The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-22
NEW ENGLAND CONGREGATIONAL
CHURCH.
rwRNTy-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY SERMON BIZ REV.
T. H. LOCKWOOD


j. II. LOCKWOOD.
Yesterday being the twenty -Hfth anniversary of tho
organization of tho Society tho New England Consre
gat,ona Church, in South Ninth street. williamsburg,
tho pastor Rev j. II. Lockwood took advantage OF the
OCCASION to recount during his morning discourse tho
history of the church from its start Tho
service also inaugurative OF series
OF meetings which will extend through the present
week. II Is hoped with great results In increase OF
spiritual life In the membership The building was
decorated beyond tho usual floral tokens tho pulpit
and after tho usual opening exercises the pastor
nounccd his text Psalms cxxv., /, "a
"Thcy that trust the Lord shall be Mount Zion,
which cannot BIO removed, but abdcth forever AS tho
mountains arc round about Jerusalem the Lord Is
round about his people from hcnccforth, even for
ever" Tho reverend gentleman said:-History is
the record OF forces and results operating
on and in mon, OF TIE influences in So
ciey aud tho effects arising hercfrom. and although
It Is impossible TO obtain evory Iact or incident con-
nected Herewith an approximate idea may BIO easily
reached that We can apply the lessons Of experience
TO our own course.
In church history there arc
WORK,
the divine influence aud the human WILL and although
they IRE totally different they united in the Church
In n special way. This church has now reached an
epoch IN its HISTORY not to be passed without notice.
and It Ia DUTY to state briefly the experiences OF this
church during the period Of ITS hstorya quarter OF
drcdrh year OF this great Republic The vicssitudcs
OF everyday life await tho church IN all sue
cess aud cisappointmcnts following each other rcg
ular succession. Twenty-Five years ago Williams
burg had only village corporation, though IT
had a population Of 10000; ci,y charter had been
adopted but IT, did not go into operation until Jan
Early IN April, 1851, small number conceived the
idea OF organizing Congregational chnrcn though
many thought at tho time that the twenty-iour
churches then existing were enough to
effort was carried forward d however however. tho
first meetings taking place at the residence OF Of
tho members on Fourth and south EIGHTH stress. On
May % 1851 the organization was effected in Central
Hail. corner Of South First and Fith streets aud Rev.
Thomas n Bcecher was installed as pastor. Rev.
and Henry Ward Beechcr taking part In tho
exercises Tho council which effected tho organiza-
brooklyn and Puritan aud tabcrnacie ., New York.
Tho Sunday school was organized with twenty six
scholars aud sixteen teachers on tho sth Of june and
with donation from the church Of SIG 81 obtained
those cheap times complete Quilt, including library,
hymn books and lesson cards. History repeats tseI
and then even IN the early days OF this church. when
all supposed to be husiasm, members neglected
the means OF grace frequently aud
yet, notwithstanding every drawback on january q
1854 whom the hall was DESTROYED by ire there we're
16l the roll Of tho church and 107 Of
the Sunday school Tho church met then. until this
eiihcc was erected In the Odron, now Apollo Hail, IN
Fith street. Three lots OF ground had boon purchased
in September, 1882 the ground was broken in no.
and On Foreiathcrs' Day, December 20, 1853, after
many seasons o scisacrince the church dcd-
Gated Kew. Thomas n Boechcr resigned Ia April, 1851
after three years OF hard labor which greatly cndearcd
HIM to his congregation. lie succeeded by II. u.
Elliott VINO remained one year The Rev. D. Temp.
kns succeeded him October Q, 1859 In the spring of
1865 Rev. Leonard W. Bacon assumed the pastorate
until June, 1870, when he was followed by Rev.
J. H. Brodt The latter rcsgning In juno. 1875, 10
go 10 Danville, N y, where he died September g. rho
present pastor, J. IL Lockwood, succeeded HIM. The
church has now 23 members and over 500 in ,hc sun
day school, and Is interested in great amount OF
sidc work, missionary calls district prayer meetings.
tract distribution and Sunday school MISSIONS; but
statistics will never give the arreaching Influences
cmanatinR from the church Ia all these
years. Who shall weigh the issues hanging In tho
version Of single soul? But the Lord has been with
us and has hcla tho hollow Of His hand and
lying Him. inspired by the past, wc but 20 for
ward, feeling that II get reward hero below II
viii crown US in the Church triumphant above
series OF meetings will be kept up during tho
week