Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1888-10-17
AsnURX's N1NHrv-HlSs YEARS.
,. Large Numbsr of People Atssst ThslI
Love for tine ola church aad fol
mathOaisu,

Love for ths ola church and for
MsthOaisn.
Asbury N. z. Church passed her 99Gh
milestone last night. That many Year,
alo . handful Of the followers Of John
Wesley's despised Methodlsts met and
orgAnized little society ard named II
after the great leAder Of Meth0dism
thon 10 America, Francis Asbury. 10
that little handful of Methodists who
OrganiEsd AfbaTy NJ. u. Ohurch WaI
John FeiWell, the man who Kept the
public house somewhere about Third
and King streets. Either Methodists
were not 80 particular In those days
who they took In amongst them As
members, or public house keepers in
the common acoeptAtion Of the term
were In better reputs for morals and re-
lieion than they now are ~ 3 general
Iule.
Felwsll was one OF the first trustees
any leased to the new society this school
hous'e OF Third and King streelS, whore
the RNPUBLIcAN offioe nov stands, for
Q place In which to hold their meetings.
Though the society was organized
ninety. .nin,N years ago last night, it was
not until eSerAl years Afterwards when
j
nut streets, the pfesent location, and
even then the oSuIch in dimensions
vas only 60 feet square. Rev. CHARLES
Moore SAya the first soats they had
were wooden benches without backs.
and many years Afterwards DR. Blmms
Gays they were only improved with
wooden strips for backs.
Tho Asbury people, full Of zsAl and
love for their old church, met in their
large, beautiful and nearly new chureh
last night and appropriately celebrated
their Goth anniversary. AB might haVe
been expected for suoh an occasion, the
church was crowded. Rev. j. 70.
Bryan, pastor 10 charge, very properly
arranged shat there should be general
love feast and experience meesipg, 10
Rive the people all . chance 10 say
something. 1t lie needless to say that
In such large body Of Asbury Metho
dists the occasion was fully enjoyed
and no time Wns lost. The two Oldest
members Of the church present were
Rev. Charles Moore and George B.
| aAgAny, and their r0oOllecti0nH OF past
events were Of very intsresting CHAR
aoteE.
The meeting was opened by the sing
ing Of Q hymn, followed by prayer by
Rev Hi MepdenhAll. Then followed
the singing Of hymn 72S, "And are We
yet alive" The choir was not IN iJs
place last night and no organ was
used, giving the nesting an old time
lexpreasion, How many contests and
WTAngliDRa have Methodists had over
choiFs and orgAnS7 "Ye old folks"
came TO the front last night.
After the singing Of the hymn . Ool-
leoiion was taken up What would
Methodlsm be without the old time
! basket collection? A brother utilised
the time OF taking up the collection By
starting up "O0me Tnou Fount Of
Every Blessing" In which the o1ngre-
gatlon heartily Joined.
Then Rev. j. 4. Bryan gos up and
made q statement, giving q very briei
, sketch Of the oreanlBAti0n Of the As
burg BOciaty on the 18th Of October %
ysArs ago. He left q more full and
! lengthy sketch 10 be given ct the future
centennial celebration. BE referred
however, 10 the small houss Of worship
0 SO fest eQuAre, dedicated By Blshof
ASbuEy. Ninety nine years had rolled
around and there WAS no living peIsoT
4 10 tell the trials Of the church NJ itI
organization and for many years there
}, after.
TO day Asbury had seven children
and six grandchildren, the younRes
(Oookman OhApel) at Fourteenth and
q SCOTT streets, only two months old
Thousands Of members had died In tbi
> faith, hundreds had gone TO other oom'
munionE, and 70 day there are from
5000 70 5000 living persons all over thl
country who were at one time conneotet
with Asbury Church. 1t occurred 4
him that upon this, the 99.h ADnlveI
aATy, Il would be proper TO meet An'
talk together about what God had don
and what he is, still doing for th
people. How many have crossed owe
10 the church triumphant from oil
Asbury no one could have any conceT
ton. Mr.. Bryan then told the congrC
cation that the klmo Was theirs an
asked them to improve IL. He though
that 500 people should testify V
night
"All hsil the power Of Jesus name
Welled forth from q thousand thr0Ati
when George 8. HSRRny, the Oldest
membership In the church, got up an
said he felt that this Waa an extERordi
nary occasion. he looked back for
yeArs when he stood up right over thei
beside william KirkmAn and was take
into full membership In Asbury. n
father Akt over there and my mothC
right here, and how glad they we're.
was then but 1e years OF age. He CAV
: RleTy to GOD that he WAS still here, bI
there WaB not anothsr living pefso
, here now that were members then. II
d Was determined 70 fight on = lit
longer and to spend and be spent In Il
. service OF his master.
= =. hFight on, ye old soldier" was SUM
n when George y. Hartman tod how gll
he WAS 10 be here. Our EevolutionAI
fathers had Washington to lead then
D and our Methodist fathers had We
NJ ley, IN AsbuFy, 3 WhatCoAt and Cox
We got Right Start and we are on Il
right way.
Bsv. Charles Moore gave very inte
= estlng sketch Of his reoolleotlons. Nh'
he WAS little boy ARbury OhuEoh vi
considered out OF town. Boats ri
p up the creek back Of the church. {
=, was 81 years Of age, and reoollect'
VI someshing about what MethOdlsm hs
u 70 contend with. They were poo
z deApised people, aud the Calvinis
Il made fun OF them and expected soon
~ annIbilate them, bat Methodism b
grown and will take the world. HehAt'
M OAlvAnism Is ha hated the devil. Os
y vanism makes God the author Of si
= and he hated 1t for that. His pArsn
had eleven children, and 1t took son
- smart managing to get along. Fl
= mother wanted to make q tailor OF HIT
v but at last he drifted into the Bhi
p building business. He was not GoATl
an Into raIio ogon for he uTaa nfOa nAFouH