A LEGACY OF FAITH Chapter 8 A Test of Faith When Pastor Edward G. Whitman was called to the Charlottetown Baptist Church in August of 1882, the membership number was 222.The letter of acceptance he sent questioned a pastorate that was so deep in debt, with a large new edifice; but he expressed enthusiasm and arrived in October to take over leadership of the church. The departure of Rev. D.G. McDonald did not affect the sustained growth the church had enjoyed through the early 1880s. Edward Whitman was well liked, and for the next two years many people came to Christ through his leadership. Church income was also increasing. Sunday collections were netting close to $600 annually and pew rentals earned $100. For the first time, a new income was showing up on the positive side of the ledger. The ladies of the Charlottetown Baptist Church had organized an Auxiliary Group and were holding bazaars and teas on a regular basis. These were contributing between $300 and $400 annually to the positive bottom line that was helping to keep mortgage payments current. There was a close bond between the Charlottetown Baptist Church and some of the smaller Baptist churches in outside communities. In earlier days, cooperation was more evident with the churches at Cross Roads , MarshfieldandMontague;butbythe early 1880s, the closer relationship appeared to be with and Cavendish. Members of the Cavendish Baptist Church, like other community residents, were very c|ose to a major event on July 25, 1883. During a terrible windstorm, the world famous sailing ship 'Marco Polo" was driven aground on the main beach in the "sleepy summer village" of Cavendish (a Lucy Maud Montgomery expression), on the north shore of the Island. At that time, the 'Marco Polo' was the largest and fastest sailing ship in the world, and her foundering on a Prince Edward Island beach attracted world-wide attention. No lives were lost and the large crew, mostly Europeans, spent the balance of the summer in Cavendish. It might be assumed Marco Polo - World 's Largest & fastest Smyth Painting, 1852 49