Introduction

Biography

Mulford’s grand­fa­ther, Jo­seph H. Kenn­ard, was the found­er, and for near­ly 30 years the pas­tor, of the 10th Bap­tist Church in Phi­la­del­phia; Mul­ford was bap­tized by his grand­fa­ther when he was 12 years old.

Mulford stu­died theo­lo­gy at Cro­zier Theo­lo­gic­al Se­mi­na­ry, Ches­ter, Penn­syl­van­ia, and was a mem­ber of the class of 1876.

His first charge was in Se­wick­ley, Penn­syl­van­ia, where he be­came pas­tor of the Bap­tist church Au­gust 1, 1876. On Jan­ua­ry 1, 1878, he be­came pas­tor of the Bap­tist church in So­mer­ville, New Jer­sey, re­main­ing there un­til July 1881.

His next pas­tor­ate was in Wheel­ing, West Vir­gin­ia, where he was sent by the Home Mis­sion Board in New York to help save an old church from ex­tinc­tion and to pro­tect the so­cie­ty from the a loss of mo­ney loaned. Hav­ing ac­comp­lished this, he ac­cept­ed a call from the First Bap­tist Church in At­chi­son, Kan­sas, where he be­gan in De­cem­ber 1883.

Mulford was a mem­ber of the board of di­rect­ors of Ot­ta­wa Uni­ver­si­ty, Ot­ta­wa, Kan­sas, and al­so of the State Home Mis­sion board, and was on its ex­ecu­tive com­mit­tee.