Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-06-12
A New Church.
Fonr WORTH, June 10, ISL

FONT WORTH, June 10, 1851.
To the Editor OF the Gazette. a
The necessity for church CORE
spending in style and appearance with
other public and private buildings in
our city and with capacity to situate
comfortably all its members and visit.
ing friends and strangers is perfectly
apparent. Recent notices In The q A.
zETTE and notably communication
from "Visltor" to the Fort show that
this necessity is realized here and an.
preciated abroad. A 100000 jail and
s., 900 church will look incongruous in
u Christian city. 1t is surely much
cheaper to build churches than jails
Stating the case In Its feeblest form,
the Christian church Is the best police
regulation In the country. 1t Is the
only institution in the country that
has for its sole object the reformation
of the wicked and the prevention of
crime by establishing In the heart
principles Of justice, truth and love.
These facts are universally conceded.
From this standpoint alone 1t is wise
and profitable to foster and develop
Christian enterprises.
The congregation of the Fourth
street Methodist church Is one of the
Oldest organizations In the city. Its
history dates from the foundation Of
the little village on the bluff. Its
light has sometimes been small, bur
never feeble. Its ritual has carried
the myrrh and aloes with which many
dead have been embalmed in both
cemeteries from the time of their
establishment. All classes of the
living have been In some way or other
benefited by its influence. To-day 1t
counts 300 communicates. In view of
these facts and many more that might
be mentioned, 1t Is thought to be ap-
propriate for this church to lead out In
the direction of a new building. Ifall
our members should be present at one
service, we could by crowding manage
to seat thirty visiting friends.
This year is the centenary
of American organic Methodisui.
1t is expected that every member
bring to the church altar free-will
offering in commemoration of our
wonderful history. Early in the year
a committee was appointed to take
charge of and develop movement for
the building of monumental church
curing centenary year. Other cities
are doing so. San Antonio is finish
ing $4,000 church, BRENNAN has
nnlshed one recently, Houston has
Just completed one worth as much,
Palestine is building one worth $50, 200;
why stand we here all the day idle?i
We are not idle. The sentiment il
growing; many of our people are i'm
patient Tor the work to begin. But as
pastor of this church, and one init
mately associated with the people. I
am prepared to say something from
personal knowledge. The rich mem
bers of this church can be counted on
ones fingers and have four fingers to
spare. Nine-tenths of the members
are poor. The rest are prosperous. in
average circumstances. 1t can be seen at
glance, that If church is built that
Will correspond in appearance, style
and seating capacity with the various
necessities of the case, either some
persons will be sorely pressed to do it,
or the liberal people of Fort Worth
VIII help according to their ability.
This believe they will do, and this |
we desire to give them opportunity to
DO. One promise / am warranted in
making; ] am authorized TO make it, |
both by the history of Methodism the |
world over, and by my personal knowl-
e"sc vi tue peopie OF tn1S church, when |
our building is completed, no Christian |
people who are trying to build, will |
ask In vain for sympathy and assist |
ance at the hands OF members of our
centenary church. Not less than sos.
600 should be invested in this way be-
fore the beginning of 1885.
Next Sunday at II o'clock a. M,
Providence permitting, | propose to
test the tension of this movement.
All persons who would love to see our
city place itself on record as appreciat-
Ing moral and religious as well as
financial and social enterprises, are
earnestly invited to attend our service
at that hour. A subscription will be
taken for that purpose. The business
men of Fort Worth are DO more afraid
of a subscription paper than they are
OF the traditional panther that laid
down in this region. All are invited
TO come and hear our plans and pur-
poses and act in accordance with their
Judgment.
HORACE Bishop, p. c.,
Fourth Street NJ. T.. c., S.