Lindus Cody is descended from early settlers of Cleveland, his great- grandfather on his mother’s side, Ahimaaz Sherwin, having settled in this city in the early part of the last century, and his paternal grandfather, Philip Cody, came here about the same time. His parents were Dr. Philip Cody and Harriet Sherwin.
      In October, 1861, Mr. Cody married S. Amelia Farnsworth. Mrs. Cody has fellowshipped with him throughout the years in all his religious enterprises, and has for a number of years been President of the Women’s Foreign Missionary Society of the Gospel Church.
      When quite a young man Mr. Cody experienced a remarkable con- version, since which time he has held the unshakable conviction that “the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.”
      Elder Cody has for 60 years confessed a firm belief in the inerrancy and inspiration of the Holy Scriptures as the Word of God, and since his youth he has been building upon the unshakable rock of Divine Truth which neither wind nor storm can ever overthrow. In character he is a man of patient and considerate spirit. His peace has ever seemed to flow as a river. He has frequently surprised his opponents by manifesting toward them the love of Christ in peaceable and practical entreaty and self-abnegation. He has long learned the divine art of loving his enemies.
      Mr. Cody has been a Barnabas,—a son of consolation,—to many. He has always contributed liberally to the work of the evangelization of both Jew and Gentile in all parts of the world. His sympathies and love have been world-wide. He has never seemed to be tempted to covetous- ness, and his ambition in his last days is that they may be his best and biggest days as a steward of the Lord.
      Mr. and Mrs. Cody have eight living children, two others having passed into the presence of the Lord to await their coming. They have twenty grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Mr. and Mrs. Cody have two missionary daughters, Miss Mary Cody, who spent eight years in mission work in Japan and Singapore, and Mrs. Sam Higginbottom, who has for the past fourteen years labored with her husband in the interests of India’s hundreds of millions who are without Christ.
      Elder Cody is an ardent believer in the speedy return of Jesus Christ. He watches, waits and works for that great event. “Blessed is that ser- vant whom his Lord when He cometh shall find so doing.”
      “Beloved we pray above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth.”

      These three words summarize the Christian life and service of Lin- dus Cody, covering upwards of sixty years. Today at the age of eighty years, he is still bringing forth spiritual fruit. His heart and mind are constantly engaged in “lengthening the cords”, “strengthening the stakes”, and in the “stretching forth of the curtains” of the Lord’s habitation on earth.
      In undertaking to present this “appreciation”, we greatly regret that our references to this unusual life must necessarily be abbreviated. Many pages could be written, and many should be written to give even a bird’s-


eye vision of the attempts and accomplishments of Lindus Cody in the service of his Lord.


      Mr. Cody’s earliest Christian fellowships in Cleveland were with the Euclid Avenue Congregational Church. Through his influence and efforts as a young man a lot was donated to the trustees for a church site. This timely gift to the Church has ever served as an earnest of what Lindus Cody believed the Lord was ready to do for those who were willing to obey His voice. A donated lot for a church site or for a Bible confer- ence tabernacle was a generosity he frequently resorted to in later years.


    Mr. Cody was next found engaged in the Lord’s service at Collinwood Here he was “diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord”. He built Collinwood’s first store and many of its early homes. He founded the work which developed into the Collinwood Congregational Church and Sunday School.  He served in  the  Sunday  School  as one of its first

superintendents. About this time he took a strong lead in the work of saloon visitation, carrying the Word of God to the proprietors and frequenters of many of those houses in Collinwood, and offering prayer for the salvation of those whom he met in those places.


Elder Lindus Cody was the founder of the Union Gospel Church in the year 1882. In its early history it was known as “The Baden Avenue Mission” and the chapel building, which was purchased and moved by Mr. Cody, was situated on Baden Ave., near Central. The name was afterwards changed to “The Gospel Mission” and the location of the church building was later moved to Central Avenue about 66th St. During these early years many came to know the Lord Jesus as a personal Saviour, and the little mission church was recognized as a center of blessing for Christians belonging to various denominations. As the congregation grew its buildings were enlarged. During the days of difficulty and trial which always attend the  establishing  of such  a  work,


Mr. Cody was assisted by several of his children. Mrs. Cody also nobly supported all his efforts and greatly aided him by her counsel, and her words of comfort and encouragement during the formative period of this religious enterprise were of immense value and inspiration to him in his good work.


      Beulah Park was the creation of Mr. Cody. Its conventions, far- famed for spiritual blessing for almost a generation, were made possible by this “seer” who so frequently apprehended in broad, bold outline the next thing for him in the plan of God. At that day when sheaves are presented unto the Lord by His servants “at His coming”, great will be the “crown of rejoicing” of Elder Lindus Cody.


      Soon after the Spanish-American war, Mr. Cody spent several months in Cuba, where he organized Gospel work and also volunteered in the Government relief  work.  Leaders  of   Christian  enterprises  now

scattered in different parts of the world were associated with him in this evangelistic undertaking. In Cuba the imperishable testimony of regen- erated lives is to be found. Men who are “epistles read and known” by their fellows, stand as the credentials to Mr. Cody’s call to begin this Gospel testimony in that island.


Mr. Cody has for many years believed in the practical working unity of believers, irrespective of denominational training and tendencies. His own family is a striking illustration of this unity. His family circle includes members of the Congregational, the Baptist, the Episcopal, the Presbyterian and the Methodist denominations. Those who knew him in his desire to unite believers were not surprised to learn that in the south land where he has resided during the winter months for several years, he had founded a Union Gospel Church. Blessing and abiding fruit has resulted from this work.  The  usual testimony  for  which  he spent him-

self—faithfulness to the fundamentals of the faith once delivered unto the saints—characterized the preaching and teaching in this little Florida church.


This center for Bible teaching, which has become so widely known and from which has flowed such wide-spread blessing to the believers, the ministers and the missionaries who have gathered there from all parts of the world, was made possible by the Christian liberality of Elder Lindus Cody. The site of the tabernacle together with the adjoining land, and a number of lots which were disposed of to meet the expenses of building and the developing of the enterprise, were donated by Mr. Cody. His purse and his prayers have been linked together in the interests of the Erieside Bible Conference. It must be a crowning joy of his life to observe the manifest blessing of the Lord resting upon the Erieside work, as he sees the light radiating from Erieside teaching and penetrating into the darkest corners of the heathen world.

Early in the year 1912 the old Gospel Church property on Central Avenue was sold for factory purposes, and a new site was chosen on Cedar Avenue at 74th Street. Although at this time Mr. Cody was over seventy years of age, he entered enthusiastically with others into the responsibilities attending the erecting of a new house of worship. The Cedar Avenue Church building was almost entirely the product of its members. The architectural plans, the masonry work, the construction and carpentry work, the decorating, the concrete floors, the illuminated texts, the pulpit desk, were the handiwork of members of the Church— men who prayed that their work might glorify God. In all this Mr. Cody bore his full share of responsibility,  and  the  wisdom  of his counsel and

his resourcefulness were an untold encouragement to those who undertook the laborious work in connection with the building.

The new Church was opened in December, 1912, and the dedicatory sermons were preached by Dr. James M. Gray, of the Moody Bible Institute. During the opening services an offering of over sixteen thousand dollars was subscribed to the Building Fund, Mr. Cody donating generously at that time and continuing his liberality over a number of years to free the building of debt. Mr. Cody has ever enthusiastically supported the evangelistic ministry of the Church, and the ever-growing missionary program which has been advocated by the Pastor.

The Gospel Church is at present supporting six of its own members as missionaries in heathen lands and is at this time contemplating the equipment and the support of its seventh missionary. About 40 mission- aries or mission boards are included annually in the financial fellowship of the church.