He was ordained,September i2th, 1893, inManitoba College, at Winnipeg.Mr. Fowler, foundthe Morris charge with avery small church building,and $6co.oo, in debt, and inthe short time he has beenpastor, has cleared the debt,, built a beautiful new church,worth $3.000, bought abrick manse worth $1,800, besidesother improvements in connection withthe charge, all of which are paid for.The membership of the church hasalso increased by 40 or 50 members,and, through his zeal and perseverance,the interest in Spiritual thingshas been greatly quickened throughoutthe entire membership. Mr. Fowlerraised the larger part of this money byhis successful preaching, lecturingand singing, in all the principalchurches between Sarnia, Ont., andMontreal, Que. In politics, he is anIndependent, and is a strong advocateof the temperance cause.