Daily Republican., 1889-10-15
ASBURY CENTENNIAL.
HISTORY OF METHODIST EP;s.
coPAL CHURCHES.
Interesting Historic Essays-sermon by
the Rev. Charles Hiil-The
Very Rapid Growth Of
Old Asbury.

On Sunday Rev. L. E. Barrett was
taken sick with fever and chils, aggra-
waited by boil on his face, aud yester-
day, while 80 many were enjoying the
remarkably Interesting essays and per-
sonal "reminiscences at Asbury NJ. Il.
Church, lie was In bed. In the afternoon
he was sufficiently comfortable to listen
4 TO the reading OF the report OF the
preachers meeting and Information cou-
corning Asbury Centennial.
Yesterday afternoon, therefore, Mr..
Joseph Pyle read the following essay,
which he wrote:
For some years previous to 1874 there
/ was feeling among some OF the leading
Y members Of Asbury Church that there
n was room for at least one more church
where the gospel Of free grace could be
preached. Old Asbury had been doing u
grand and noble work. Since her dedi-
cation In 1883 che had grown so rapidly
that her borders had to be twice enlarged,
and already her colored members had
i Withdrawn from her communion aud es-
tablished church at Ninth and French
streets, where they could, as they said,
enjoy more spirituality and do more good
among their own race.
Asbury had Increased, numbering In
her ranks some of the most prominent
A men 10 business circles, and others some
I leading professional al men. Other denomi.
pations were pushing into popular favor
4 by building churches and Sabbath schools,
| while the Meth0dists were calmly letting
|I their religious influence be confined to
one church with walls Of 50x70 feet. Re.
\ member tho motto of the founder o.
Methodifm, tho "World Is my parish, "
! and knowing from happy experience the
H elastic power and holy influence of this
\ bonds that tried all Methodistic hearts,
4 some members of this Mother Church In
4 the year 1874 agitated the project OF
\ organizing another society and building
another church II possible in or uear the
centre of the city.
The movement, amid strong opposi-
4 tlon, soon became q reality. The frst
4 meeting was he'd at the residence Of
| Hyland Is. Pennington. corner OF Fourth
and Market streets, on the site where
William Is. Sharp's store Is now ioca ed.
The chairman OF the meeting was the
Rev. John Kennedy, psstor OF Asbury.
After thorough discussion OF the sub
jeot, In which hopes and fears were pray
erfully considered. motion was unani.
mously adopted to organize ". Paul's
N. Z. Church Of Wilmington, Del. The
trustees then were elected as follows;
Hyland Il. Pennington, Henry Hicks,
VIM. II. Calvert, Miller Dunnof, Samuel
McCaulley, Jacob ID. Garretson and
Edward Moore. A members purchasing
committee was then appointed as follows
Miller Dunnot, Samuel McCaulley,
Henry Hicks, Thomas Young, Edward
Moore, John Finn, John NJ. Turner,
Wm. II. Calver: and Hyland b. PEN
nington-nine members. This commit
tee purchased lot on Market street 50
by III feet, abtve Seventh, from John
Mcknight and Samuel Newlin. for the
sum OF $4,000. A building committee
was then appointed as follows: Wm. II.
Calvert, Samuel McCaulley, Edward
Moore, Henry Hicks aud Miller Dunnoi
five members. The material and labor
were supplied at q reduced figure. Sam
uol McCaul.ey, q brick manufacturer,
furnished bricks at GO per 1000, and
John Finn, brick mason, laid them for
%. 25 per 1000, while John NJ. Turner,
being equally generous, IA carpenter and
builder, did tue carpentering work for
the small sum OF $500. 1t was agreed
that the church should have the pew
| system, and being an innovation on the
| eystem Ct free seats, met with much op-
position both 10 the Methodist circles
and in the worldly oppouents, and ST.
Paul's was known for years under the
opprobious name Of "The Silk Stocking
Church."
The church was dedicated on Thurs
day, March 3, 1S45, by the Rev. JOhn
Kennedy and Levi Scott, and st. Paul'i
became fxed power for grace 10 VII.
mington. The frat pastor was the Rev.
John Kennedy, who served from 1915 To
1S46. The others were; Joseph Castle,
1S46 to 1s4s; Pennel Coomb. 1s49 and
1850; Il. Hodgson, 1881 and 1852; G. d.
Cansop, 1858; Joseph Mason, 1884
George r. Crooks, 1855 and 1855; Charlei
Cook, 1887 and 1858; William II. Bris
bane, 1889 aud 1869; 7. G. Murrhey
1851 and 1852; William j. Stevenson,
1868 and 1865; Aaron Rlttenhouse, 1866
to 1868; J. f. Clymer, 1869 aud 1870; II.
| W. Todd, 1871 and 1872; j.; B. Merritt,
1878 to 1876; William p. Davis, 1876
I'M, A. Richards, 1881 and 1882; X. Ii.
Adams, 1883 to 1885; w. L. s. Murray,
1886; c. Hill, 1881; L. f. Barrett Is now
the pa tor.
In 1866, some OF the most influential
members withdrew from St. Pauls and
organized Grace NJ. L. Church. Tht
withdrawal OF 60 many members, among
which were the pastor, the board ol trus
tees with one exception, the Sunday
school teachers with i've exceptions and
more than half the class leaders and
stewards and all the wealthy members
lett st. Paui's In q very weak and despon
dent condition. But the spirit OF Metho
dlsm could not be crushed by this fearful
and almost fatal blow. The member,
that stayed by 81. Paul's with renewed
zeal and with determination that could
not be defeated, msnfully and under tn,
blessings OF God, and with the spiritua
pastor that God sent them, successfully
maintained the influence and power o
the church, and she arose gradually
to her present position IN the front ranh
OF the churches In Wilmington.
Within ak years after the separation
she expended 81 200 In the remodeline
and Improvement OF tho church and add
ing to the choir q plIe organ costinl
81, 500, and again, in 1889, made altera
tions IN the audience room by taking 0u
the gallery and frescoing the ceiling at {
cost of $500. This same year the trus
tees purchased the property next door tt
the church for Sl2, 200, to protect tht
church In light, aud again In 1885 ex'
tended the school room to 6hipley street
to accommodate twenty-four mor'
classes. This improvement coat u, 600
which WAS raised on one Sunday at tht
reopening OF the school.
The Sunday school was opened contem
poraneously with the church and has
been operation to this date. The super
intepdents, / think, (though l am mo-
| & lna. in hn Erat