Evening star., 1885-10-07
CITY AND DISTRICT.
A NOTABLE ANNIyERsARY,

CITY AND DISTRICT.
A NOTABLE ANNIVERSARY.
The semi.Centennial or the Ninth
s'reeS Methodist Protestant Church.
ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CELEBRATION NEXT
soNDAf-A SKETCH OF THE cHURcH-rHE
EARLY DAYS OF METHODIST PROTESTANT
ISM IN THE DISTRICT.
Next sunday the congregation of the Ninth
Street Methodist Protestant Church. 9th street.
between + and northwest, will celebrate the
semi-centennial anniversary of the church in
It's present location. The services will take
place IN the morning at IL o'clock and in the
afternoon at O'clock The exercises of the
morning Will be opened by a voluntary by q
choir followed by the hymn "Can Truth Di-
vine Fnlhliment FAIL" composed by Rev. Dr.
L. ID. stockton. Rev. P. T. Hall will follow in
prayer; tnen the S46th and 14Sth Psalm will
be read. followed by the hymn, 81 Love Thy
klngoom Lord" and voluntary by the
choir. The sermon will be by the pastor, Rev.
j. l.. Mills, ID. D.. his subject being, "The Pro-
test OF the Methodist Protestant Church"
Rev. Oliver Cox will offer prayer, and the
hymn hymn comna.e maa1 NY Partners in Distress 2
vices.
Al VIC uOOu meeting alCef the voluntary
by the choir and the invocation by Rev. s. B.
Treadway, of the East Washington M. r
church, ehI the hymn "The Rising Light Adorn.
be sung; A history of the church will be read
oS Mr.; r. J. Bartlett, one of the class leaders
made ana sbteTRsrds by ReS after which addresses wi be
avenue church; Rev. Oliver Cox, of 9tn street.
and Rev: DR.. 1. w. Bates, Of Georgetown,
hymn, "An Alien from God" &C. (one of Rev.
l.; l: J.; Cox's hymns) the doxology and the bene
The choir consists of-sopranf. Miss Florence
C. Grigg, Mrs. j. D. Franzoni, Miss Beulah Par
sons, Miss Laura Parsons, Mrs. Moore and Mrs.
seibor; ati, Mrs. p. P. Grigg, Miss Stella Drane;
bassi, Mr.. w. G. Deeble Prof Brown and A. j.
Brown; leader, Mrs. E. P. Grigg; organist, Miss
Edith FranZoni.
THE METHODIST PROTESTANT CHURCH
The Methodist Protestant church, as it is well
known. holds the same doctrines as the Meth
odfst Episcopal church. excepting that certain
rights are conceded to the laity, which are not
recognized in the M. E. church. Lay delega-
tions are provided for, and bishops and pre-
siding elders have no places in the church Or
ganizatiOn. The denomination had it's origin
in general convention held in Baltimore in
1923, the delegates thereto representing men,
bers of the NJ. E. church (many Of them ex-
pelled who had advocated the rights of the
The church formed in GEORGETOWN ia supposed
to have been the first to adopt "The articles of
association" A meeting was held in the Bridge
street Presbyterian church December I'd, 1898,
at which p men and 1S women determined to
secede and adopt the articles. The following
year the Georgetown congregation worshiped
was ready. Rev W w. Wallace % was sS it's taftr frst
pastor. Under the fostering care of the George
town church the Washington church was
as the leader, being composed of Messrs. Jas A.
Kennedy, for many years connected with the
city post office, and Mrs. Kennedy, w. w. Biz
and harness maker; Enoch White, painter; A.
J: Boss, S. w. Boyd and Mrs. Charlotte E. Boyd.
This class met regularly at the residences of
The want of a place of worship being felt, and
the little band having increased in numbers
church on the west side If ! 9th street a u SaW
lots south of II, was projected.
THE FIRST CHURCH IN WASHINGTON.
This was a modest, frame building known as
the Tabernacle, which was dedicated Decem-
Der 23d, 1882, Rev. DR.. Levi X. Reese (ywho
served 9th street in 1887 and in 1919,
Steir, who became the pastor of 9th street in
1888, preaching at night Rev. VIM. Kelsey
was the first pastor. At that time in addition
local minister, Mrs. Susan Ward and Mrs.
Alice Warden, and in 1884 Samuel Tucker,
i Belinda IT Tucker, ;i.e, Mary Grant, among others
was the next pastor, and he was succeeded by
Rev. Josiah Warden, a native Of Washington,
who after faithful ministry of over thirty
years, died in Frederick county, Nd, in 1868.
1t was thought that more commOdious house
of worship was needed at the national capital,
and the general conference of 1884 was me-
moralized to indorse the project of building
such a structure, and the result was the erec-
tiOn of the church whose semi-centenntal will
be observed on Sunday.
THE NINTH STREET CHURCH.
This was plain brick structure, with galle-
ries, seating about 500 persons, and cost $500
for the ground and $4,000 for the building.
After all the money that could be raised had
been applied a debt of $4,000 remained, for
which two OF the members gave their notes, To
meet these Mr.. Kennedy sold one house for
1000 and mortgaged another for an addi-
tional $1,000. The house was completed in
1885, and the dedicatOry sermon was preached
by Rev. Josiah Warden, the pastor. The official
board at that time was composed OF UlysesWard
c. Dunn, and F. Howard, class leaders: Isaac
Gelland and W; ". billing, stewards; James a.
Whitney and ]. C. Dunn, trustees. A
IT ina. 6o daae tne n1n Mrs but
Radcliff are living. The records show that the
membership has varied from time to time, but
churches. For the past thirty years it has aver
aged about lao, but it has always been regarded
as one OF devoted members. Besides the names
of Rev. Gamaliel Bafly, who became famous as
the editor of the National Era; DR.. T. g. Clay
snd M
now Of Rockville. 1t has sent into the minis.
try VIM. Sexsmith, James T. Ward and George
d. EdmonstOn.
PASTORS OF THE CHURCH.
Rev. DR.. Levi r. Reese succeeded Mr.. Warden
in 1885, and served two years, the charge then
taking the name of Washington During Mr.
Reese's term he served as chaplain of the
House of Representatives, and as such preached
the funeral discourse of Congressman Cilley, of
Maiue who was killed in duel by Congress
man Graves, OF Kentucky. Rev. Fred. Stier
(uncle of H. c. and F. A. Stier, of this city,, who
died in 1851 served the charge in 1885, Rev.
DIR. Augustus Webster, now living, served in
1889 and 1910, and he was followed in 1S41
and AZ by Rev. DIR. A. A. Lpscomb, now of the
Alabama conference, and residing at Athens,
Ga. Rev. DIR. Switzerland served the charge,
which then in 1s43 became known as 9th
street. Joseph P. Moore was the temporary
supply in 1914, and H: D. Moore and DR.: VIM.
now of Mt. Vernon Place NJ. E. Church south,
followed In 1S46, when Rev. DIR. L. r. Reese re-
turned and served in 1S47 and '4S.
Rev. DR.. VIM. Collus served in 1s49 and
a few years afterwards was transferred to the
in 1850, and uniting with the Presbyterians, is
now pastor of that denomination in Philadel-
phia. Rev. DR.. ID. II. Reese was the pastor in
1858 and 1854 and was returned in 1S66-67 In