Lyman C. Pettit
Encyclopedia
Lyman C. Pettit was the founder and first president of the Pentecostal Collegiate Institute
(now Eastern Nazarene College
); the founding pastor of both the Congregational Methodist Church of Saratoga Springs, and the First People's Church of Brooklyn, New York; and an ordained clergyman who pastored churches in the Methodist Episcopal Church
, the Association of Pentecostal Churches of America (a forerunner to the Church of the Nazarene
), and the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America
.
in October 1868, the oldest child of Orville Daniel Pettit (born October 1832 in Saratoga, New York
; died 25 May 1905 in Northumberland, New York), a retail grocer
; and Sarah Frances Robinson Pettit (born July 1849 in Brownville, New York
; died about 27 April 1922 in Northumberland, New York), who had married on 6 September 1866 at the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Gansevoort, New York
. After the birth of their oldest child, Orville and Sarah had four more children: Charles Warren Pettit (born 10 May 1869 in Gansevoort, New York; died 20 November 1931 in Middleport, New York
). Myra Pettit (born 1871); Orville Bertrum "Bertie" Pettit (born 7 October 1873; died 21 March 1941); and Alvadore "Allie" Franklin Pettit (born 10 August 1878; died 13 September 1956).
By July 1870, Pettit was living with his parents, and younger brother, Charles, in Northumberland, New York, where his father was employed as a retail grocer
, and who was also Town Clerk of Northumberland in 1869 and 1873; By June 1880 Pettit was living with his grandfather, Lyman Robinson (born about 1830 in New York), a farmer; his grandmother, Almira Robinson (born about 1832 in New York); and one of his younger brothers, Bertie, on the Robinson farm in Northumberland, New York. Pettit's father, Orville D. Pettit, was now a school teacher, who also lived in Northumberland, with his wife, Sarah, and three of their children: Charles, Myra, and Allie.
About 1888 Pettit married Minnie Hettrich (born January 1869 in New York), the youngest child of Prussia
n immigrants, John P. Hettrich (born about 1823 in Hamburg, Prussia), a tailor, whose store was then at 463 Broadway Avenue in Saratoga Springs; and Louisa Hettrich (born about 1832 in Hamburg, Prussia). Pettit and his wife had only one child, a son: Lyman Hettrich Pettit (born 10 May 1889 in Hyndsville, New York; died 19 February 1922 in Newark, New Jersey
).
(now Cazenovia College
), at Cazenovia, New York
, "the second Methodist seminary to be established in the United States", and from its inception in 1824 one of the first co-educational schools in the nation. After completion of his pre-college studies, Pettit completed four years at the Syracuse College
seminary in Syracuse, New York
. By 1914 Pettit was listed as having a Ph. D., however from 1921 he was listed as having received a Doctor of Divinity
(D.D.) degree. A 1925 source indicates Pettit had a Doctor of Sacred Theology
(S.T.D.).
."
, was granted a licence to preach
, and was assigned to the Gansevoort
Methodist Episcopal Church. At the 1887 Conference there was a report that "A gracious revival influence has pervaded the district, and a majority of charges have gathered a precious harvest of souls". Among those churches that receiving a large "ingathering" was Gansevoort. In April 1888 Pettit was ordained as a deacon
in the Methodist Episcopal Church by Bishop Cyrus David Foss (born 17 January 1834 in Kingston, New York
; died 29 January 1910 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
). Pettit was ordained as a traveling deacon
of the first class,. which is the beginning of a two-year probation period towards ordination as an Elder
in the Methodist Episcopal Church, which authorised him to "baptize and perform the office of matrimony in the absence of the elder; to assist the elder in administering the Lord's Supper
; [and] to do all the duties of a traveling preacher."
. While pastoring at Hyndsville, Pettit's only child, Lyman Hettrich Pettit, was born on 10 May 1889.
. During his pastorate at Chestertown, there was a "most notable revival
", where "about one hundred and fifty have been converted during the year, every part of the charge sharing in the gracious work."
After his graduation from seminary, Pettit was ordained at the 1892 annual Conference as an elder in the Methodist Episcopal church at Troy, New York
, and elected secretary of the Troy Conference's Epworth League
, the Methodist youth organization. About this time, Pettit's brother, Charles, was assigned to the Methodist church at Saratoga.
. Pettit and his family lived in the Methodist manse at 66 McElwain Avenue. On Sunday, 15 October 1894, Pettit failed to appear to preach at the St. James' church. According to a report published the next day in The New York Times:
Pettit had eloped with an unnamed female, and was accused later of committing adultery. Pettit subsequently returned to his wife. Pettit and his family subsequently left Cohoes and moved to Saratoga Springs. After a complaint had been filed against him and a subsequent investigation, the Troy Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church of 1895 voted to allow Pettit to withdraw from the Methodist church "under Charges or Complaints" and "under censure".
In January 1896 Pettit organized from this work the Mission Circle, with a membership of sixty who were "banded together for the conversion of sinners and the spread of scriptural holiness."
, While it cost more than $11,000 to build, by 1900 more than half of the mortgage was paid. The church was considered "the finest Pentecostal church building in the East at that time." Pettit and his family resided next door at 118 Woodlawn Avenue, and his parents lived at 146 Woodland Avenue. The Congregational Methodist church held services at 10.30am and 8.00pm each Sunday, with Sunday School at 2.30pm and Prayer Meeting at 7.30pm. In 1897 an additional service was added at 7.30pm on Thursdays.
. In 1898 the name of the Saratoga Springs church was changed to the Grace Pentecostal Church of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. By 1900 the church held services at 10.30am and 8.00pm on Sundays, held Sunday School at 2.30pm, and its weekly Prayer Meeting at 7.30pm on Thursdays. By 1900 the church membership was nearly one hundred, making it one of the strongest congregations in the APCA. Due to the increase in the number of churches affiliating with it, in 1900 the APCA divided its work into three districts, with Pettit chosen as one of the assistant secretaries under the supervision of Home Missions Secretary Rev. Hiram F. Reynolds. Pettit resigned as pastor as of 1 May 1902, and after a ten-week gap, was replaced by Rev. Ernest E. Angell, a Congregationalist minister.
." Hiram F. Reynolds, one of the founders of the APCA, was influential in convincing the delegates at the 4th annual meeting of the APCA in April 1899 to create a Committee on Education to "consider the matter of Pentecostal schools; to outline courses of study for training preachers, missionaries, and evangelists; and to deal with such other interests as might come before them." At the same meeting, the APCA elected a standing committee on education with Pettit as chairman and Reynolds chosen to be the financial secretary. During the following year this committee recommended the establishment of Pentecostal schools and the adoption of a course of study for preachers. The recommendation was adopted by the next annual meeting in April 1900. Pettit was chosen to be first president of the new Pentecostal Collegiate Institute and Bible Training School, however he received no salary and relied on continuing to pastor the Grace church for his support. By the summer of 1900, Pettit had recruited a faculty
and the APCA's official periodical, the Beulah Christian announced that the Pentecostal Collegiate Institute would begin operation in September 1900. All faculty were required to be in the experience of entire sanctification, and the Bible was to be "the Great Textbook". During the summer of 1900 Pettit was active in recruiting students while speaking at camp meeting
s from Canada to Pennsylvania.
On 25 September 1900 PCI commenced with Rev. William H. Albrecht (born June 1856 in New York), a former Methodist clergyman from the New York Conference, who had recently joined the APCA, chosen to be principal, and five other teaching staff, and 51 students For the first year, PCI was based in the rented Garden View House, a disused resort hotel. The students were enrolled in PCI's high school
, and its preparatory department. Unlike Bible Colleges of that day, PCI was a post-secondary school collegiate institute
and for its first two years had a liberal arts
program with "Latin, Greek, modern languages, art, music, and oratory
" in its curriculum
for ministerial students. PCI specially rejected the use of higher criticism to study the Bible. From its inception, there was a commitment to a balanced educational preparation for ministry, however "tremendous pressure was applied throughout the year to bring every student into a profession of saving and sanctifying grace. Scenes of rather unrestrained emotional fervor were characteristic." By the end of the first school term, "virtually all were converted, and most of them were sanctified wholly". During the first year, Albrecht resigned as principal, and Pettit was chosen to become his successor.
At the 6th annual meeting of the APCA held in April 1901, the standing Education Committee recommended that "a building be
erected for the Pentecostal College at a cost not to exceed $20,000, provided that $10,000 in good subscriptions could be secured." The school's name was changed to the Pentecostal Collegiate Institute and Biblical Seminary. At the beginning of its second year of operation on 10 September 1901, an elementary school
was added, and the enrolment had increased to 78 students: "Thirty-three enrolled in the college preparatory course, nineteen in the Biblical seminary
, and twenty-six in other departments." On 17 September 1901, the New York Times reported that Pettit had purchased the Kenmore Hotel located at 556 Broadway Avenue (at the corner with Van Dam Street) in Saratoga Springs from Max Marx as the permanent location of PCI. The deed
s to the three-story hotel and its 11250 square feet (1,045.2 m²) lot were issued in Pettit's own name rather than in the name of the PCI or the APCA. At this time Rev. David C. Thacher had become PCI's third principal, while Pettit remained President of PCI, as well as chairman of the executive committee. Other members of that committee were: Secretary: Rev. Joseph Caldwell Bearse (born 4 October 1869 in South Chatham, Massachusetts; died 2 July 1931 in South Portland, Maine
), then pastor of the APCA Church at Malden, Massachusetts
; Financial Secretary: Rev. Hiram F. Reynolds; and Treasurer: Rev. Charles H. BeVier (born 5 September 1858; died about 1905), then pastor of the John Wesley Pentecostal Church in Brooklyn, New York. Pettit continued to serve as the pastor of the Grace Pentecostal Church.
At the 7th annual meeting of the APCA held in April 1902, Pettit reported that "the number of faculty members had increased to fourteen and the enrollment had nearly doubled. The school building, including furnishings throughout, had been purchased at a cost of $16,500." Further, Pettit indicated that for his administration the purpose of PCI was that "the school might be not only a holiness college but a holy college striving to spread scriptural holiness throughout the world." Due to conflicts with Pettit over unauthorised expenditures and unfunded debt levels, the Education Committee of the APCA decided to dismiss Pettit and disown PCI at its 1902 meeting. They also decided to sell the property of the school "as soon as sale could be effected advantageously", and relocate to a new site at North Scituate, Rhode Island. According to official Nazarene historian Timothy L. Smith
:
In late April 1902 Pettit withdrew from the APCA, and continued to operate the school himself until it closed in February 1903. However, Pettit was unable to meet the mortgage
commitments, and filed for bankruptcy
on 29 August 1903 with debts of $26,483 and assets of $22,124. In 1904 Pettit was declared bankrupt. Rev. William Howard Hoople
, one of the founders of the APCA, who had been elected superintendent of home missions for APCA in April 1904, argued that the APCA should assume certain debts of PCI in Saratoga. When the APCA refused to accept responsibility for some of the Saratoga debts, Hoople resigned as superintendent of home missions.
, with himself as founding pastor. Its 1906 Manual described it as "Evangelical in doctrine" and "Congregational in government". Pettit described the church as undenominational and "purely evangelical". By 1911 the church membership was 127 and increasing. By the time Pettit resigned as pastor in early July 1911, the church property was valued at $30,000. On Sunday 23 July 1911, the congregation voted to affiliate with the Disciples of Christ, becoming the Borough Park Christian Church, with Rev. Roland J. Nichols of Indiana becoming pastor of the hundred member congregation.
.
.
. Pettit and Minnie; his son, Lyman H. Pettit (and his wife, Clara Gertrude Hodge (born about 1891 in Pennsylvania), and their two children) who by 1917 was a salesman for the Remington Typewriter Company and a ministerial student at the Bloomfield Theological Seminary
in Bloomfield, New Jersey
; lived at 961 Greene Avenue, Brooklyn.
. Pettit and his wife, Minnie, lived nearby at 59 Littleton Avenue, with their son, Lyman H. Pettit, who was a salesman for a rubber company, and his wife, Clara, and their children: Lincoln H. (born February 12, 1911 in New York), Virginia M. (born 1913 in New York); and Lucille A. (born May 1919 in New Jersey). Also living with the Pettit family were two of Minnie's sisters, Elizabeth Hettrich (born about 1861 in New York), a spinster
; and Isabella Aldrich (born about 1858 in New York), who was divorced; and Isabella's daughter, Ruth I. Aldrich (born 1896), who was a school teacher. On February 19, 1922, Lyman H. died and was buried in Saratoga Springs on February 21, 1922. Within one year of Pettit's arrival, the church membership increased significantly. Despite the largeness of the congregation, Pettit resigned in 1925 due to Minnie's health, and because her doctor recommended the clearer country air.
so that he could become the pastor of the First Presbyterian church, the first Presbyterian church in the state, at the corner of Church and North Main Street, Thompsonville, Connecticut, the urban center of Enfield, Connecticut
.
, in controversial circumstances. Conducted during the Fundamentalist–Modernist Controversy within the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America
, Pettit was supported by the older church members who were described as fundamentalists
, against six other candidates including Rev. Clifford L. Le Duc (born about 1891), then pastor of the Bethesda Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, a candidate they perceived to be a modernist, winning with a vote of 73 to 48. Pettit's starting salary was voted to be $3,600 per annum and use of the church manse
at 36 Laurel Avenue. Pettit started his pastorate on 15 February 1927, and according to John B. Wynkoop, the church's financial secretary, in an interview on 2 February 1928: "Since Dr. Pettit became pastor of our church, one hundred new members have been added to our church." Additionally, the increase in church membership, Sunday School and Young People's work necessitated extensive additions costing $27,0000, including an extension in the size of the Sunday School
facilities. In an attempt to identify itself with the conservative reaction to increasing liberalism within Presbyterianism, in 1930 the church changed its name to the Westminster Presbyterian church, reflecting the actions of J. Gresham Machen who had left Princeton Theological Seminary
to form the Westminster Seminary
in 1929.
. In March 1931 Pettit conducted evangelistic services in nearby Clarence, New York
in the northeast part of Erie County
. On 13 August 1931 the Amherst Bee reported that Pettit had accepted the call to pastor the Calvary Presbyterian Church (founded 1878) at 232 South Street, Lockport, New York
. Pettit was pastor at this church until 1942, and the Pettits lived at 226 South Street.
Pentecostal Collegiate Institute (New York)
The Pentecostal Collegiate Institute was a short-lived co-educational collegiate institute operated initially by the Association of Pentecostal Churches of America at Saratoga Springs, New York from September 1900 to May 1902, and from then by Lyman C. Pettit until its closure in February 1903...
(now Eastern Nazarene College
Eastern Nazarene College
The Eastern Nazarene College is a private, coeducational college of the liberal arts and sciences in Quincy, Massachusetts near Boston, in the New England region of the United States. Known for its strong religious affiliation, distinctive liberal arts core curriculum, and excellence in science...
); the founding pastor of both the Congregational Methodist Church of Saratoga Springs, and the First People's Church of Brooklyn, New York; and an ordained clergyman who pastored churches in the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
, the Association of Pentecostal Churches of America (a forerunner to the Church of the Nazarene
Church of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
), and the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America
Presbyterian Church in the United States of America
The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America was a Presbyterian denomination in the United States. It was organized in 1789 under the leadership of John Witherspoon in the wake of the American Revolution and existed until 1958 when it merged with the United Presbyterian Church of North...
.
Family and early years
Lyman Clayton Pettit was born in Northumberland, New YorkNorthumberland, New York
Northumberland is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 4,603 at the 2000 census. The name comes from a location in Great Britain....
in October 1868, the oldest child of Orville Daniel Pettit (born October 1832 in Saratoga, New York
Saratoga, New York
Saratoga is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 5,141 at the 2000 census. It is also the commonly used, but not official, name for the neighboring and much more populous city, Saratoga Springs. The major village in the town of Saratoga is Schuylerville which is...
; died 25 May 1905 in Northumberland, New York), a retail grocer
Grocer
A grocer is a bulk seller of food. Beginning as early as the 14th century, a grocer was a dealer in comestible dry goods such as spices, pepper, sugar, and cocoa, tea and coffee...
; and Sarah Frances Robinson Pettit (born July 1849 in Brownville, New York
Brownville (town), New York
Brownville is a town in Jefferson County, New York, USA. The population was 6,263 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Jacob Brown, early settler and leader....
; died about 27 April 1922 in Northumberland, New York), who had married on 6 September 1866 at the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Gansevoort, New York
Gansevoort, New York
Gansevoort is a hamlet in the town of Northumberland in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The hamlet of Gansevoort draws its name from Peter Gansevoort, a hero in the Siege of Fort Stanwix which contributed to the downfall of Burgoyne's army at the Battle of Saratoga during the...
. After the birth of their oldest child, Orville and Sarah had four more children: Charles Warren Pettit (born 10 May 1869 in Gansevoort, New York; died 20 November 1931 in Middleport, New York
Middleport, New York
Middleport is a village in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 1,917 at the 2000 census. The mail ZIP code is 14105. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area....
). Myra Pettit (born 1871); Orville Bertrum "Bertie" Pettit (born 7 October 1873; died 21 March 1941); and Alvadore "Allie" Franklin Pettit (born 10 August 1878; died 13 September 1956).
By July 1870, Pettit was living with his parents, and younger brother, Charles, in Northumberland, New York, where his father was employed as a retail grocer
Grocer
A grocer is a bulk seller of food. Beginning as early as the 14th century, a grocer was a dealer in comestible dry goods such as spices, pepper, sugar, and cocoa, tea and coffee...
, and who was also Town Clerk of Northumberland in 1869 and 1873; By June 1880 Pettit was living with his grandfather, Lyman Robinson (born about 1830 in New York), a farmer; his grandmother, Almira Robinson (born about 1832 in New York); and one of his younger brothers, Bertie, on the Robinson farm in Northumberland, New York. Pettit's father, Orville D. Pettit, was now a school teacher, who also lived in Northumberland, with his wife, Sarah, and three of their children: Charles, Myra, and Allie.
About 1888 Pettit married Minnie Hettrich (born January 1869 in New York), the youngest child of Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n immigrants, John P. Hettrich (born about 1823 in Hamburg, Prussia), a tailor, whose store was then at 463 Broadway Avenue in Saratoga Springs; and Louisa Hettrich (born about 1832 in Hamburg, Prussia). Pettit and his wife had only one child, a son: Lyman Hettrich Pettit (born 10 May 1889 in Hyndsville, New York; died 19 February 1922 in Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
).
Education and honors
Pettit was a educated at the Methodist-sponsored Central New York Conference SeminaryCazenovia Seminary
Cazenovia Seminary was an academic seminary of the Methodist Episcopal Church. It was located in Cazenovia, New York, U.S.A.. It was founded in 1825, at the instigation of George Peck and several other prominent clergymen in the area...
(now Cazenovia College
Cazenovia College
Cazenovia College is a small, independent, co-educational, baccalaureate college, located in Cazenovia, New York. Cazenovia offers a comprehensive liberal arts education with academic and co-curricular programs devoted to developing leaders in their professional fields. Cazenovia College has been...
), at Cazenovia, New York
Cazenovia (village), New York
Cazenovia is a village located in the Town of Cazenovia in Madison County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,614. The village lies on the southeast shore of Cazenovia Lake, which is approximately long and .5 miles across...
, "the second Methodist seminary to be established in the United States", and from its inception in 1824 one of the first co-educational schools in the nation. After completion of his pre-college studies, Pettit completed four years at the Syracuse College
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
seminary in Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
. By 1914 Pettit was listed as having a Ph. D., however from 1921 he was listed as having received a Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
(D.D.) degree. A 1925 source indicates Pettit had a Doctor of Sacred Theology
Doctor of Sacred Theology
The Doctor of Sacred Theology is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Catholic Church....
(S.T.D.).
Personal
Pettit was "an impressive person, with a commanding personality and a natural gift for oratoryOratory
Oratory is a type of public speaking.Oratory may also refer to:* Oratory , a power metal band* Oratory , a place of worship* a religious order such as** Oratory of Saint Philip Neri ** Oratory of Jesus...
."
Gansevoort Methodist Episcopal Church (1887–1889)
By 1887 Pettit, while still a Methodist local preacherMethodist local preacher
A Methodist local preacher is a lay person who has been accredited by a Methodist church to lead worship on a regular basis. Local preachers play an important role in the Methodist Church of Great Britain and other churches historically linked to it, and have also been important in English social...
, was granted a licence to preach
License to Preach (Methodist)
A License to Preach in Methodist and related churches was the official authorization of a person to preach the Gospel and to do other tasks of ministry so authorized...
, and was assigned to the Gansevoort
Gansevoort, New York
Gansevoort is a hamlet in the town of Northumberland in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The hamlet of Gansevoort draws its name from Peter Gansevoort, a hero in the Siege of Fort Stanwix which contributed to the downfall of Burgoyne's army at the Battle of Saratoga during the...
Methodist Episcopal Church. At the 1887 Conference there was a report that "A gracious revival influence has pervaded the district, and a majority of charges have gathered a precious harvest of souls". Among those churches that receiving a large "ingathering" was Gansevoort. In April 1888 Pettit was ordained as a deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in the Methodist Episcopal Church by Bishop Cyrus David Foss (born 17 January 1834 in Kingston, New York
Kingston, New York
Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, USA. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. It became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British Oct. 16, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga...
; died 29 January 1910 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
). Pettit was ordained as a traveling deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
of the first class,. which is the beginning of a two-year probation period towards ordination as an Elder
Elder (Methodism)
An Elder in the Methodist Church — sometimes called a Presbyter or Minister — is someone who has been ordained by a Bishop to the ministry of Word, Sacrament, Order, and Service...
in the Methodist Episcopal Church, which authorised him to "baptize and perform the office of matrimony in the absence of the elder; to assist the elder in administering the Lord's Supper
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
; [and] to do all the duties of a traveling preacher."
Hyndsville Methodist Episcopal Church (1889-1890)
In 1889 Pettit was appointed as the pastor of the Hyndsville Methodist church, near Cobleskill, New YorkCobleskill (town), New York
Cobleskill is a town in Schoharie County, New York, USA. The population was 6,407 at the 2000 census. The town contains a village, also named Cobleskill, as well as the State University of New York at Cobleskill....
. While pastoring at Hyndsville, Pettit's only child, Lyman Hettrich Pettit, was born on 10 May 1889.
Chestertown Methodist Episcopal Church (1890–1893)
In 1890 Pettit was appointed pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church in Chestertown, New YorkChestertown, New York
Chestertown is a hamlet in Warren County, New York, United States, in the Adirondack Mountains, in the Town of Chester. The population was 2,187 at the 2000 census. The community is located by the junction of Route 8 and U.S. Route 9....
. During his pastorate at Chestertown, there was a "most notable revival
Christian revival
Christian revival is a term that generally refers to a specific period of increased spiritual interest or renewal in the life of a church congregation or many churches, either regionally or globally...
", where "about one hundred and fifty have been converted during the year, every part of the charge sharing in the gracious work."
After his graduation from seminary, Pettit was ordained at the 1892 annual Conference as an elder in the Methodist Episcopal church at Troy, New York
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
, and elected secretary of the Troy Conference's Epworth League
Epworth League
The Epworth League is a Methodist young adult association for individuals ages 18-35. It traces back to the founding of the organization by the United Methodist Church's predecessor denomination, the Methodist Episcopal church, formed in 1889 at Cleveland, Ohio, by the combination of five young...
, the Methodist youth organization. About this time, Pettit's brother, Charles, was assigned to the Methodist church at Saratoga.
St. James' Methodist Episcopal Church, Cohoes (1893-1894)
By 1893 Pettit had replaced Rev. Henry Wright as the pastor of the St. James' Methodist Episcopal Church, located at the corner of McElwain Avenue and Walnut Street, Cohoes, New YorkCohoes, New York
Cohoes is an incorporated city located at the northeast corner of Albany County in the US state of New York. It is called the "Spindle City" because of the importance of textile production to its growth. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 16,168...
. Pettit and his family lived in the Methodist manse at 66 McElwain Avenue. On Sunday, 15 October 1894, Pettit failed to appear to preach at the St. James' church. According to a report published the next day in The New York Times:
The congregation of St. James' Methodist Church waited until noon Sunday for the pastor, the young and eloquent Rev. L.C. Pettit, but he did not appear, nor has he been seen since. He has been suffering from nervous exhaustion for some time.
Pettit had eloped with an unnamed female, and was accused later of committing adultery. Pettit subsequently returned to his wife. Pettit and his family subsequently left Cohoes and moved to Saratoga Springs. After a complaint had been filed against him and a subsequent investigation, the Troy Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church of 1895 voted to allow Pettit to withdraw from the Methodist church "under Charges or Complaints" and "under censure".
West Side Mission, Saratoga Springs (1895–1896)
In 1895 Pettit, his brother, Charles W. Pettit, and J.H. Lovemoney established the independent West Side Mission in a storeroom at 92 Woodlawn Avenue, Saratoga Springs with no financial backing., with Pettit becoming the superintendent. Services were held at 7.45pm on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, as well as another service at 4.00pm on Sundays and Sunday School at 2.30pm each week Pettit and his family resided at the Mission, and his parents lived nearby at 144 Woodlawn Avenue.In January 1896 Pettit organized from this work the Mission Circle, with a membership of sixty who were "banded together for the conversion of sinners and the spread of scriptural holiness."
Congregational Methodist Church, Saratoga Springs (1896-1898)
Just down the road from the West Side Mission, on 30 September 1896 Pettit established the Congregational Methodist Church, an independent holiness congregation, and he was chosen as the founding pastor. At that time the West Side Mission seems to have been discontinued. According to James R. Cameron, "Growth was so rapid and the church so prosperous that ground was broken for a beautiful new church and parsonage the following spring. By fall the structure was completed". at 120 Woodlawn Avenue (at the corner of Van Dam Street). Saratoga Springs, New YorkSaratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs, also known as simply Saratoga, is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 26,586 at the 2010 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area. While the word "Saratoga" is known to be a corruption of a Native American name, ...
, While it cost more than $11,000 to build, by 1900 more than half of the mortgage was paid. The church was considered "the finest Pentecostal church building in the East at that time." Pettit and his family resided next door at 118 Woodlawn Avenue, and his parents lived at 146 Woodland Avenue. The Congregational Methodist church held services at 10.30am and 8.00pm each Sunday, with Sunday School at 2.30pm and Prayer Meeting at 7.30pm. In 1897 an additional service was added at 7.30pm on Thursdays.
Grace Pentecostal Church (1898–1902)
In 1898 Pettit led this congregation into an affiliation with the Association of Pentecostal Churches of America (APCA), which had been founded in 1896. Soon afterwards his brother, Rev. Charles Warren Pettit, became the pastor of the Immanuel Pentecostal Church in Glens Falls, New YorkGlens Falls, New York
Glens Falls is a city in Warren County, New York, United States. Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,700 at the 2010 census...
. In 1898 the name of the Saratoga Springs church was changed to the Grace Pentecostal Church of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. By 1900 the church held services at 10.30am and 8.00pm on Sundays, held Sunday School at 2.30pm, and its weekly Prayer Meeting at 7.30pm on Thursdays. By 1900 the church membership was nearly one hundred, making it one of the strongest congregations in the APCA. Due to the increase in the number of churches affiliating with it, in 1900 the APCA divided its work into three districts, with Pettit chosen as one of the assistant secretaries under the supervision of Home Missions Secretary Rev. Hiram F. Reynolds. Pettit resigned as pastor as of 1 May 1902, and after a ten-week gap, was replaced by Rev. Ernest E. Angell, a Congregationalist minister.
Pentecostal Collegiate Institute (New York) (1900–1903)
Soon after he joined the APCA in 1899, Pettit began to articulate the need for a school for training preachers, missionaries and evangelists and other Christian workers for the APCA, to the extent that "Pettit was one of the main advocates for starting the Pentecostal Collegiate InstitutePentecostal Collegiate Institute (New York)
The Pentecostal Collegiate Institute was a short-lived co-educational collegiate institute operated initially by the Association of Pentecostal Churches of America at Saratoga Springs, New York from September 1900 to May 1902, and from then by Lyman C. Pettit until its closure in February 1903...
." Hiram F. Reynolds, one of the founders of the APCA, was influential in convincing the delegates at the 4th annual meeting of the APCA in April 1899 to create a Committee on Education to "consider the matter of Pentecostal schools; to outline courses of study for training preachers, missionaries, and evangelists; and to deal with such other interests as might come before them." At the same meeting, the APCA elected a standing committee on education with Pettit as chairman and Reynolds chosen to be the financial secretary. During the following year this committee recommended the establishment of Pentecostal schools and the adoption of a course of study for preachers. The recommendation was adopted by the next annual meeting in April 1900. Pettit was chosen to be first president of the new Pentecostal Collegiate Institute and Bible Training School, however he received no salary and relied on continuing to pastor the Grace church for his support. By the summer of 1900, Pettit had recruited a faculty
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
and the APCA's official periodical, the Beulah Christian announced that the Pentecostal Collegiate Institute would begin operation in September 1900. All faculty were required to be in the experience of entire sanctification, and the Bible was to be "the Great Textbook". During the summer of 1900 Pettit was active in recruiting students while speaking at camp meeting
Camp meeting
The camp meeting is a form of Protestant Christian religious service originating in Britain and once common in some parts of the United States, wherein people would travel from a large area to a particular site to camp out, listen to itinerant preachers, and pray...
s from Canada to Pennsylvania.
On 25 September 1900 PCI commenced with Rev. William H. Albrecht (born June 1856 in New York), a former Methodist clergyman from the New York Conference, who had recently joined the APCA, chosen to be principal, and five other teaching staff, and 51 students For the first year, PCI was based in the rented Garden View House, a disused resort hotel. The students were enrolled in PCI's high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, and its preparatory department. Unlike Bible Colleges of that day, PCI was a post-secondary school collegiate institute
Collegiate institute
A collegiate institute is a term that can refer to a school either of secondary education or of higher education. It has a complex definition that varies regionally, and has been largely unused outside of Canada since the early 20th century.-Canada:...
and for its first two years had a liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
program with "Latin, Greek, modern languages, art, music, and oratory
Oratory
Oratory is a type of public speaking.Oratory may also refer to:* Oratory , a power metal band* Oratory , a place of worship* a religious order such as** Oratory of Saint Philip Neri ** Oratory of Jesus...
" in its curriculum
Curriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
for ministerial students. PCI specially rejected the use of higher criticism to study the Bible. From its inception, there was a commitment to a balanced educational preparation for ministry, however "tremendous pressure was applied throughout the year to bring every student into a profession of saving and sanctifying grace. Scenes of rather unrestrained emotional fervor were characteristic." By the end of the first school term, "virtually all were converted, and most of them were sanctified wholly". During the first year, Albrecht resigned as principal, and Pettit was chosen to become his successor.
At the 6th annual meeting of the APCA held in April 1901, the standing Education Committee recommended that "a building be
erected for the Pentecostal College at a cost not to exceed $20,000, provided that $10,000 in good subscriptions could be secured." The school's name was changed to the Pentecostal Collegiate Institute and Biblical Seminary. At the beginning of its second year of operation on 10 September 1901, an elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
was added, and the enrolment had increased to 78 students: "Thirty-three enrolled in the college preparatory course, nineteen in the Biblical seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
, and twenty-six in other departments." On 17 September 1901, the New York Times reported that Pettit had purchased the Kenmore Hotel located at 556 Broadway Avenue (at the corner with Van Dam Street) in Saratoga Springs from Max Marx as the permanent location of PCI. The deed
Deed
A deed is any legal instrument in writing which passes, or affirms or confirms something which passes, an interest, right, or property and that is signed, attested, delivered, and in some jurisdictions sealed...
s to the three-story hotel and its 11250 square feet (1,045.2 m²) lot were issued in Pettit's own name rather than in the name of the PCI or the APCA. At this time Rev. David C. Thacher had become PCI's third principal, while Pettit remained President of PCI, as well as chairman of the executive committee. Other members of that committee were: Secretary: Rev. Joseph Caldwell Bearse (born 4 October 1869 in South Chatham, Massachusetts; died 2 July 1931 in South Portland, Maine
South Portland, Maine
South Portland is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, and is the fourth-largest city in the state. Founded in 1895, as of the 2010 census, the city population was 25,002. Known for its working waterfront, South Portland is situated on Portland Harbor and overlooks the skyline of...
), then pastor of the APCA Church at Malden, Massachusetts
Malden, Massachusetts
Malden is a suburban city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 59,450 at the 2010 census. In 2009 Malden was ranked as the "Best Place to Raise Your Kids" in Massachusetts by Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine.-History:...
; Financial Secretary: Rev. Hiram F. Reynolds; and Treasurer: Rev. Charles H. BeVier (born 5 September 1858; died about 1905), then pastor of the John Wesley Pentecostal Church in Brooklyn, New York. Pettit continued to serve as the pastor of the Grace Pentecostal Church.
At the 7th annual meeting of the APCA held in April 1902, Pettit reported that "the number of faculty members had increased to fourteen and the enrollment had nearly doubled. The school building, including furnishings throughout, had been purchased at a cost of $16,500." Further, Pettit indicated that for his administration the purpose of PCI was that "the school might be not only a holiness college but a holy college striving to spread scriptural holiness throughout the world." Due to conflicts with Pettit over unauthorised expenditures and unfunded debt levels, the Education Committee of the APCA decided to dismiss Pettit and disown PCI at its 1902 meeting. They also decided to sell the property of the school "as soon as sale could be effected advantageously", and relocate to a new site at North Scituate, Rhode Island. According to official Nazarene historian Timothy L. Smith
Timothy L. Smith
Timothy Lawrence Smith was a noted historian and educator, known as the first American evangelical historian to gain notability in research and higher education.-Early life and education:...
:
Pettit's zeal outran the limits of financial wisdom, and his personal life fell far short of the heights which he proclaimed in his sermon oratory. A new building, purchased in the summer of 1901 for $16,500, remained heavily in debt. Bills for
improvements and operating expenses were secured by a second mortgageSecond mortgageA second mortgage typically refers to a secured loan that is subordinate to another loan against the same property.In real estate, a property can have multiple loans or liens against it. The loan which is registered with county or city registry first is called the first mortgage or first position...
of dubious legality. The property turned out at last to have been deeded entirely to Pettit. These facts did not become clear, however, until May of 1902, when H. Brown visited Saratoga to investigate rumors of fanaticism and questionable moral conduct on the part of the leaders of the school. Brown found the rumors amply confirmed.
In late April 1902 Pettit withdrew from the APCA, and continued to operate the school himself until it closed in February 1903. However, Pettit was unable to meet the mortgage
Mortgage loan
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
commitments, and filed for bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
on 29 August 1903 with debts of $26,483 and assets of $22,124. In 1904 Pettit was declared bankrupt. Rev. William Howard Hoople
William Howard Hoople
William Howard Hoople was a prominent leader of the American Holiness movement; the co-founder of the Association of Pentecostal Churches of America, one of the antecedent groups that merged to create the Church of the Nazarene; rescue mission organizer; an ordained minister in the Church of the...
, one of the founders of the APCA, who had been elected superintendent of home missions for APCA in April 1904, argued that the APCA should assume certain debts of PCI in Saratoga. When the APCA refused to accept responsibility for some of the Saratoga debts, Hoople resigned as superintendent of home missions.
First People's Church of Brooklyn (1905–1911)
After Pettit was rejected for ministry and membership in the Presbyterian Church, in 1905 Pettit and his family moved to Brooklyn, New York and established the First People's Church of Brooklyn, New York, at 45th Street and 12th Avenue in Borough Park, BrooklynBorough Park, Brooklyn
Borough Park , is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City in the United States....
, with himself as founding pastor. Its 1906 Manual described it as "Evangelical in doctrine" and "Congregational in government". Pettit described the church as undenominational and "purely evangelical". By 1911 the church membership was 127 and increasing. By the time Pettit resigned as pastor in early July 1911, the church property was valued at $30,000. On Sunday 23 July 1911, the congregation voted to affiliate with the Disciples of Christ, becoming the Borough Park Christian Church, with Rev. Roland J. Nichols of Indiana becoming pastor of the hundred member congregation.
Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (1911–1941)
In 1911 Pettit became a minister in the Presbyterian Church in the United States of AmericaPresbyterian Church in the United States of America
The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America was a Presbyterian denomination in the United States. It was organized in 1789 under the leadership of John Witherspoon in the wake of the American Revolution and existed until 1958 when it merged with the United Presbyterian Church of North...
.
Hornell, New York (1911-1914)
From 1911 Pettit pastored a Presbyterian church in Hornell, New YorkHornell, New York
Hornell is a city in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 9,019 at the 2000 census. The city is named after the Hornell family, early settlers. Its current population has not yet been released by the new census....
.
Greene Avenue Presbyterian Church, Brooklyn, New York (1914-1918)
In 1914 Pettit became the pastor of the Greene Avenue Presbyterian Church located at 957-63 Greene Avenue (between Reid and Patchen Avenues) in the Eastern District of BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. Pettit and Minnie; his son, Lyman H. Pettit (and his wife, Clara Gertrude Hodge (born about 1891 in Pennsylvania), and their two children) who by 1917 was a salesman for the Remington Typewriter Company and a ministerial student at the Bloomfield Theological Seminary
Bloomfield College
Bloomfield College is a four-year private liberal arts college located in Bloomfield, New Jersey. Bloomfield College is chartered by the State of New Jersey and accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools...
in Bloomfield, New Jersey
Bloomfield, New Jersey
Bloomfield is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 47,315. It surrounds the Bloomfield Green Historic District.-History:...
; lived at 961 Greene Avenue, Brooklyn.
West Presbyterian Church, Newark, New Jersey (1919–1925)
On 20 February 1919 Pettit was installed as the pastor of the West Presbyterian Church at the corner of Littleton Street and Eleventh Avenue in Newark, New JerseyNewark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. Pettit and his wife, Minnie, lived nearby at 59 Littleton Avenue, with their son, Lyman H. Pettit, who was a salesman for a rubber company, and his wife, Clara, and their children: Lincoln H. (born February 12, 1911 in New York), Virginia M. (born 1913 in New York); and Lucille A. (born May 1919 in New Jersey). Also living with the Pettit family were two of Minnie's sisters, Elizabeth Hettrich (born about 1861 in New York), a spinster
Spinster
A spinster, or old maid, is an older, childless woman who has never been married.For a woman to be identified as a spinster, age is critical...
; and Isabella Aldrich (born about 1858 in New York), who was divorced; and Isabella's daughter, Ruth I. Aldrich (born 1896), who was a school teacher. On February 19, 1922, Lyman H. died and was buried in Saratoga Springs on February 21, 1922. Within one year of Pettit's arrival, the church membership increased significantly. Despite the largeness of the congregation, Pettit resigned in 1925 due to Minnie's health, and because her doctor recommended the clearer country air.
First Presbyterian Church, Thompsonville, Connecticut (1926–1927)
On 9 March 1926, in a special session of the Connecticut Valley Presbytery, Pettit was admitted to the presbyteryPresbyterian polity
Presbyterian polity is a method of church governance typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or consistory, though other terms, such as church board, may apply...
so that he could become the pastor of the First Presbyterian church, the first Presbyterian church in the state, at the corner of Church and North Main Street, Thompsonville, Connecticut, the urban center of Enfield, Connecticut
Enfield, Connecticut
Enfield is a town located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 45,212 at the 2000 census. It sits on the border with Longmeadow, Massachusetts and East Longmeadow, Massachusetts to the north, Somers to the east, East Windsor and Ellington to the south, and the...
.
People's Presbyterian Church, Bridgeport, Connecticut (1927–1931)
On 9 January 1927 Pettit was elected pastor of the People's Presbyterian Church at 42 Laurel Avenue, Bridgeport, ConnecticutBridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
, in controversial circumstances. Conducted during the Fundamentalist–Modernist Controversy within the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America
Presbyterian Church in the United States of America
The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America was a Presbyterian denomination in the United States. It was organized in 1789 under the leadership of John Witherspoon in the wake of the American Revolution and existed until 1958 when it merged with the United Presbyterian Church of North...
, Pettit was supported by the older church members who were described as fundamentalists
Fundamentalist Christianity
Christian fundamentalism, also known as Fundamentalist Christianity, or Fundamentalism, arose out of British and American Protestantism in the late 19th century and early 20th century among evangelical Christians...
, against six other candidates including Rev. Clifford L. Le Duc (born about 1891), then pastor of the Bethesda Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, a candidate they perceived to be a modernist, winning with a vote of 73 to 48. Pettit's starting salary was voted to be $3,600 per annum and use of the church manse
Manse
A manse is a house inhabited by, or formerly inhabited by, a minister, usually used in the context of a Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist or United Church...
at 36 Laurel Avenue. Pettit started his pastorate on 15 February 1927, and according to John B. Wynkoop, the church's financial secretary, in an interview on 2 February 1928: "Since Dr. Pettit became pastor of our church, one hundred new members have been added to our church." Additionally, the increase in church membership, Sunday School and Young People's work necessitated extensive additions costing $27,0000, including an extension in the size of the Sunday School
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
facilities. In an attempt to identify itself with the conservative reaction to increasing liberalism within Presbyterianism, in 1930 the church changed its name to the Westminster Presbyterian church, reflecting the actions of J. Gresham Machen who had left Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary is a theological seminary of the Presbyterian Church located in the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey in the United States...
to form the Westminster Seminary
Westminster Theological Seminary
Westminster Theological Seminary is a Presbyterian and Reformed Christian graduate educational institution located in Glenside, Pennsylvania, with a satellite location in London.-History:...
in 1929.
Calvary Presbyterian Church, Lockport, New York (1931–1941)
By 1931 Pettit was living in Williamsville, New YorkWilliamsville, New York
Williamsville is a village in Erie County, New York in the United States. The population was 5,573 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Jonas Williams, an early settler...
. In March 1931 Pettit conducted evangelistic services in nearby Clarence, New York
Clarence, New York
Clarence is a town located in the northeastern part of Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 30,673 according to the 2010 census. This represents an increase of 17.42% from the 2000 census figure . Clarence is also the name of a postal district in the south part of the town...
in the northeast part of Erie County
Erie County, New York
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,040. The county seat is Buffalo. The county's name comes from Lake Erie, which in turn comes from the Erie tribe of American Indians who lived south and east of the lake before 1654.Erie...
. On 13 August 1931 the Amherst Bee reported that Pettit had accepted the call to pastor the Calvary Presbyterian Church (founded 1878) at 232 South Street, Lockport, New York
Lockport (city), New York
Lockport is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 21,165 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from a set of Erie canal locks within the city. Lockport is the county seat of Niagara County and is surrounded by the town of Lockport...
. Pettit was pastor at this church until 1942, and the Pettits lived at 226 South Street.
Later years and death
Pettit and his wife, Minnie, continued living in Lockport, New York. Minnie died in January 1945. Pettit remained in Lockport until his death there on Wednesday, March 8, 1950.Further reading
- Cameron, James R. Eastern Nazarene College: The First Fifty Years, 1900-1950. Kansas City, MO: Nazarene Publishing House, 1968.
- Chapman, J.B. A History of the Church of the Nazarene. Kansas City, MO: Nazarene, 1926.
- Corbett, Theodore. The Making of American Resorts: Saratoga Springs, Ballston Spa, Lake George. Rutgers University Press, 2001.
- Cunningham, Floyd T., ed. Our Watchword and Song: The Centennial History of the Church of the Nazarene. Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 2009. ISBN 0-8341-2444-0
- Fiftieth Anniversary, Golden Jubilee, Memorial Presbyterian Church: South Orange Avenue, at South Seventh Street, New Jersey. N.d. [1931].
- Holmes, Timothy. Saratoga Springs, New York: A Brief History. The History Press, 2008.
- Holmes, Timothy and Martha Stonequist. Saratoga Springs: A Historical Portrait. Arcadia Publishing, 2000. ISBN 9780738504384
- Parker, J. Fred. Mission to the World: A History of Missions in the Church of the Nazarene Through 1985. Kansas City, MO: Nazarene Publishing House, 1988.
- Pettit, Charles Warren, ed. Nuggets from the Chapel Talks: Delivered in the Chapel to the Students the School Year, 1902–1903, by L.C. Pettit. Saratoga Springs, NY: Press of P.C.I., 1903.
- Purkiser, Westlake T. Called Unto Holiness: Volume Two: The Story of the Nazarenes: The Second Twenty Five Years, 1933-1958. Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 1983.
- Redford, M.E. The Rise of the Church of the Nazarene. 3rd ed. Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 1974.http://wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyctr/books/0101-0200/HDM0145.PDF
- Schwartz, Charles Downer, and Ouida Davis Schwartz. A Flame of Fire: The Story of Troy Annual Conference. Commission on Archives and History. United Methodist Church, Troy Annual Conference, Commission on Archives and History, 1982.
- Smith, Timothy L. Called Unto Holiness: Volume One: The Story of the Nazarenes: The Formative Years. Nazarene Publishing House, 1962. http://wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyctr/books/2501-2600/HDM2593.PDF
- Spindle City Historical Society. Cohoes (Images of America). Arcadia Publishing, 2001.
- Tracy, Olive Gertrude. Tracy Sahib of India. Kansas City, MO: Nazarene Publishing House, 1954, 1990.