Bourbon County Biographies
REV.ALFRED E. VANORDEN
Alfred E. Vanorden was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on August
31st, 1873. His parents, Rev. and Mrs. E. Vanorden (Emanuel
Vanorden and Bertha Doebely, went as missionaries to Brazil,
in 1872, and still reside there. Mr. Vanorden's early education was
obtained in Eio Orande do Sul, a city in the Southern portion of
Brazil, where his father was the first Protestant minister and
labored for ten years. His education was completed in Europe
where he went in 1887. Two years were spent in Mulhouse, Alsace,
Germany, and sis years in Geneva, Switzerland. In the latter city
he completed his classical course in 1892, graduated from the Ecole
Prepai'atoire. After graduation he went back to Sao Paulo, Brasil,
where he had a taste of commercial business experience for
one year. In the fall of 1893 he was back in Geneva and entered the
Ecole de Theologie, from which institution he received the degree
of B. D. in 1896 after the completion of his Seminary course. He
also took special work in literature and languages at the University
of Geneva. Coming to this country after leaving Europe, Mr. Vanorden went to
Chicago for a year of post-graduate study in McCormick Theological Seminary. In 1905 the degree of M. A. was
conferred upon him by Maryville College of special Work.
Mr. Vanorden's first efforts at preaching were made during the
year spent in Brazil, between his collegiate and seminary courses.
He would preach occasioually at a Mission established by his father
in the suburbs of Sao Paulo. While in the Seminary he preached
occasionally to churches in France and Switzerland. During two
summer vacations spent in Belgium he supplied for both the State
and Free Evangelical churches.
In June, 1897, he accepted a call to supply the Presbyterian
churches of Centerview and High Point, Missouri, which he served
one year. On October 8th, 1897, in tlie Presbyterian Church of
Centerviw, Missouri, he was ordained to the ministry by the Presbytery of
Kansas City, having been dismissed to this Presbytery by
the Presbytery of Chicago, of which he was a licentiate. From
Centerview he went to Appleton City, Missouri, where he supplied
the Presbyterian Church for nearly two and one-half years.
On November 23rd, 1898, Mr. Vanorden was united in marriage
to Miss Lulu R. Christopher, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. G. K.
Christopher, at Warrensburg, Missouri, where she had lived from childhood.
In the year 1900, Mr. Vanorden received and accepted a call to
the pastorate of the Presbyterian Church of Cherryvale, Kansas, and
began work in October 1st, 1900. Here he remained until August
1st, 1906, when he moved to Fort Scott to become the pastor of the
First Presbyterian Church. The Presbytery of Neosho, through a
committee previously appointed, installed him as pastor of this
church in September, 1906.
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This website created August 22, 2011 by Sheryl McClure.
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