The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-03-19
Church Dedication at Grafton.

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To tho Editors Of the IntelliReneer.
The 10th Of March will long be remem'
bered as q very pleasant day in the an.
nails Of Methodism in Grafton. To say It
was looked forward 10 with bright and
Joyous anticipations would not be enough.
Deep in the hearts Of some were fore.
bodings as to the outcome, financially. To
build q large church-larger than needed
for present exigencies-is q huge under
taking. ItrPquiEes great tact and steadi'
ness Of purpose to raise the minds OF the
many TO the same plane Of vision with
the few who look with prophetic glance
TO the future, and realize all the possibili-
ties OF Methodism. Such were the min.
gled feelings OF hope and fear IN our hearts
on Sunday morning. The church had
been completed 80 far that the basement
was ready for dedication. And beautiful
as bride adorned for her husband was
the room on the morning OF dedication.
The ceiling, fourteen feet high, apparent;
" supported by six pillars Of beautiful
proportions and spOtlessly white; plat
form fifteen feet by eight, covered with q
beautiful carpet, green and black, con-
trasting pleasantly TO the eye with the
whiteness Of the walls and ceiling; these
with the chaste coloring Of the window
glass, the black walnu1 Of the doors, and
Srched Idoor frames, gave 10 the room
sixty by forty feet, including the two class
rooms-a beautifully pure and chaste ap'
pearance.
Bishop Andrews, at considerable In
convenience 10 himself, consented to CON
duct the dedicatOry services. On the plat
form with tho Bishop were the Rev. Mr.
DAWSON, Of the Baptist Church, Rev. MIR
Flanagan, OF the Presbyterian Church
and Rev. Mr. Schaeffer, Of the Lutheran
Church. All these brethren very kindly
intermitted services in their Churches
OF the ministers Ofthe Methodist Church
were present, Revs J. W. Webb, +. f.
]. L. Clark, Ford, Wilson and 3. Steele
Pastor. The choir was led by Mr.. r
Rohrbaugh, and Mr. Fillmore Compton
presided at the organ. Reys. Schaettel
and Flanagan read the beautifully appro-
pirate selections OF scripture lip our ritual
Bro, ]. L. Clarke led In !prayer. The
Bishop selected for his text, Matthew
10th Chap, part Of the 18th verse: Upon
this rock / ioiIk build my church and ny
gates of hell shall not preUGI against Il"
He commenced his discourse BY saying
that Christ's Church Is >rOck-iounded and
rock.built, and then IN continuous hoW
Of eloquent, pertinent remarks showed
the foundation and indestrucdbility oil
the Church Of Christ,
After the sermon came the tug OF war.
Lot and church thus far had cost twelve
thousand three hundred and sixty dollars,
Seven thousand had been paid up to this
time, mostly in Grafton, nothing from the
Church Extension Board,-about two
hundred and fifty dollars from Wheeling
and that was nearly all we received out
of our own community. Where were
tho FIVE thousand three hundred dollars
of indebtedness still on the church to come
from? Rev. Bro. Webb took the solution
of this problem into his hands and solved
1t TO our satisfaction. He soon by his
tact and ready wit raised three thousand
seven hundred by subscription, which
sum we expect to make four thousand.
Bro. Webb Is certainly the man for dedi.
catory purposes, especially when money
has to be raised. He will bring the money
or the wool. We are under great obllga.
tions to him. The Bishop then proceeded
to dedicate the basement Of Andrews
Methodist Episcopal Church, so called in
honor Of the Bishop, and the large and
respectable audience dispersed, highly
pleased with the Bishop. Prof.. Morton
preached at night TO large and appre-
ciative audience. The Bishop expressed
himself much pleased with the church
and congregation, and West Virginia
generally. VIAToR.
Marcel 1884,