DEDICATION OF CHURCH AT WILMINGTON, N.C.
The new meeting-house for the First Congregational Church of Wilmington, in connection with the work of the A. M. A., was dedicated on the evening of March 12th. (See picture on opposite page.) The history of the house and the services of dedication are of sufficient interest to warrant a notice in these pages.
Something like a year ago, a gentleman who signed himself “Howard,” and whose real name was only known at the Boston office, gave $3,000 to build the house. Rev. D. D. Dodge, our Superintendent at Wilmington, was charged with the duty of securing a site, of procuring plans and estimates, and of building the house within the sum appropriated. This work Mr. Dodge duly undertook, intending to build of wood, but, after the foundations were laid and the frame was up, “Howard” signified his wish to have the frame “jacketed” with brick, and for that purpose added $600 more to his donation, thus making the entire coat $3,600.
The house will seat 450 people, is 72 feet in length by 36 in width, and measures 22 feet in the clear. It has a corner tower rising 100 feet from the street below, and is the highest object in the city, and the first seen on approaching the city from the Sound.
The brick is of a deep red, and, though not pressed, looks as if it were. The proportions of the building could not well be more perfect or more pleasing to the eye. Both the local press and the people speak of it as an ornament to the city, and express surprise that it could have been built for a sum less than eight or ten thousand dollars. It should be said, however, that all the parties on the ground of whom the material was bought, sold at the lowest rates; those furnishing the lumber, sashes, doors and iron, throwing off the entire local profit; and Mr. Barstow, of Providence, R.I., 65 per cent. from the two furnaces to heat the house. Mr. Dodge, also, gave his time to the work; and Mr. Weston, of Nashua, N.H., who laid the brick, a part of his. This will account in part for so fine a building at so moderate an outlay of money. A large, dry and light cellar extends under the whole building, which will furnish needed room for storing coal, wood, &c., for the mission.
The services of dedication occurred in the following order: 1. Anthem, by the Choir. 2. Prayer, by Rev. Mr. Dodge. 3. Reading of the Scriptures, by Rev. Dr. Taylor, of the First Baptist (white) Church of the city. 4. Singing. 5. Sermon, by Rev. C. L. Woodworth, from Luke xiv. 23. 6. Dedicatory Prayer, by Rev. Dr. Wilson, of the First Presbyterian Church (white).
After the dedication proper, “Howard”—who turns out to be the Hon. James J. H. Gregory, of Marblehead, Mass.—was introduced as the giver of the house. In an address full of feeling and of good sense he offered the salutations and the fellowship of the Northern Congregational Churches. Drs. Wilson and Taylor followed with words of kindly greeting, and assurances of sympathy and co-operation from their respective churches: the former slyly saying that the only thing he wished different was that the church was Presbyterian, and the latter responding that the thing he wished different was that the church was Baptist. Two others, laymen, spoke from the floor in a similar strain. The addresses were, in every sense, genial and hearty.
The house was entirely filled, and among the audience were forty or fifty of the best white citizens of the city, all of whom showed interest and some of whom expressed warm sympathy.
Thus ended a scene in which Christian feeling and fellowship seemed to have conquered prejudices and differences on all sides, and the workers from the North and from the South clasped hands in fraternal regard, and pledged each other hearty good will.
As growing out of this, and, perhaps, a happy finale, it may be of interest to say that Dr. Taylor very cordially invited Mr. Woodworth to preach in his pulpit the next Sabbath morning. The offer was accepted, and the occasion proved one of great pleasure to the speaker, and, if judged by the greetings at the close, not less so to the large audience which listened.
At the proper time we shall take occasion to state the further good which Mr. Gregory intends for the “Christ Church Mission” at Wilmington.
On the 27th ult., Secretary Strieby presented the cause of this Association in Dr. R. S. Storrs’ church, Brooklyn, N.Y., and after a full and earnest endorsement by the pastor, a collection was taken, amounting to $3,200, one gentleman giving $2,500 of the amount. On the same Sabbath, Dr. Wm. M. Taylor, of the Broadway Tabernacle, New York, presented our cause with his usual marked ability, and his appeal was followed by a contribution of $1,500, an increase of about fifty per cent, over last year’s donations to the same object. In connection with the many good words that have been recently uttered in behalf of Christian education at the South, it is exceedingly cheering to record such reports of increased interest and liberality. Shall we not have many more to follow?
We have alluded repeatedly to the unanimity now prevalent as to the remedy for the radical troubles in the South—the education of the Freedmen. President Garfield’s message sets it forth again in forcible terms. But ever since Gen. Grant’s military policy became intolerable to the South and a weariness to the North, and was abandoned by President Hayes, the conviction that moral and not military forces are needed has deepened, and has found distinct utterance by representative men in all sections of the country. President Hayes, in his address to his comrades in arms at Canton, O., and Senator Brown of Georgia, in his speech in the Senate, may stand as the exponents of the two sections of the country and the two political parties on that subject, while Dr. Ruffner, Superintendent of Public Instruction of Virginia and Rev. Dr. Haygood of the M. E. Church South, may represent two influential States in the South, and two great religious denominations. The popularity of Judge Tourgee’s book at the North, in which the same thought is fully and eloquently set forth, may be taken as another evidence of the views held here.
The thing that remains, as Paul says, is to “perform the doing of it.” President Garfield refers not only to the duty of the national and State governments, but also to “volunteer forces” in the great work. To these with churches in the South must be committed the essential Christian efforts—which neither the general nor State authorities can do.
It is all-important that the nation should not content itself with the simple utterances of these noble declarations. Good people, patriotic people should act, and act promptly and liberally. We exhort our patrons earnestly to step forth, not spasmodically, but to inaugurate regular and enlarged measures of assistance. To this end we venture to suggest regular and steadily increasing collections in the churches with favorable seasons in the year for taking them, and that individuals feel more their personal responsibility in the case and that by liberal gifts in life, and by remembering the cause in their wills they provide for the pressing work of the age, and for its progress after they have passed away.
We are indebted to Dr. L. T. Chamberlain, of Norwich, Conn., for a copy of a valuable missionary concert exercise prepared for the use of his church and Sabbath-schools. The exercise is separated into three divisions, each of which forms a series of responsive readings. 1. Responsive Scripture readings. 2. Statements of the object of the concert—missions and the world’s conversion. 3. Missionary agencies. Under this latter division is outlined a series of questions and answers showing the work carried on by the American Home Missionary Society, the American Missionary Association and the American Board. We commend this missionary concert exercise as suitable for general use, and eminently fitted to bring the Sabbath-schools especially into more intimate relations with the work of our great missionary societies.
The New York, Madeira and West Coast of Africa Steamship Company, which has been recently projected, is likely to be of much service, both to commerce and to Christian missions. The names of the incorporators include those of Wm. E. Dodge, John D. Fish, Joseph W. Yates, Robert Porterfield, and other well-known capitalists. These gentlemen have both the means and the experience requisite, and we have a right to conclude that the company will have its ships ready for service at an early day. The capital stock is $100,000, with a proviso allowing an increase of capital to $4,000,000, and the company is to continue for twenty years. The President, Mr. James W. Yates, of the firm of Yates & Porterfield, has been for years engaged in the West African Trade, and the missionaries of this Association have frequently passed on their way to and from our Mendi Mission in his vessels.
The recent impulse that has been given to commerce by the activity in promoting internal improvements, such as telegraph and railway systems, from the mouth of the Gambia to the Niger, together with the rapid development of industries, especially those pertaining to gold mining, the production of palm oil, and the culture of coffee, give promise of large trade between New York and this portion of Africa. The number of missionaries, as well as the number of colonists for Liberia and elsewhere, will be sure to multiply with the increase of wealth among the colored people of America, and the improved facilities for reaching the land of their fathers.
We regard this enterprise as auspicious, and one of the many providential events looking toward the early evangelization of the vast tribes of people in Central Africa. May God speed this new steamship company in His own good way!
We have seen the report of the Fourteenth Street Presbyterian Sabbath-school of this city, which is at once suggestive and most encouraging as to what may be done in the way of systematic giving. The Creed of the school, if heartily accepted, would secure such results in all our Sabbath-schools and churches. This Creed contains the following articles:
We believe, I. That every one should help others to the Gospel.
II. That every one should help as much as he can.
III. That every one should find this work for others blessed and helpful to himself.
Three rules are drawn from this Creed:
| { I. Regularly each Lord’s day. | |
| We will give: | { II. Consecutively, according to our ability. |
| {III. Joyfully, because a privilege and blessing to ourselves. |
The result has been that in the intermediate and senior departments, 31 classes made 8,037 out of a possible 8,070 offerings; that is, there were only 33 failures to keep the whole number of promises made for the year, though because of vacation, sickness, etc., there were 2,004 absences from school.
In the infant department, 11 classes brought 3,355 out of 3,403 offerings promised for the year; that is, there were only 48 failures.
The average attendance in the main room was 201–3/4, of whom 200-37/40 brought their offerings.
The average in the infant department was 85–3/40 of whom 83–7/8 brought their offerings.
If this same conscientious regularity could be secured in all our churches and Sabbath-schools, the work of the A. M. A. would never suffer for want of funds. What has been done, can be done.