The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-03
OPENING THE NEW CHURCH.
Yesterdays Services In the New Edifice
of the Tabernacle Congregation.
phe Expense of the Erection of the New Build
ing Entirely Liquidated-The Opening
Sermon Delivered by DR.. Radcliffe.
THE MORNING SERVICES.
The History of the Church-The Sermon of
DIR. Radcliffe.

Greeation held their first meeting in their new
church edifce yesterday morning. The seating
capacity of the pews of the church is SOO but the
aisles were filed with chairs. and every avail
able foot of space was taken TO seat the audience
Though 900 persons were thus enabled to take
part in the services. fully half that number were
unable to gain even standing space The audi
ence room is in the form of a Greek cross, and
the acoustical properties are perfect. There are
no galleries to mar the beauty and symmetry of
the tall walls, which are canopied by vault
broken in graceful curves, and tinted light
green while the windows are of varied colors of
glass; with hues of varying depths.
The pews are spacious and comfortable, while
the aisles are roomy and give ready ingress and
egress to large attendance. The sanctuary was
deliberately beautifed with flowers and plants,
the free-will Offering of the young men of the
church, and their arrangement was due to the
taste of the ladies of the church. A number of
the designs were from the members of the Sun
day-school.
The music was especially good. One Of the
hymns was written for the occasion by Mrs.
Sarah T. Balton, long member Of the church
and its predecessor, the Third Presbyterian
Church, but unable by reason Of illness to be
present
After the sermon, Mr.. Rondthaler the pastor,
said; "The Tabernacle Church was organ
lied on July IL, 1885, For the first year
and half the church occupied the
che building of the former Third Presbyterian
Church. on the corner of Ohio and Illinois
streets. The present pastcrate, which is the
Arat NJ he pizaf haoa In
ber 1884. the installation services being held on
November 9, 1884. In the month of August,
1883, the building on the corner of Ohio and
Illinois streets was sold. and the lot on which
the present building stands was purchased. A
temporary frame building was erected on this
Lot capable Of seating about four hundred per-
sons, with infant-class and Bibleclass rooms
It has been gratifying to know the cordial vel
come given to the church from the beginning of
ats work in this locality. The Sunday services
have been we'll attended, and at the seven COM
munion seasons held one hundred and ninety-one
persons have United with the church.
'"rhe Sunday school has been q special feature
OF encouragement in the work. From q mem
bership of one hundred and twenty it has
grown to the number of four hundred and more,
and our rooms have frequently been tried to
their utmost to accommodate the regular at
tendance on Sabbath afternoons. 1t is very
gratifying that large number have united with
the Bble-classes of the school We now have
nix dourishing Bible-classes, and the intermedi
ate and primary departments keep pace with
the advanced classes
1.-THE building in which we meet this morning
for the first time was commenced in June of last
year though it was not until September that
the foundations were laid. AS it now stands, it
presents only part of the whole plan, both as
regards architecture and the work of the church.
There yet remains to be built to the east end
SHAPED which will contain rooms for the Sunday
school and prayer-meetings Bible and infant
class rooms reading-rooms and such other
apartments and accessories as belong to pro-
gressive church work. AS has been outlined in
the sermon of my brother the progressive
church is that which develops the whole man,
and we, perhaps, in our work are to begin the de-
velopment of the man even in his physical nature.
and to this end expect to see a gymnasium
added to the chapel part of our building. The
idea of our organization is the development of
the whole man-physcal, intellectual, moral
and spiritual. It is earnestly hoped that the
building of this important addition 1.-THE chapel.
etc. may not be long delayed, as it is essential
10 the work that every growing church should
accomplish
1T should be regarded as a great waste of
money to invest thousands OF dollars in build
Ing which is only used once or twice during the
week in addition to the Sabbath services. The
community that invests literally in church edi-
Zee Of this kind has a right to expect some re-
turn, and it is only by keeping the church open
constantly for some purpose looking toward
church can return to the community some profit
Of the investment made. lido not believe in an
architectural gospel-in gospel in stone and
brick. Walls are dumb That which is done
within them must speak forth and do the work.
So that while we thoroughly enjoy the progress
made thus far, we do not sit here to. day as a
society that has accomplished its purpose, and
can rest from its labors even for while. This
day is for many fraught with eager hopes con-
cernipg the future. While we thoroughly enjoy
hio Arr$ rtor in o,<p h.rtl linz onfa
present attainment makes eager to see the
kul6llment of the whole plan"
Mr.. Rondthaler made brief statement that
the floating debt of the church was $5000 and
the bonded debt Sc, 900. and asked pledges to the
amount of 81, 900. The following amounts were
then subscribed: Augustus Kiefer, $500; Chas. A.
Darke. NJ " McGillard, W. S. Hubbard and D.
A. Richardson. each 500; A. j. Halford John
=. Wallick, J. A. Rondthaler, George Garter. S.
]. Peelle, +. S. Newcomer, L. S. Ayers, j. w.
Bradshaw. George Lilly, John McKenna, Mr..
June, Miss Irene Wilson, Mrs. Darke. Mr.. Has
SON, NJ. j. Osgood, "a. H. Nordyke Mrs. Haw-
ley, Capt. Bradshaw, III. L. Brown, Mrs George
Evans John J. Cooper, and Mrs. ]. G. Hood,
each 800; Me Nicoli. Mrs Stewart Charles NJ
Cooper, j. 6. Douglass, Caleb S. Denny. w. N.
Harding, John W. Fort, Mrs. c. B. Rowe, Mr.
Preston, Mr.. Baird, Mrs. Ritchey. Mr.. Muir,
Mrs. McGilliard, ]. A. Wadley. Mr. Wheeler,
Mr. Clough, Mrs. Waite, DR. Maxwell, Mrs
Hickman, FL. ]. Prler, John Scott. Mr.. Craig, j.
d. Holiday, q. w. Bridges eIrs. B. F. Haugh,
Mr. Cunning, p. A. Havelick, BENZ. Walcott,
Mrs w. H. Hubbard. Mrs. Scion Goode, Mrs l.
L. Boyd, j. NJ Rogers, Mr. Howell, w. ]. Mil
Ter, j. n Shaw, A. NJ McCleary, and Mrs.
Ryan, each $25; j. A. Buchanan, who gave $500
at the beginning of the building, added $40: the
choir, $34; Mrs. Newcomer, $50: NJ. w. Dan
Iels, 500: H. NJ Nixon, $40; E. SCHNEIDER,
tI5; the Rondthaler children, SIS; Percy
and Clifford Brodbeck, SIS; Dean, Frank
and Ruth Halford. SIS; Mrs., j. s.
Lazarus, 500; D. N. Davidson. ir., $50;
John Robinsons.family, $25: A. A. Adair, 500;
the three Hall boys. SIS; Mrs w. G. Newcomb,
$40; John W. Kern &c. Miss Mollie Hay, $40;
George Crozier, $40; A A. Young, SIS. Mother
Walter Patton. Elsie Fort Mrs. ingalls, Mrs
Mortland, Gail Smith, Mrs. J. z. Matthews,
Mary Shearen, Miss Kate Rowe, J. N. Dunning,
NJ L. Aughinhaugh, A. Aughinbaugh. Mrs Fl
D. Miller Kate Chandler, Ruel Chandler, Law
renee w. George, Marie George Maggie Black