New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-11-01
FORTY YEARS IN ONE PULPIT
THE LONG rAsToRArE OF DIR. sroRRs

II ia nearly forty years since the Rev. Dr. H. "
s;ors the popular pastor of the Church OF '.'
Pilgrims in Brooklyn, installed over that cnuro"
On August 81 he celebrated his sixty-nfth oir'nu'y'
and on November 10 he will celebrate the iorDe'n
anniversary OF his pastorate. On the closing sunasy
of the church year. November IA. the anniversary
sermon will be delivered and the following mum
day evening church sociable will be held .,
Critics who CO npain that clergymen are overpa'u'
when the character OF their work Is compared WIN
that OF other professional men, often referreu "
Dr. Storrs as an example Of the large GLASS v
ministers who would doubtless earn douos '"'"
presents salary il they had become lawyers
physicans Dr. Storrs did study law for year or tNo
in the Office of Rufus Choste. He gave TINS 40 D'
reason tor exchan ging the law for the Gospel In co
versation with TnBuSE reporter the otner Gay
thought ought to-"
TIE PIONEER CONGREGATIONAL On nO 70.
Many changes have taken place in Inc O,S
Churches siuce the young clergyman. with only Uno
wears experience as pastor assumed charge oil MS
nav feel, The populaon OF the city was then oo'oo,
It is now more than 100000. Prospect fark Sn az
the CITY Reservoir had only been seen IN hreanS'
all the Bridge linking Brooklyn 10 TINS city nau ~
even been dreamed OF the slevsted railroads W.
unknown, and there were no street raiirosoS ~
in the CITY, No gas Lighted the Streets ana 'n1 oS an
pumps supplied the city With water Inc o'ocA "a
which the cnuroh building now stands, at heusen "
Henry sts., then a pasture .ha
Congreg itional denomination in Brooklyn. an III.
Successful attempt was made TO found cnnrcn ~ s
last century but 1t was not I'LL 1914 that TINS
organized Plymouth Church came t"o 80
later. aud there are now sixteen churches ana .eu
missIons The Pilgrim Churcn has more tban 80
members and over 100 children in lts sunday-cn."Dt
Ii has also the Pilgrim Mission vita an assistant
pastor at Henry and Degraw sts, wnicn mas La
attendance; the build NJ cost 100000. Besides Ho
necessary expenses the church contributes snnus,s
more than $40 900 for benevolent work outside OF It's
cWn immediate work. q n ct;.
Among the founders OF the church were S b. Cht-
tenden, who ia still among it, most active menoe'e
Seth B. Hunt John T. Howard, Henry Z: Bowen, o.
The Independent" Walter j. Hatch ii. l. ona'Po
and Albert Woodruff 1t had only been orgallDo"
short time when the call was extended 10 i'S P.
pas. o. and of the l40 members who welcomed MN "
ls46 probably not than thirty are now III .lo
increased to 900 and OF that number oOO unlieu vu
profession OF faith. True TO the name wh,Gn. lhe
church adopted il placed in the front OF It's euhiing
few feet above the sidewalk rough fragment o, 1H0
vertable rock upon which the toretathefs Ehiou.
The new stone edice. just completed IN lo+o was
then the finest house OF worship IN the clty 100
tor the times people thought. but the louns
lstOr qui, ky filed il with congregation
wealrh amt. influential. the building If Oh eIa'
granite built in a bat-3yzantIne architecture: ~ -.
heavy oak trimmings give an appearance OF soi'u
the in terror which thoroughly remodeIied lie"
wears ago. being decorated IN medieval po ycnIono
after an aborate design. The organ anu onolr ea'll
were then placed directly behind the pulpit roon
being made tor them by making arched openings
between the auditorium aud the pa,tors s'uuy y" '"'
THE son or A CLERICAL FAMILY
DR. Storrs il the third member OF his family to bear
the name Richard Sllter both his father and grand
father ha ing been the Rev. DR. Richard Saiter SorA
HIS grea-gr1ndfather. the Rev. DR.. John storrs was
the pastor OF church at Southod L. l.. gong I'd ither
from Connecticut, where he was born Later ne wtn.
70 Mansfield. Conn, where he dled IN l'oV III - -
he delivered sermon at the ord nation OF his son al
Longrneadow. Conn. The father OF the present III.
Storrs was born in LOngmeadow and for more than SKY
wears was the pastor of the FIRST ConEreGali0haI
Church of Brantree Mass. his only passionate, where
DR.. Storrs born on August II, ISL .1
The preparatory rtudles OF DR.. , orrs were p1rsueu
al the Mon-on Academy Mass. a ID ne w'S Rra'l".u
from Amherst College in 1889. the Youngest m.m
of a argo aud brilliant class Mr. BeecheT had pre-
ceded him by tive years at the same co'ieeo' .ta
nearly twenty-five he has been trustee OF the
co lege. After leaving Amherst ne entered the Ia"
Office of Runs Choite. where he remained Two Years
When twenty years OLD he gave mp the s'uuy o. ~"
and turne, his attention toward the ministry entering
the Andover Theological Sem nary. from whch he was
graduated in 1S45. His first passionate was over the
Harvard Congregational Church OF Brookline, MASS.
where he remained one year he was ordained on
October % 1915. and IN November 1916 he vas
On October i. i145. Dr. storrs married daughter
OF Francis jerks, OF Boston, They have three
dau ghters. OF them being the vie OF the heF r.
B Coe OF the Collegiate Reformed Church OF TINS
The parsonage has been at No 80 pierreeont-st for
MANY years. and in the summer the family occupy
th-r summer hone Sunset Rid e. Shelter Island
Heights DR.. SiOrrs coming to Brooklyn part OF ne
tine tor tue Sunday service. Tue kew pr. IL VI.
Stofr- OF Orange v j.. for many wears the secretary
OF the American Home Missionary Society, Is cousin
of the Brooklyn pastor. 49,.
In ISL when Dr. Sorrs ha1 completed the thirty
fifth wear of his pastorafe the congregation gave nm
s}J 600 : / 900 for each year he presentation TOOK
Mace at the house of John s Ward. No. 80 Pierre
presentation speech ami handed DR. Storrs certified
check for the sum. -
In Is4s Dr. Sorrs, Or. Leonard Bacon and Dr.
Joseph F. Thompson founded The Independent.
I Dr II
I~Gl Thorough approaching the benehts oil educil
ton be has taken an active interest in educational
matters in Brooklyn. not ONLY III regard 10 the p1ohc
school system but also in the private schools anu tnHs
designed tor the higher education o. the youth OF nI
city He has shown especial interest IN the eS'aolsn-
nent and success of the Brooklyn remae Acaneihy'
now the Packer Institute His personal characteristics
have been summarized as follows
In person Dr. StOrrs Is large, tall, stately III
manners di niied and polite; in intercourse to his
tried and trusted friends corial and IN social lie
genial and often witty and humor"us for many
wears DR. Sorrs delivered his sermons from the manu-
scrjpt but a few wears ago he laid asi1e the written
sermon and since that time he has pracsed and advo-
Gated preaching without notes
HOW A eeRMON L MADE.
After discussing the changes in Brooklyn in general
and in the Church o. the Pilgrims in the last forty
years the rep rter asked Dr. Storrs il he willing
| to tell the public how he prepared sermon. III
Certainly" he re lied. subject suggests ltsel
| TO me- through the reading o. verse OF Scripture.
am ant to make notes the passage AT once ana lay
them aside. After a few days | take mp my not's anu
read them over to see how they strike me lheh -
feel that am attracted aud impressed by the subject
make sketch of the trains thought which are 'u2-
gesed, covering perhaps page OF note paper lHeh
| kceo the subject In mind till preach the sermon.
When do you begin working on the sermon -
" Early in the week, usually"
" Do Won not write more than the skeleton page "a
which YOU have referred 7"
| d" have not for many wears, unless sermon was 10
be published unless there was some subject IN con
troyersy when particular Importance was attached 10
the use OF wOr'ls."
"Aud the Ian guage, in which the socalled bones oil
| the sermon first prepared
" In the pulpit"
ado YOU advise young men TO begin their ministry
| with extemporaneous preaching !"
-" | would not lay this down a general principle
" How many of these skeleton subjects have you on
] hand !"
" Probably 100 that have not had occasion TO
| touch