D. S. Warner and wife (Tamzen Kerr)
[V]
FIRST YEARS IN MINISTRY
Brother Warner had the right view of ministerial qualification. He realized that in order to succeed he must have the spiritual anointing, and that since it was God's work it was needful that he be in that divine relation by which it would be God in him accomplishing the result. He held education to be very useful and it was his endeavor throughout his life to add to his knowledge; but he regarded the spiritual qualification as paramount. He soon proved to be gifted as an evangelist and engaged much in evangelistic work.
Before proceeding far in active ministerial work he was married, on the 5th of September, 1867, to Tamzen Ann Kerr. It is probable that he became acquainted with this young woman while he was teaching school in the vicinity of her home, which was near West Unity, Williams County. She lived to enjoy his companionship and to share his labors only about four and one half years. Early in 1872 she gave birth to triplets, which lived only a few hours. Nor did the mother long survive the ordeal, as she died on May 26, after a succession of spasms. A family record in an old Bible shows also the birth of a son, on Dec. 29, 1868, but fails to record his death. Brother Warner refers to this son once in his diary.
He was granted a license by the West Ohio Eldership,[2] which met in its eleventh annual session at Findlay in October, 1867. His reference to this event in his diary is given in another part of this book. In this chapter as well as in some of the succeeding chapters, the copious extracts from Brother Warner's diary will give the reader a better understanding of his character, his temperament, his spirituality and devotion, and his work, than would description by another. Unfortunately these journal records for the first five years of his ministry (for it is assumed that he kept such records), which no doubt would be very interesting, are not available. All the information to be obtained covering this period is from those still living who had personal knowledge of the events, and from references to this period in his later records. In one of these he says he began traveling in 1868. In another he refers to having labored the first year in Hancock County, at Blanchard Bethel, in connection with Findlay.
During the first six years of his ministry his activities covered practically all of northwestern Ohio and a small portion of Indiana. Persons now living who were present in some of his revivals during this period state that they were remarkable for manifestations of God's power. Hard-hearted sinners, some of whom had not attended a meeting for years, would get under conviction and cry audibly for mercy. He ranked high as an evangelist—above the average of his day. In physical appearance he was slightly above average in height, rather slender and frail in build. His temperament was sanguine-nervous, eyes blue, hair brown—a fine sensitive organization. He wore a full beard, which in later years he kept shortly trimmed. He had the perfect bearing of a minister of the gospel, and his speech and conduct were fully consistent. His mentality was keen. His lungs were weak, but he wore well as a speaker. His voice was musical and possessed good carrying quality. One of his earliest revivals was held at New Washington, Crawford County, the home of his boyhood. He refers to it under date of Nov. 24, 1872, as follows: