Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1884-05-05
Fruitful Decade.

A Fruitful Decade.
Tenth Anntvsrsary Of the Opening
of the Meeting House and the Install
IatfOn OF Its pastor, Rev. 1. c. Ne
serve.
Yesterday was day of great interest to
the members of the Davenport church and
congregation. as it marked the end of ten
years of life and prosperity in its present
house of worship and under the leadership of
its pastor, the Rev. I. O. Meserve. In the
morning the church was filled by large
congregation. The platform was embower-
ed in profusion of ported plants, both
Towering and foliage, and two baskets of cut
flowers were placed on either side of the
pulpit. The new male double quartette. led
by Mr.. F. B. Kellogg of the Yale Law school,
sang very acceptably. The choir is some
thing of an innovation in church singing,
bat innovations seem rather popular now'
and this one will undoubtedly prove SO, il
the choir maintains the degree of harmony
and blending that it exhibited yesterday.
The services were conducted by the Rev.
Mr.. Meserve and Rev. E. E. Atwater. Before
the sermon fifteen persons were received into
the church by profession of their faith and
nine by letter. The sermon preached by
the pastor was on the subject, 1.-THE Gross
of Jesus Christ" It considered the death of
Jesus Christ in itself and in relation to the
individual man for whom ne died. The sub
jeet was higher than saintship, heroism or
wisdom. The thought that Christ has re
deemed us from our bondage to sin was en-
phasizsd, and the freedom we enjoy through
him. We should love and revere him.
THE EVENING SERMON.
The congregation that assembled in the
evening was also large. The choir rendered
their selections admirably. The sermon was
in the nature of review of the work of the
church in the past ten years, and was very
interesting. The text was taken from the
nineteenth verse of the first chapter of REEVE
lations, as follows: ''Write the things which
thou hast seen, and the things which are, and
the things which shall be here after" LII the
beginning the pastor said that anything like
an adequate history of the church during the
ten years j ust ended would be far beyond the
limit of sermon. The walls and arches of
the building would have to have the gift Of
speech before as much as beginning could
be made.
The church is twenty-five years old, the
preacher went on to say. 1t was founded by
the Rev. E. E. Atwater, whose father, being
a man of ample means, sent him down in the
eastern part of the city to do good. The
church worshipped in these di ferent little
chapels, the last one being on Greene street
The present church edifce was built at a
great sacrifice as the people were few in num-
Der and were not wealthy. Almost no one
outside of the church thought well of the
step. But the church was built and was q
beautiful church. The committee, architect
of worshippers were tremuIous for their sue
cess. The work then began. Every winter
special meetings have been held with
good results, and various evangelist
have helped the pastor. The church had a
debt of $18, 900 which has been paid, the
only debt remaining being mortgage on the
pastorage. That will be lifted soon. Dur
ing the decade 341 persons have Joined on
profession of their faith and 275 by letter.
The church has therefore membership of
$50, against 155 ten years ago. There have
been lost by death, removals and dismissions
161 members. The pastor commended some
of the church for their growth. The col
lections have for the past five years ranged
from $500 to ST. 600 per year. The bene-
volences have averaged more, in one year
going as high as $4,000,
The only Congregatio nal pastor
who has been settled longer than Mr.. Me-
serve is DIR. John E. Todd, pastor of the
Church of the Redeemer.
Mr.. Meserve, after speaking about long
and short pastorates, referred briefly to the
moral condition of the city, which he said
could be greatly improved by the combined
efforts of all Christians in the city. ''New
Haven" he said, 'tcan very well spare every
one of its saloons, gambling bells and houses
of prostitution: The last few weeks have
seen very commendable effort made to shut
up the doors of the saloons on Sundays. All
honor to the police department, the pros
ecuting attorney and the judge of the City
court"
The changes in the theological doctrines
that have taken place in the last ten years
we're referred to and the sermon closed with
an earnest exhortation to the church to go
forward bravelv to the work that lies before
it and the possibilities of the next decade.
There will be a meeting this evening in the
church, when addresses will be made by Rev
DR.. John E. Todd, Rev. E. s. Lines, Rev. W.
q. Butrick, Rev. J. A. Wyatt and members
of the church, after which there will be
social entertainment in the parlors.
The committee in charge of the anniver-
sary exercises is composed of w. A. Harrl-
son. G. Truman Smith and Charles H.
Cough.
Drowned In Naugatuck.
Eddie Melbourne, of Naugatuck, aged 10,
was drowned Saturday morning in the shoe
shop pond while playing in boat with two
They were rocking the boat in
play when Eddie fell overheard. His body
was rescued, butssnot until life was extinct.
Increase of Members
At Several of the Churches-A Sunday