During the fall of 1918, church services throughout Portland, OR were canceled in response to restrictions placed by the city on large gatherings because of the Spanish flu epidemic. Beginning on October 13, 1918, East Side Baptist Church was unable to gather together for worship. This timing was particularly difficult because the church had just purchased a new building on the corner of SE 20th & Salmon and gathered for worship in it for the first time on October 6. Not allowed to meet with his congregation, Pastor W. B. Hinson agreed to preach at a church in Hillsboro on October 13. But still, he longed to be with his congregation. In the following weeks, Hinson would send out weekly bulletins at his own expense in order to remain in contact with his people and encourage them in the faith.
In the bulletin for October 20, Hinson shared the following comments. Here was an opportunity for them to stop and reflect on the privilege and responsibility of worshiping as a church.
Thank God for the gift of worshiping with the church
My People:
It has occurred to me that as we have no public services next Lord’s Day, I might send you a little personal message through the Bulletin. For to you, as to me, this closing of the church on the Sabbath is a real deprivation. And one that I trust will only continue one more week. For although I went to Hillsboro last Sunday morning and preached to the people there, yet of our own home church it is true “Home is the best.”
Yet did the strange Sunday bring some lessons to my notice. How in the world do people manage who habitually neglect the Sanctuary? And what an insult to intelligence is the ecclesiastical camouflage about “worshiping in the cathedral of nature,” and similar stuff. Ah, your heart and mine said, “a day in thy courts is better than a thousand in the outside waste places.” How good is the sound of a whole congregation singing, “How Firm a Foundation.” And how heartening to say in unison “The Lord’s Prayer.” And the responsive readings how uplifting and inspiring they are. And the unexplained and mysterious blessedness of together listening to the expounded word, and partaking of the Heavenly Manna, verily we shall be glad — all of us — when we can again “go to the house of the Lord in company.”
Commit to caring for those who cannot gather
But should we not be more solicitous regarding the shut in folk, because of our missing the Sunday worship so much[?] More attention must be given to them in the future. And I trust the Deacons will arrange a weekly visit to all such. Sunday afternoon would be an ideal time. And an echo of the morning sermon would be a good gift to take. This would be a real blessing I am sure.
Pursue those who are wandering
And then again how earnest we should be in keeping up the church habit ourselves, and in arresting the departure therefrom on the part of our friends and fellow church-members. Surely each should be his brother’s keeper in this regard. And we should look diligently lest any man fail of the grace of church going. For surely heavy is the loss of a non-observed Sunday.
Well next Sunday we shall meet again in church I trust. Let us all be much in prayer for a great blessing then. Meanwhile because I have you in my heart I wish you God’s blessing, and pray for each one of you the blessing of the Saviour-King.
Your Pastor.
Hinson believed that they would finally be able to gather again for worship the following week, but they would not be able to do so for three more weeks. However, these weeks were not wasted. The Oregonian, reporting on the reopening of the East Side Baptist Church on November 17, states: “In the weeks of the epidemic the church organization has been waging a membership campaign, with the result that next Sunday the congregation will be increased almost two-fold.”
Even as Hinson called his congregation to prize the gathering of the church, he used those weeks to encourage regular attenders and other visitors to commit themselves to the church by joining the church.
As many churches in America cancel their services, here is a rare opportunity for Christians to reflect on the gift of gathering with their churches. Though Sundays can often be tiring and difficult, they are nonetheless a gift, a foretaste of heaven in this fallen world. In the coming weeks, It’s appropriate that we should feel the pain of not being able to physically gather with God’s people and worship in the Word together. This is a pain that our brothers and sisters who are shut-in or facing persecution know all too well. Therefore, far from seeing this time as a break from the church, here is an opportunity for Christians to recommit themselves to serving the church and gathering with the church, should the Lord grant us that mercy.
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Many thanks to Ray Bliven for his archival work in Hinson Baptist Church’s history!