Bridgeton pioneer., 1886-03-11
NO. 1881

session OF the Conference, held as it
was in the stirring days of the war,
attracted much attention. 1t was a
very patriotic body, and many were
the prayers which went up from it's
membership in behalf of President
Lincoln and the Union cause During
the session the stars and stripes foated
upon the breeze from one of the win
dows of the church.
Aaron E. Ballard was pastor in 1866
&c. He succeeded in wiping out an
old debt of long standing, enlarged the
Bank street chapel at cost of $4,000,
and otherwise added to the value of
the church property
f. A. Morrell assumed the duties of
the pastorate during the years 1867
| $3.50. He was a man of deep piety,
and a very successful minister.
! In 1870-1-72, Isaiah D. King, A. NJ,
was pastor. He was one of the best
educated men who ever occupied the
Commerce street pulpit, and his ser
mons were masterpieces of scholarly
composition. Through his untiring
efforts the church building was en-
larged and modernzed internally and
externally.
In 1874, G. s. Vancleve was the
pastor. During his second year the
semi centennial of the church took
place. The services occupied the
greater portion of the week and were
very interesting.
In 1S75-76-77, Chas E. Hill was again
pastor and he was followed by VIM
Walton in 1S7S-798o.
! Jesse Stiles was pastor in 1881 80 -63
The present pastor is Willis Reeves,
who was appointed in the Spring of
1884, and who still has another year to
serve.
Since the organization of Commerce
street church in 1907, two other
1 churches have grown out of her loinsr
and become prosperous societies for
the promulgation of gospel doctrine.
Trinity Church, West Bridgeton, was
organized, April 18th, 1949. The first
meeting was held in an old shoemaker
shop on Fayette street, where thirty
six persons were present. The first
pastor was Rev. Samuel Parker
Trinity now has fine parsonage, and
handsome church edifice.
In 1873, tine Annual Conference met
in Bridgeton for the fourth time. The
sessions were held in Trinity Church,
Bishop Scott, presiding.
Central Church was organized in
1864, with 1870 members, most of them
having been connected with the Com
merce street church. Henry Baker
was sent as the first pastor. Since
then fine chapel has been built, and
an elegant site secured for church.
Central has also "a handsome parsonage
recently purchased of Mr.. Geo. Law
renee.
The old mother church-Commerce
street-still remains vigorous and pros
porous, with a membership of 700 per-
sons. The Sunday schools connected
with this stronghold of Methodfsm,
have 443 scholars. Besides the two
chapels-one on Bank street, and the
other on South Pearl street-an ele
giant parsonage has recently been pur-
chased for the pastor. 1t is located on
the corner of Commerce and Church
streets, and is known as the Bates prop
J erty. The total value of the property
owned by the church is estimated at
$35, 600
The Trinity Church has a member
, ship of 3S7, and a list of Sunday-s@hool
scholars numbering 400, with church
property valued at $4,000.
Central M. E. Church has member
ship of 376, and 245 Sunday-schoot
scholars, with 100000 worth of church
property.
: Thus it will be seen how wonderfully
, Methodism has prospered in Bridgeton.
, From class of fourteen persons in
1906 to membership of l ,463 in 1886.
Then the collection basket brought
forth eighty-seven cents, while last
year the magnificent sum of So, 250 was
, realized from all sources.
The old church has witnessed many
great revivals, and its walls have re-
: verberated with the eloquence of many
able advocates of the Gospel of Christ
but one of the greatest days in its his
tory was that on which Bishop Beverly
Waugh preached in the Spring of 1852.
Bishop Waugh was one of the truly
great men of the church. He was OF
splendid physique, and impressive ap
pearance. His theme was Heaven
and he preached with such power that
the congregation seemed to see a vision
of the city itself, so vivid was his por-
trayal of the glories of the celestial
city. The church was crowded, and
many went away unable to obtain ad
mission.
In Commerce street cemetery near
the church many prominent men lie
buried. Among them may be men,
toned Rev. John Murphy, the early
advocate of Methodism in this section;
Rev. Jonathan Brooks; r. Henry Fos-
ter; Franklin Ferguson, founder of the
Vest Jersey Pioneer, now the BRIDGE