Chapell, Rev. Frederick Leonard, the pastor of the First Baptist church at Janesville, Wis., was born in Waterford Township, adjoining the city of New London, Conn., Nov. 9, 1836.

Baptist Church History

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Chapell, Rev. Frederick Leonard, the pastor of the First Baptist church at Janesville, Wis., was born in Waterford Township, adjoining the city of New London, Conn., Nov. 9, 1836. His parents were Baptists, and members of the church in Waterford of which Elder Darrow was for so many years pastor. But his mother dying in his infancy, he was adopted by an uncle and aunt who were Congregationalists. He was brought up under the religious influence of that denomina- tion, attending the ministry of the venerable Dr. Abel McEwen, fifty-four years pastor of the First Congregational church of New London. He was a member of the ‘‘ Gilead’? Sunday-school, Water- ford, of which Hon. Gilbert P. Haven was the founder, and for forty years the superintendent. Here, in this school, he laid the foundation of what has since grown up into a solid structure of Christian character. His religious exercises began early in his childhood, but he did not obtain a hope in Christ until he was in his sixteenth year. Now began a struggle. His foster-parents and numer- ous friends desired that his public profession of ‘Christ should be made in connection with the Congregational church. His convictions, after mattre and prayerful study, would not allow him to be anything but a Baptist. Having settled the question of duty, his friends cordially concurring in his decision, he was baptized in October, 1853, into the Huntington Street church of New London by the pastor, Elder Jabez Swan. Immediately upon his conversion, having clear convictions that he was called to the work of the ministry, ‘ not consulting with flesh and blood,” he began at once a course of preparation for that work. He entered Yale College in 1856 and graduated in 1860, and entered Rochester Theological Seminary in 1861, graduating in the class of 1864. He was licensed to preach the gospel by the Wooster Place church of New Haven, of which Prof. W. C. Wilkinson was then pastor. Upon graduating in 1864, he accepted a call to the pastorate of the Baptist church in Mid- dletown, O., and was ordained in September of that year. Dr. Henry Harvey was the moderator of the Council and preached the ordination sermon. During his first pastorate he grew in strength as a minister, and rapidly built up the church in Christian usefulness and power. The church edi- fice was enlarged, improved, and refurnished at a cost of $12,000. In the summer of 1871 he ac-. cepted the urgent call of the Baptist church in Evanston, Ill., the principal suburban town of Chicago, and entered at once upon his work in this new field. During his pastorate here the church rapidly grew in all the elements of healthy church life. Many families of wealth and influence were added to the congregation. A new church site was secured and a new house of worship erected, costing, with furnishing, $35,000. During Mr. Chapell’s pastorate at Evanston he took an active part in all the denominational matters in the city of Chicago, being a member of the boards of the university and theological seminary, and _secre- tary of the Northwestern Theological Union. He was a leading spirit in the ministers’ meetings of the city. In July, 1878, he became pastor of the Baptist church in Janesville, Wis. During the sixteen years of his ministry he has preached 1501 times and conducted 1328 social meetings. He has served as moderator of each of the Associations with which he has been connected. Mr. Chapell has on several occasions been selected as one of the lecturers before the students of the Chicago Bap- tist Theological Seminary. He has contributed valuable historical and philosophical articles to the periodical literature of the day, and a series of sermons on revivals, published by him several years since in the Standard, created much attention. He has a logical mind, and a special fondness for his- torical and philological investigation. He is a clear and able expounder of the Word of God in the pulpit, and among his people a wise and faith- ful shepherd of the flock of God. From the Baptist Encyclopedia by William Cathcart

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