Stephen Abbott Northrup, D. D., LL. D., pastor of the First Baptist Church of Kansas City, Kan., is a Buckeye by birth. He received a good common school education and then entered Colgate University, Hamilton, N. Y., where he graduated with honor. While in college he determined to devote his life to the work of the church and with this end in view matriculated at the Rochester Theological Seminary, Rochester, N. Y. After leaving the seminary Dr. Northrup was ordained at Fenton, Mich., which is now his summer home. After five years' service he was called to the First Baptist Church of Fort Wayne, Ind., where he ministered for over thirteen years. He is an energetic man, full of enthusiasm for his chosen profession, soon built up the congregation of the church, placed it upon a firm foundation, both financially and spiritually, so that it became the largest and most influential church of the Baptist denomination west of the Alleghany mountains. The church was rebuilt and enlarged during Dr. Northrup's pastorate, and over 1,500 added in numbers to the congregation, which shows how fruitful was his service. At about the same time he received calls from the First Church of Cincinnati and the First Church of Kansas City, Mo. The latter pressed its claims the stronger and he came to Missouri in 1895. For nearly ten years he was pastor of one of the largest down town churches of Kansas City, Mo., which church grew in numbers and in all the great city there was none more far-reaching in its influence for good, clean and upright living. Over 1,200 were received into its membership during his pastorate, but the greatest good was done to the hundreds of young men from the professional schools, who flocked to his wonderful evening sermons. "Doctor Northrup," as Senator Warner once remarked, "did perhaps the grandest work for young men of any preacher in this city, and did an infinite amount of service in civic, social, educational and religious uplift for everybody from bootblack to banker."

Dr. Northrup has occupied many state and national positions; was president of the board of trustees of the Baptist Ministers' Home for Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin; was also elected president three times of the Indiana Baptist state convention, the highest honor that can be conferred upon a Baptist clergyman. He was chaplain of two Republican national conventions and has always been closely identified with city, state and national affairs. At different times he has been president of several Chautauquas and a lecturer at Chautauquas in New York, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas. For years he has been called upon to deliver commencement addresses before high schools, colleges and universities and is regarded as one of the most able speakers of the Missouri valley. He has, perhaps, been more closely identified with traveling and railroad men than any other minister in the country. The Gideon movement had its inception in his Fort Wayne church and he has also served as president of the board of trustees of the Kansas Baptist Theological Seminary of Kansas City, Kan., and was a prominent factor in the organization and incorporation of that institution. At the present time Dr. Northrup is pastor of the First Baptist Church of Kansas City, Kan., and is engaged in building up a utilitarian temple of worship for the non-church going classes, which it is hoped will reach out to all. The work of this new church will be institutional and many sided, corresponding to the work done by Hull House in Chicago. The cost of the grounds and building will be about $60,000 and the idea is to have it completed some time in 1912. It will have the largest auditorium of any house of worship in Kansas, and will be suited to state and national conventions that have the moral, educational and religious interests of the people at heart. Dr. Northrup's sermons have been in demand by the press, secular and religious, and he is well known as the author of "A Cloud of Witnesses," pronounced by Mr. Gladstone the best textbook ever published on the evidences of Christianity. He contributes to magazines and has been called many times to arbitrate between capital and labor. For years Dr. Northrup has carried on the fight against intemperance and was appointed a delegate to the Temperance Centennial Congress at Saratoga Springs in 1908, by Governor Folk of Missouri. He strives to reach all classes but most particularly those young men who in the future will be the leaders in all walks of life, that they too many enter into the fold and take a part in winning souls for the Lord. During his thirty years in the ministry Dr. Northrup has been aided by his wife, who has stood shoulder to shoulder in all the work, strenuous as it might be, leading all his choirs and has never faltered in doing her work as a leader in all church circles. She is a woman of remarkable character, strong personality and broad mind, and is the ever cheerful companion, no matter what the discouragement or how hard the path. From all over the eastern part of the state it may be said that the eyes of the church world are upon Dr. Northrup and his magnificent work.