The Life And Death Of William Kern
Earthen Vessel 1903:
Pastor William Kern
The long and faithful work of our beloved pastor, Mr. W. Kern, was brought to a close early on the morning of Friday, Feb. 6th, when he peacefully passed away to his eternal rest. He was born at Wonersh, Surrey, in 1836, where he resided for several years. His first pastorate was at Guildford, in the near neighborhood of his birthplace, where, after earnest and loving ministration, extending over some five and a-half years, he gained the affection and esteem of members and friends worshipping with him, as well as of the residents of the town generally. He received and accepted a call to the Church at “Bethesda,” Ipswich, rather over a quarter of a century ago. During his pastorate here 211 member have died, in addition to a great many of the congregation. This number included seven deacons. The present membership is 235, and of this number 207 have been received into the Church by Mr. Kern, only 28 of the 169 members which formed the Church in 1877 remaining. The 25th year was celebrated on Sept. 17th, 1902. An account of this interesting service was given in the Earthen Vessel & Gospel Herald for October (p. 319). Mr. Kern was taken very ill on the 12th December; he, however, had sufficiently recovered to be able to take the Sunday morning and afternoon services on the first Sunday of the present year, receiving four members into communion at the afternoon service. On the following Tuesday his health became very much worse, and from that time he grew gradually weaker; he, however, retained full consciousness until Thursday morning, Feb. 5th, at about ten o’clock, and from that time did not again speak. The deceased had been a sufferer for a number of years, though his appearance and manner did not show it. He received a great shook to his system on the occasion of the great flood in Ipswich, in July of last year, the water coming up to his waist in his own house. He had a strong hold upon the esteem and affection of the people at “Bethesda.” as well as of many outside. On the Sunday preceding the funeral, the pulpit was occupied by Mr. H. D. Tooke, of Lowestoft, who preached an excellent sermon from the words, “Father, I will that they also whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory.” The funeral took place on the 9th Feb., when a very large number of the members and congregation, as well as representatives from other Nonconformist congregations in the town and district, assembled in the afternoon to pay the last token of respect to one who for over 25 years had been an earnest and faithful minister of Jesus Christ. By half-past one o’clock a very large congregation had assembled in the chapel, and even after the service had commenced others entered until at last every seat was occupied. The organist, Mr. A. J. King, played Mendelssohn’s “O, Rest in me Lord,” before Mr. E. Mitchell opened the mournful service with prayer. Three hymns, “Rest from thy labour, rest,” and “‘Tis finished, ’tis done, the spirit has fled,” and “Asleep in Jesus” were sung, being led by the choir, under the leadership of Mr. T. Garrod. Mr. E. Mitchell, in a solemn address, referred to the zeal of the beloved pastor, whose loss they were mourning that day, and who never shunned to declare, in all its richness and fulness, the truth as it is in Jesus. God had abundantly blessed him and his labours; it was his faithful and earnest work that had earned for him the love of all wont to attend upon his ministrations, and who found comfort and joy in listening to him. The loss to the Church was great, but their loss was his gain. for he was now in the presence of the Master he loved so well. His work was honourable, and his reward was great, and the Church, and all who esteemed him for his work’s sake, might well take comfort in the knowledge that he was now in the kingdom of whose glories he used to speak with so much unction and hopefulness. At the conclusion of the service the organist played the “Dead March” in Saul, while the mournful procession was being organized. It was headed by a number of teachers and scholars under the superintendence of Mr. E. Chilvers, and in charge of Mr. W. Motum, Mr. T. Reynolds, Mr. E. J. Smith, and Mr. T. Bennett. The cortege was one of the longest and most imposing that had been seen in Ipswich for a very long period. Following the scholars of the Sunday-school was the funeral car; there were as many as 40 carriages, which extended a considerable distance. The first contained the private mourners, who were:—Miss Kern (daughter), Mr. Samuel Kern (son), and Mr. C. Freston (son-in-law), the widow being too much of an invalid to be present, while the married daughter was also too indisposed to attend. In carriages following were the deacons:—Messrs. J. Bird, A. E. Garrard, H. Reynolds, J. Sayer, J. Mouth, E. Chilvers, and W. Carr. A number of minister from the town and district were also present, including:—Messrs. S. K. Bland, W. Ling, A. A. Dowsett, J. Saunders, W. H. Ranson, H. M. Morning, C. J. Burrows, R. E. Willis, A. J. Ward, A. Knell, J. Easter, J. Cordle, F. J. Harsant. R. C. Bardens, S. B. Stocker, and S. Haddock. The choir was represented by Mr. T. Garrod, Mr. A. J. P. King, Mr. F. Farrow, and Mr. H. Garrod. The members of the deceased’s Bible-class were also among the occupants of the carriages. Mr. Mitchell gave an impressive address at the grave, and made special reference to the children present, who would never forget the scenes enacted that day. The inscription on the brass plate of the coffin was, “William Kern, aged 65 years. Died Feb. 6th.1903.” On Lord’s-day, Feb. 15th, memorial services were conducted by Mr. Mitchell. The text in the morning was Rom. 13:11. In the afternoon the scholars, with a goodly number of friends, assembled, when an appropriate address was delivered, in which the speaker endeavoured to fasten on the minds of the hearers some lessons drawn from the event the services memorialised. The young people gave marked attention, Mr. Kern’s Bible-class of young women being visibly affected, even to tears, by the reference to the loving care the deceased had exercised toward them, and the teaching he had striven to impart to them. It is confidently hoped that much fruit will yet be seen from the late pastor’s loving labours among the young. The evening text was 2 Tim. 4:7, 8. The chapel in the evening was filled to overflowing, quite 1,000 persons being present. Special references were made at this service to the life and last hours of the departed, as well as to the marked success that had attended the labours of this servant of the Lord. Special hymn sheets were used containing some of Mr. Kern’s favourite hymns, and other appropriate selections, including “The Homeland,” sung by the choir. The “Dead March” was played at the close, the congregation standing meanwhile.
“There is no death! An angel form,
Walks o’er the earth with silent tread;
He bears our best-loved friends away,
And then we call them ‘dead.’”
A. E. G.
Ipswich, Feb. 16th, 1903
William Kern (1836-?) was a Strict and Particular Baptist preacher. In 1873, he was appointed pastor of the church meeting at the Old Baptist Chapel, Castle-street, Guildford, serving this office for four years. In 1877, he was appointed pastor of the church meeting at Bethesda Chapel, Ipswich, Suffolk.
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