Hemet Church

 (Egan)

(1893-1948)

The Gospel Messenger Jan, 2, 1894, page 6 &7 Vol. 32 No. 1

Echoes from the Highway.

  Nov. 19 the dedication of the new meeting house in the San Jacinto Valley took place. Eld. P. S. Myers did the preaching appropriate to the occasion.  Eld. J. M. Gibble who donated the grounds, built the house and enclosed the lot with a strong, substantial fence, certainly has done a most commendable thing, for which God’s blessing surely will follow.  The house is a good size well finished and comfortably seated.  Having a good kitchen apartment, it is well suited for Communion meetings. In the afternoon a council-meeting was held and the completion of a church organization effected, embracing twenty-three members including their elder, L. M. Gibble,  Bro. Brubaker, a minister and two deacons.  Necessary officers were appointed.  The name of the congregation is that of the Eagan church, that being the name of the station where the house is located.  At night a very pleasant love-feast was held in the house, with an attendance of about three dozen members.  Nine ministers were present.  There were nearly a score of members present from Los Angeles County.

  This new organization starts out with most favorable prospects.  Bro. Gibble proposes to divide up his land with brethren who want to locate there, and that, too, at a very moderate price.  The valley is one of special beauty and fertility. San Jacinto is their post-office. Other towns are springing up in the Valley.  We hope, at no distant day, to see our people going in and processing the land, and thus doing the most successful missionary work.

  Over seven years ago, the first sermon, preached by the Brethren in that valley, was on the occasion of the death of sister. - , a daughter of Eld. E. Eby.  It was preached in the new school-house at San Jacinto by the writer.  Some months previous the dear devoted sister hand gone there with her family, her husband an invalid, who was advised to try the mineral waters near this town.  He improved in health but she was stricken down and laid to rest in the new cemetery. She died among strangers but not without many friends.  I was called there to anoint her, arriving the day before death.  In all my life I never met with a case where a comparative stranger seemed to have so many friends lamenting her demise.  All had praises on their lips for here godly deportment and character.

  Brethren and sisters, it is indeed a noble thing to carry out our principles wherever we go, as did this noble sisters. I sometimes wonder if this one precious grain of God’s salt, planted here in the not long ago isolated work of this far-away land, is not springing up, by influence was in a way we know not, by some invisible, potent power to bring about a community of her own chosen people to worship, pray and praise the God she devotedly loved, there near by her sleeping dust. Almost alone and among strangers in a far-way land, she gently closed her eyes in death, but in the great day of the resurrection she may there in that valley, arise with a host of follow saints of the Most High God.  Marvelous and wondrous in our eyes are the way of God! The following Saturday, Nov. 29, we attended the feast with the Brethren in the Tropico congregation, at their churchhouse, five miles north of Los Angeles. It was pronounced by all we heard speak of it as an exceptionally good feast. Sunday evening following, we attended the first services of the Brethren in Los Angeles, at their new place of worship, corner of Chestnut and Downy Avenues.  J. S. Flory.