The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1881-01-28
CHURCH CONSIDERATION.
The New Ediice of the Reformed Society
of Emporia Dedicated to the
Service Of God.
The Rtsesry OF an EnfeFpFise which
Owes Ial Success 50 the Christian
Zeal OF an Earnest PASTOR
and q fEafnfnl PaaRLa.

Z0AL E4AEA8IE G8L6QE
and = Heipfal People.
Sunday morning ST. Paul's Reformed
church the new brick ediice At the corner
of Constitution street and Ninth avenue.
which stands as an imposing monument
to the untiring energy and christian
zeal Of its pastor, Rev. J. G. Shoemaker.
was opened the first time for divine
service The original program was va
ried TO the extent of pOstponing the con-
secretion OF the house till in the evening
and the morning hour was devoted to
regular services, the pastor occupying
the pulpit and preaching very able
sermon appropriate to the occasion, from
the text: 1.-THE Lord is in His holy
temple; let ali the earth keep silence
before Him. The discourse demon
strated the inherent disposition of man
to worship something above and beyond
him, and to embody this object of hon.
age in some material form, which. in
the pagan world, finds expression in
idols that are the work of mans
hands, and with christians IN temples
erected to the worship of the living
and true God, by whose spirit the
sanctuary is pervaded. These houses,
in which the divine presence dwells,
even as the Shekinah in the temple Of
old, should be fit habitations for the oc-
cupatIon of Jehovah, and hence it is that
we erect our churches in a manner that
Sk,axy ~, az i1aniro Vavarapea and auCgoaf
thoughts which are not associated with
secular and common things. St. Paul's
church, while modest and unpretentious,
realizes to a singular degree. the idea
embodied in the pastors sermon.
Without an intimation even of splendor.
it is withal SO thoroughly. peat and COM
Portable, its various appointments are so
happily blended, and such excellent
taste has been displayed in its entirecon-
struction, that one can hardly realize
that so much could be done with the
means at hand and the comparatively
small outly. The audience room is
30x50 feet, and has seating capacity Of
about three hundred people. The walls
are very tastefully frescoed in the popu-
lar sandstone shade, which is relieved
by freize of light cOlors and graceful
design. A panel in the recess back of
the pulpit bears the appropriate inscrip-
ton Holy and Reverend is His Name"
and the monogram composed of the
Greek letters Alpha and Omega. The
house is sufficiently lighted
by day and ventilated by a
row of neat windows on the north
and south sides, and by two very hand
some chandeliers, by night The CELL
ing is of alternate strips of white and
yellow pine. reinforced by heavy brack-
cts in imitation of walnut, and the wains-
scoting, which reaches to the bottoms of
the windows, is of pine and ash. The
seats and pulpit, all of which
were made in Emporia, are of poplar
and walnut and reflect the taste and sup
erior workmanship of the manufacturer.
The aisles and space about the pulpit
are covered with very pretty carpet,
the gift OF the school-mates of the pastors
daughters, in Pennsylvania, and hand
some Bible donated by Mr.. Prothero,
formerly of this city, hymn
book and liturgy presented by
the pastors brother, complete the APP
pointments of this pleasant house of
worship.
| THE DEDICATION SERVICES
Took place in the evening, when the au-
didence room was filled to its utmost
capacity, the pastor beissg assisted by
Rev. ]. D. Greenwald, of Sabetha,
Brown county, and Revs. Kirby, Cordley
and Burrows, of this city.
| After short but felicitious addresses
from each of these gentlemen, the pas.
tor submitted to the congregation the
following
| HISTORICAL AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT:
The history and growth of st. Paul's
Reformed church, corner of COnstitu.
ton street and 9th avenue, commences
with the summer of 1879. In the month
of June, Rev. DIR. Shoemaker
from Central Pennsylvania, was re
quested to visit Emporia with
q view to ascertaining the feas
utility of establishing . Reformed
congregation at this place and if found
l
same. In compliance with this request
he visited Emporia and found
number of families from Pennsylvania
and Ohio who were members of the
Reformed church and anxious 70 have
an organization ofStheif nnmiHa
ton. The expenses Of tbs TAP Wery
borne by him personals. es be did no
| have any inclination to change. GkqrtlJ
after this visit the board Of missla
the three eastern synods wished hl5f
undertake this work, bat be sea:
petition was then gottea up ~ he
dent members asking this heard %
them a pastor, and furtl seqnestl Z
the board, if possible, 70 send DR.. She
maker. This work was SCALA ueScl
upon his attention, and fearing thai HI
might be Sinking work which seemed 4
point plainly to him, with grsat reAue
lance he accepted a commission Erom ID
board and arrived at Emporia Noyem
Der 1, 1879, and Immediately commences
the work of establishing congregation
t Three weeks elapsed before place will
in the reach Of their means could be oh
, tanned TO hold divine services. At las
FoWler's hall On Commercial street, wa
obtained where the first service was held
: In the estimation of the missionary thi
was considered altogether unsuitable
. Other halls were offered, but the pric
asked was beyond their reach. Tn
D court house was then secured for tn
winter and the last Sunday of Novem
4 Der, services were commenced. Thi
seemed to give life to the movement, an,
at the close of the service, when the pas
4 tor announced that services Nigh
1 be expected every Sunday q
I the usual hour until further notice
one of the members arose and state
i | al, 81, Aa a1
/, that day, but after q committee, CON
;. posed of all the male members had cal
ed upon the proper officers, Arrange
> ments were effected to hold mornin
services only each Sunday during th
winter. The pastor next set TO wor
4 earnestly, with a view of organizinI
!. and on the 21st of December, 1879,
congregation under the name {
& "St Paul's Reformed Church" wit
r 81 members was organized, but
# was soon found that to max
;. the congregation success, house {
worship must be secured, though
q should be an humble one At first
= was thought that the old Congregation
n church might answer, which was then
r. market. The latter part Of January
was resolved to move at once in III
:, matter and test it. Accordingly, wit
Il the consent of the board of missions, ii
d missionary, on the Sd Of February, star
ed east to lay the matter before his pc
pie, whom he had served as pastor. Til
I visit was altogether satisfactory. None
and pledges were secured sufficient
I. justify the congregation in undertaken
:. new, but small, frame building.
THE SUBJECT GREW.
l. The members pledged themselves to
5, all in their power and it was thougl
II safe to erect q brick building, thong
no oae then thought of more than Il
. shell-whieh might be completed as Il
Is congregation grew. The whole matt
1t was given into the hands of the paste
N With Henry Mechflv and Christian Z