The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-11-15
Dedication of the Methodist church.

IIldl uEuICdGlOlI VI LlO1l hOW AOoSO VA WI
ship to the service of God. The day WAS {
most beautiful one, and all nature seemed
to smile upon the occasion. All of the
city churches were closed, and the various
congregations united together in the SER
vice.
j The Methodist Church was organized ir
Anderson in 1928, the year the Court
House was located here. On December
30th, 1880, the congregation, " hich was
then small, bought an half-acre lot which
was known as lot No. 81 on the town
plat, and erected thereon small wooden
building near where the building erected
few years ago for a furniture store by
i Mai. John B. Moore now stands. This
building was used until 1858, when it and
the lot were sold to Hon. B. r. Crayton.
On the Goth of November, of the same
year, T.. A. Osborne conveyed to himself
/ Herbert Hammond, DR.. G.. l.. Gaillard,
Henry Garrison and others, Trustees, the
lot whereon the present building stands,
aud on this lot good and more commo-
/! dious wooden building was erected. This
! building served its day and generation,
1 and in 1854 q committee was appointed to
inquire as to the necessity of new house
of worship, the feasibility of erecting one,
and the sentiments and wishes of the
members in the premises. This commit
tee made their report. announcing the
willingness of the members to undertake
its erection, they recognizing the present
necessity for the same.
Early in 1856 the following Building
| Committee was appointed by the congre-
CATION to take charge Of the erection of the
new building: DR.. w. n. Nardin, Chair.
man, j. w. Daniels, Secretary and Treas
urer. R. s. Hill, Thos. G. Ligon, James
M. Payne B. F. Moss and Rev. J. w.
Wolling, Pastor in charge. About one
year afterwards, Messrs. Ligon and VOL.
ling having moved away, G. F. Jones and
Rev. VS.: Wightman, Pastor in charge,
were appointed in their stead. This COM
mittee awarded the contract of erecting
the building to Messrs. Mayfeld & Co..
Mr.. A. w. Todd, of this firm, as architect,
| designed the plan, which was accepted
and adopted by the congregation.
The work of tearing down the old edi-
fee commenced on Monday, September
9Th, 1886, and on Tuesday, October 9Th,
1886, the first brick in the new building
was laid BY Rev. j. w. Wolling, who was
then the Pastor in charge. The corner
stone was laid by the Rev. Mr.. Wolling,
| with appropriate ceremonies, on Tuesday,
the 18th day OF October, 1856. On Sunday,
October 23rd, 1887, Rev. A. Coke Smith, of
| Wofford College, preached In the unfn-
ished building to q very large audience,
but 1t was not until the 1st of last April
that Rev. w. 8. Wightman commenced
holding his regular, services in the new
building.
It is useless for us to attempt descrip.
ton of the new building, for no one who
has visited Anderson recently could 60
away without noticing the beautiful brick
l snl s,s ft,a oh 1f
and finished in beautiful and modern
| the floor inclines from the front of the
building to the pulpit. The building is
heated by steam, and the floor is covered
with a beautiful carpet. There are three
aisles through the main portion of the
building, and there are three ways of exit
from the building. Three large and
beautiful chandeliers furnish suficient
light for night services. The windows
are of stained glass, and are very pretty.
The building will seat comfortably about
six hundred people, and is very conven.
Iienty arranged throughout. The whole
cost Of the building and furnishing will
amount to about $4,000, all Of which has
been either collected and expended, or is
in the bank or in good subscriptions and
q note. As soon as possible the Treasu-
rer desires to publish a list of the contri-
butors to the building.
The congregation have right to be
proud of their new house OF worship, for
it certainly stands as monument to their
generosity and energy.
Last Sunday had been set apart as the
day far the dedication Of the new church,
and Rev. w A. Gambler, D. D., President
of Enory College, Oxford, Ga, invited to
preach the dedicatory sermon. By 10
O'clock the people began vending their
way to the Church, and in q short time it
was filled to its utmost seating capacity,
the aisles and every other available space
being filed with chairs. The congrega-
| ton was estimated at about nine hundred
persons, and many were turned away
| from tie doors, the ushers being unable
to give them even standing room. In the
audience we noticed many persons from
| the surrounding country and neighboring
towns. In front of the pulpit was beau
| tiful pyramid Of flowers, and the altar
was lastefully decorated with beautiful
| flowers There were no other decorations.
Immediately il front Of the altar sat the
officers of the Church. On the roshrum
sat; DR.. Gambler, Rev. DR.. Frierson. of the
Presbyterian Church, Rev. John NJ. Ian
der, of Williamston, and the pastor, Rev.
w. S. Wightman.
| Shortly after IL o'clock the services
opened by the choir singing very exquls-
itely voluntary, GLORY to God," with
Miss Jessie Trowbridge at the organ, and
led by Mr.. j. W. Trowbridge with the
cornet. The congregation. then Joined in
singing that good. old familiar hymn,
"Come thou fount of every blessing.'
DR.. Gambler offered very touching and
liable prayer, and then read portion of
the 10th chapter of Matthew. DR.. Frier-
son then gave out hymn No. 154, "Oh,
for thousand tongues" etc., after the
singing of which, DR.. Gambler stepped
| forward and announced his text as fol-
lows: Matthew, xvi, 18th and 18th
yerses-"And Jesus answered and said
unto him, Blessed art thou Simon Barjo.
nah for flesh and blood hath not reveal
ed ii unto thee, but my Father which is in
| Heaven. And I say also unto thee, that
| thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will
build my Church; and the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it." His subject
was the "!True foundation Of the Church
of Gou.n J The following is a very brief
summary of the sermon, and we regret
exceedingly that we are unable to present
a full synopsis oft:
AS it seems to me, this passage teaches
| 8 trUGQ moro SultaUlo tuhu I'LL OluSIS lOF
consideration on such an occasion as this.
1t teaches us what is the true foundation
| of the church, upon which if it stand We
may predict its perpetuity. The passage
has besn subject of much controversy,
and for this reason, if could find
another passage in the Scripture teaching
.as clearly and pointedly the truth seek
to enforce, would use it as text in pref
erence to this. can only allude to some
views which have been taken Of it, and
/ express my dissent and pass on.
The Romanists tells us the rock upon
which the Church is founded is the pri-
macy Of Peter. am compelled to reject
this view reject quite as emphatically
the usual view Of the Protestant Churches,
viz: that the Church is founded upon the
doctrine OF the divinity of Christ. This is
| high and holy truth, but mere truth
! does not furnish sufficient basis for the
maintenance OF the Church through the
ages.
The emphasis Of the Masters commen-
! dation did not fall upon the truth which
| Peter professed so m uch as upon the way
| he ACQUIRED the truth not revealed by pro-
cesses of flesh and flood. but directly by
the Father in Heaven The true founda-
ton of the Church is truth revealed in
personal experience. A religion of expe.
rience will abide in the earth forever.
1st. Because all people-the simplest
and the most ignOrant-can embrace it.
| The common people hear 1t gladly. The
gospel certifes to its own divinity, and
guarantees its perpetuity when it seeks
the poor.