Huntington advertiser. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1874-1921, 1875-01-28

be used as lecture and Sunday
school no I'm, AMI Il larger house erect,
ed on the front of the lots.
We are requested by the official
board to return especial thanks to
The choir, who under the leadership
of Professor Mtllux, contributed So
greatly to the service = of the Sabbath.
The following Report of Trustees
was read by Mr.. n w Hines:
For general information, and rs a
mItter of history, the Trustees make
the following statement: On Sunday
the llth day of February, 1872. the
following persons, to wit: b p
briggs, L Msdfoed, t. Durham, j
p. Scissor, and A. B. Palmer, met in
4 3. P,lmer's c,rpAnter shop on
Third Avenue, and there organized
them selves int a society is members
of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Meetings were regularly held in this
pllce every Sabbath and on Wednes-
day evening nt each week. J. Z. Sci
SIR berg the chos n Class Leader.
Numbers incl the society from time
To time. and the meeting OF the
West Virginia Annutl Conference in
the following Mtrch, the society
found itself in a condition To make
application for admission into the
general Connection. THIS they did,
and were received, and connected
with the society at Cav N lotte As one
charge, Rev. j. A. kihhe being ap
pointed pt~tor. Prosperity attend d
the organic atom almost beyond ex'
pectatiol, so that in the brief splce OF
a single year, with the aid of che Miss
ion Bolrd, it bectne seIt->u>taining,
and applied, in .,iarch, 1873, for Il
stationed preacher. Mr. kibbe was
returned Us such, serving the church
uatil the Spring of 1874, when his
successor, our present plstor, was APP
painted. Thus you ill see That the
NJ. L. 'hurch in the City of Hunt
ington lack> but two week. aud three
DAYS of being three wears old, reckon
ing from the dlte of its organic ,tion
on the l1th of February, 1872 This
- "a very brief period in church his
tory, and the growth OF the society
in that time, c)nsi lering all the cir
cunstlncaS, has been satisfactory and
equal u all expectations.
Daring the period referred to, the
history Of the church has been varl-
cd one in its peculiar surroundings
and circumstances This has been
necessarily the case. The city. itself,
IL vet young, and its inhabitants
have clme from various states IN the
Union, al bringing with them their
peculiar ideas, cI>toms and aSSocla
tinn., rh Oh, Of course. require time
for assimilation an1 adjustment, sucn
~ exist in old Communities. Basi e.,
there has always been cpu,i lcra
ole transient p ,Pu'atlrn, per-ons con
tiuslly coming and going on business
or other pursuits-a fact that has
given a varying appearance To the
different congregations Of the place
from Sabbath to >abbath.
Again Matters of all kinds have
been in more or less unsettled state,
and we're rendered much more 50 by
the financial troubles of 1873. Great
embarrassment grew out ofthe litter,
producing much uneasiness nd dis
content. All these circumstances
have had depressing influence upon
the progress OF the churches IN gener
n. In reference To our own society,
however, IL. indeed. in regard to one
or two Others also. these c,rcumStan-
crs received great weight from the
fact that we owned no church build
ing. The society was early COMPEL
ed, from access of numbers, to rent Il
hall in which to worship. The first
hall rented was Mr.. Burd;ck'S; the
next, Garrett Il Gib>on'S; the next,
Ingham's. and 70 "A few weeks past
the church has ra1 the Use of Crei'
der's Hal. Many removals have
been made from point TO point, and
in that r spect, lfno other, We have
been a little like Cots ancient peo-
pie, but we trust we have now moved
for the last time, and come to Canaan,
our permanent home. Ii shall be so
ii the liberality and generosity OF
those pl resent this evening shall ell
able US To dedicate this building to
God a perpetual memorial OF His
| wing kindness in bringing us safely
across the Jordan that has heretofore
rolled before Us. No church can. in
our judgment, he said to he in safe
and prosperous state without per-
m+ne I home OF It's own. 30 long as
it is compelled to worship in halls Its
-u-efulness is much restricted, its en-
ergies 20 unhusbauded, and it, situa-
ton is in every way unsatisfactory.
1t Is especially liable to the disinteg-
rating influence OF any sudden revul-
sion, either social or pecuniary. We
deem il unnecessary To make q secret
Of the matter, but frankly confess
that. in the opini n of the principal
members of our church, the under
taking of the enterprise which has
led to the erection OF this cnapel III
which Won are now seated, was, with
us. not a matter of choice, but one OF
stern necessity. We say that for the
inform alton vt some who may have
been surprised, and even thought 1t
imprudent CA our part, to undertake
To erect a church when times were So
hard. Brethren and friends, the pro
duct of our efforts is before YOU
Tnat those efforts have been severe,