Rev. J. K. Alwood

Rev Josiah Kelly Alwood (1828-1909)

Minister in the church of the United Brethren in Christ
Author of the hymn "The Unclouded Day"

Life of J. K. Alwood

J.K.'s ministry

Writing of The Unclouded Day recounted by J.K.

Writing of The Unclouded Day as recounted
by Rev. O.G. Alwood (son)

Comments made at J.K.'s death

The Cyber Hymnal's Unclouded Day page
(If you have a sound card, this will even play it!)

Robertson Co (TN) Times article “An unclouded day of research is revealing”
(December 12, 2007)

Life of J.K. Alwood

Josiah Kelly (J.K.) Alwood was born near Cadiz, Harrison County, Ohio on July 15, 1828. His parents were Ephraim Kelly and Elizabeth (Salsbury) Alwood. Along with other Alwood and Salsbury family members, the family migrated to what is now Fulton Co in northwest Ohio. The trip was made via Canal Dover up to Lake Erie, then by boat to Detroit and overland to their destination. He converted to the United Brethren Church in the early 1850s after walking fifteen miles to attend.

In 1854 he married Elizabeth Dinius . In his early years, he had worked as a carpenter, then began preaching in 1857 and was ordained in 1859. His wife Elizabeth died in September 1868 leaving J.K. with seven children, one of whom was ill with the effects of the "spotted fever."

Since the ministers of that era were circuit riders and could serve widely separated areas, the children were farmed out to different homes. Two year old Lettie was lodged with the Frye family. Mrs Frye had a thirty-eight year-old sister, Sarah Hodges, who was a spinster school teacher and a devout United Brethren follower. J.K. and Sarah married in February 1869, and along with being a mother to J.K.'s six surving children, Sarah became mother to a son of her own, Olin Good Alwood, who later became a minister as well.

Although J.K. continued to preach, the Alwoods spent much of their married life in Morenci, a small Michigan town, just north of Fulton County, Ohio. In February 1908, J.K. was stricken with paralysis and died January 13, 1909 in Morenci. He and Sarah are both buried in the Oak Grove cemetery.

J.K.'s ministry

In 1857, J.K. began preaching without salary, and was ordained in 1859 at Delta, Ohio. In those days, United Brethren circuit riders traveled to areas could be widely separated via horseback through swamps and creeks, often preaching in wet clothing. J. K. preached primarily in what became the North Ohio conference (covering northwest Ohio, southern Michigan, and northeast Indiana) and became its presiding elder in 1863 - serving as a pastor 25 years and presiding elder for 23. He strove to improve his education, traveling to Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio by horseback - selling the horse when he got there to pay for schooling. He also served on the Otterbein board in the 1870s.

In the 1880s, the issue of secret societies - primarily Freemasonry - divided the United Brethren church. Feelings were very strong over this issue. J.K. wrote of them: "...they are well calculated to mislead their members with reference to true, saving, religion." His son O.G. Alwood wrote fifty years later: "All evils hide behind the cloak of secrecy and organized secrecy makes evil all the more formidable." The division could not be reconciled and in 1889, after a church election approved accepting secret societies, Bishop Milton Wright (father of Orville and Wilbur) led a group of delegates who declared themselves to be the true Church of the United Brethren in Christ and faithful to the church constitution of 1840 that disallowed secret societies. J.K. was part of the group that stayed true to Bishop Wright.

J.K. was considered one of the United Brethren church's main theologians and authored several articles and books. One of the books had the daunting title of Twenty-eight Objections Against the Doctrine of Double Birth Perfection Commonly Called the Second Work Sanctification Together With a Clear Statement of the Bible Doctrine Concerning Christian Perfection.

A Rainbow at Midnight and A Song With Morning
as written by J.K. Alwood in the Christian Conservator, February 26, 1896

It was a balmy night in August 1879, when returning from a debate in Spring Hill, Ohio, to my home in Morenci, Michigan, about 1:00 a.m. I saw a beautiful rainbow north by northwest against a dense black nimbus cloud. The sky was all perfectly clear except this dark cloud which covered about forty degrees of the horizon and extended about halfway to the zenith. The phenomenon was entirely new to me and my nerves refred by the balmy air and the lovely sight. Old Morpheus was playing his sweetest lullaby. Another mile of travel, a few moments of time, a fellow of my size was ensconced in sweet home and wrapped in sweet sleep. A first class know-nothing till rosy-sweet morning was wide over the fields.

To awake and look abroad and remember the night was to be filled with sweet melody. A while at the organ brought forth a piece of music now known as "The Unclouded Day." A Day and a half was bestowed on the four stanzas.

Letter J.K. wrote to the Morenci (MI) Observer, June 5, 1879

Editor, observer: As I entered our village from the south, at 12:50 last night, (returning from the discussion at Spring Hill), I saw a rainbow which was caused by the rays of the moon streaming against a shower of rain falling from a dark, dense cloud a short distance beyond the northwestern limits of our sleeping Morenci. The moon was low in the cloudless southeastern sky. It was a new sight to me; and you can scarcely image the feeling of solemn joy which came over me as I gazed upon the lovely segment of the bow of promise smiling on our quiet town.

The Unclouded Day
as written by Rev. O. G. Alwood (son of J.K.) in the Christian Conservator, March 12, 1924

It was following a debate with an Adventist minister in the little village of Spring Hill (now Tedro), Ohio, about the year 1881 or 1882 that the song was written...The discussion at Spring Hill had been highly satisfactory to Father, in that he had forced his opponent to admit that "the human family could not all keep the same set of hours" as a Sabbath...To make all men keep the same set of hours in order to keep a Sabbath "holy" is absurd, and the Adventist admitted as much. Of course this admission was taken by my father as really conceding the point in dispute. He felt that he had won the debate.

Spring Hill is but eight miles from Morenci, Michigan, where we resided at the time, so father drove home when the debate was finished. They had been engaged in debate the better part of twenty-four hours and had continued until about midnight to finish. On the way ome he saw an unusual sight - a rainbow by moonlight. He was a sound sleeper and awoke the next morning refreshed and feeling comfortable both physically and spirtually. The inspiration came to write and so the lines soon took form. The extent of his ability as a musician was to drum a tune "by ear" with one finger on the very modest Estey organ the home afforded. This he proceeded to do to provide an air for his song. Soon we heard him singing some new strange strains and words as new. A new song had been made.

Some time after he met an old acquaintance, Mr. J.F. Kinsey, a vocal music teacher, who inquired if Father had anything new in music to suggest. So Father sang his song and Kinsey asked the privilege of arranging the music for publication...Nothing was ever received for the song and yet some attempt has been made to discredit Father's claim to authorship. but I well remember seeing him writing the words and then "drum" out the tune on the organ. We at home were the first who ever heard it sung.

Some comments made after J.K.'s death in 1909

Minutes of the North Ohio Conference, 1909:
We shall see him in the land of 'unclouded day.'

Obituary in the Christian Conservator, February 17, 1909:
His ministry was strong and positive in its advocacy of reform...He believed in a deep religious experience, and preached practical righteousness and holiness...He died true to his church, his conscience and his Master, and rests in the "Unclouded Day."

Bishop Milton Wright (father of the brothers), in the Conservator, 1909
Always stood for the right as he saw it. Always interesting in his preaching, but as often quite peculiar, for he was like no one else

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