The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-06-19 00:00:00

LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE OF
CHAWNHILL MISSION CHURCH.

The above interesting ceremony took place on
Monday afternoon last. It is now some seven and
a half years ago since the idea occurred to Mrs.
Itufford that it would be desirable to have some
place in that neighbourhood iii which those who
did not g ) to any place of worship, might be in-
duced t ) join in some religious service. Ever since
that time services have been carried on in a school
room at Chawnhill by a band of devoted men, who
have literally gone forth into "the highways and
by-ways," trying to bring to a knowledge of God,
those who were in the habit of either desecrating
the Sabbath by gambling or drinking, or some
other such profanity. Their efforts have, happily,
been crowned with success, and the result is that
the tone of the district has considerably improved.
In the lapse of time, it has been found that the
school-room has now been found too small for the
growing wants of the district, and it was resolved
to erect a larger building. A few friends had set
themselves to work, and £2OO had been collected
through their instrumentality, and we have no
doubt the £3OO which is required to complete the
building, will in due time be forthcoming The
building will be 45 feet long by 33 feet wide, and
there is a school-room at the back 30 by 20 feet.
The building will accommodate 400 persons, and
it is intended to keep it wholly unsectarian, so
that either Churchmen, Baptists, Methodists, or
members of any other professing Chistian body
will have an equal right to use it. Mr. T. B.
Jones, of Wordsley, is the builder.
Shortly after the time announced for the cere-
mony, the choir marched in processional order from
the school-room to the site of the new church,
singing the popular hymn, "Hold the Fort." After
prayer had been offered by Mr. Astle, and another
hymn sung, Mr. Jones presented the trowel and
mallet, in the name of the trustees, to Councillor
White, of Birmingham. The trowel, which was a
silver one, bore the following inscription :—" Pre-
sented to Councillor White, on the occasion of his
laying the foundation stone of Chawnhill Church,
June 14th, 1875." The memorial stone had en-
..raven on the front of it the following:--'-." This
stone was laid by Councillor White, of Birming-
ham, June 14, 1875."

Councillor White having laid the stone, said
there was a certain form which was usually gone
through on these occasions. It was common for
people to say "This stone is well and truly laid,"
but he must leave the builder and stonemason to
say whether it was well and truly laid or not, and
all he could say was that it was laid. If it had
been a mere form of laying a stone he would not
have been there that day. But this ceremony had
some further meaning attached to it. They were
endeavouring to serve their God and glorify Him
by laying the foundation stone of a building for
Divine worship, and he therefore felt especial plea-
sure in being present there that day to take part
in that ceremony. He did not wish that to be a
mere ceremony, but hoped that all who were pre-
sent would find it a means of profit and of grace.
Doubtless those who assisted at that ceremony,
felt interested in the erection of that place of wor-
ship would regard that as an important event.
They had provided a place for the practice of reli-
gion and the promulgation of the Word of God;
and no doubt many of, the children there woilid
recollect that ceromony as they grew up. He
hoped their recollection of it would be beneficial
to them, because they were not promoting the hon-
our and glory of man but the honour and glory
of God. They were met to do what little they
could in His service, especially as it was so little
that the most wealthy of them were able to do.
What a mite it was that David did? He laid out
an enormous sum for the erection of a Temple for
the service of the Lord at Jerusalem; but that I
temple had been for centuries a thing of the past,
and not a vestige of it remained to remind people
of its former greatness. But the good that had
been done was not lost, no more than any good ac-
tion was lost, even though it was the bestowal of
the mite by the poor widow. Although that would
not be a very grand building, if the blessing of
God would come down on it it would be blessed
indeed, and the people would long have occasion
to remember the laying of that foundation stone. ,
Everything they had, they had from God Almighty,
and when they gave towards building a place like
that they were only restoring to God some of that
which He had given them. Some of the children
there would recollect the lessons they would learn
in the Sunday School there. As David said when
he had collected that vast quantity of material for
the building of the Temple, "We are but giving
back to God his own." They had nobhing, not
even their healths and joys. Thus the giving of
their money towards the erection of that church,
was but giving back to the Almighty that which
he had first given to them. And they must always
remember the words of the Apostle Paul, and do
everything for the glory of God. He concltded
an excellent discourse by hoping that God's bles-
sing would rest upon that building, and that the
good that would be effected through its means
would last long after every vestige of that struc-
ture had been long swept away by the ruthless
hands of time.

After an anthem had been sung,
The Rev. J. Dorricott then addressed those pre-
sent, and said that he felt extremely happy to be
there that day, and he knew that it must be very
gratifying to those who had exerted themselves to
get that little church to find that thus far matters
had progrtssed so well as they had. When he
thought of the good that had been effected in that
district through the ministrations of Mr. Jones
and others, his heart rejoiced. He believed that
among the congregation present there that day
there were many who could bear testimony to the
efficacy of that Divine Word which had had such
a mighty influence in this world for centuries.
Previous to that mission having been undertaken,
the people of that neighbourhood were in an un-
ruly and unchristianised condition, and it was not
until the school-room, which they formerly used,
had been opened for religious worship that a great
and blessed work began to take place there. He
was living in that neighbourhood when that work
first began, or rather when it began to get some-
thing like a standing. His heart rebounded when
he found people who had been bound in the chains
of sin restored to liberty and religion in that
neighbourhood. That would be a church in which
the ministrations would be free from any sectarian
quibbling, and every one would do their best to
promote the religious welfare of the people, in the
best possible manner. It pleased him best to
know that the word spoken was the pure and simple
Gospel. The great and simple truths of Jesus
were to be unfolded Sabbath after Sabbath and
week after week, and little did it matter about
names, so that the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ
in its integrity e.nd simplicity is presented to the
people. When people asked him whether such an
one could do well, he referred them to the man's
credentials, which were the evangelistic work that
had been performed by him in that place. There
was no better ground to go upon than that. He
thoroughly believed that to be the one purpose
of the few men who were linked together in a
holy brotherhood—to help the people of that
neighbourhood to a knowledge of that divine
Christ Jesus, whom_ they served: It seemed to

him that a man like Mr. Jones, who was ready t;
deny himself earthly quiet and earthly ease, so
thit he might render•happy those by whom he was
surrounded, must of necessity be doing God's
work, and the love of that work had sustained him
in his labours for these years past, and had brought
a blessing on himself and it. When a man's heart
was thus inflamed with love to God and precious -
souls, and he brought that love to bear upon the
necessities of the people, there must be a some-
thing somewhere. In that way the work began,
he (the speaker) hoped the work would continue
to progress, and that the arm of the Lord would
be laid bare, and many who lived in that neigh-
bourhood would be madd to turn to religion, and
rally round the standard of their Divine Master.
In conclusion, he explained that the promoters of
that work had no idea of drawing persons from
other churches. Their great motive was love for
the tempted souls of those who never went to any
other place of worship, and not to supply a sort of
opposition to the churches in the neighbourhood,
and he had no doubt that Mr. Jones would be
heartily glad of any assistatice they could render
him in helping forward the good work.
A hymn was then sung and prayer offered up,
and the party then adjourned to a large marquee,
where tea was provided for a large number of
people.
In the absence of Mr. Ball, who was suddenly
called to London, the chair was taken by Council-
lor White, who, in a telling speech,, spoke of the
advantages of such mission work among the poor
and outcasts, and gave several instances of the
good done through the agency of Severn Street
School, in which he had laboured over a quarter
of a century.
Mr. R. G. Jones then (rave a brief slZetch of the
work and the finances. They had upwards 0f.£200
in hand, of which the members themselves had
subscribed nearly £lOO.
Mr. Astle, of Wolverhampton, gave some inter-
esting details of the mission work, interspersed
with some very good anecdotes.
The Rev. J. Dorricott and Mr. B. Fellows also
crave able addresses.
The choir rendered efficient service and sang
"What shall the harvest be" and several anthems
very creditably, and a most agreeable meeting
was closed with prayer and benediction. The pro-
ceeds of the day amounted to upwards of £4O. We
learn also, that a letter was received from Mrs.
Raiford, expressing her continued interest in the
progitgag 11_41iv 4ii.