Evening journal., 1889-08-26
BIG QUARTERLY MEETING
a THRoNG OF coLoRED METHo-
DlSTS IN THE CITY.

On tho Streets the churches-In the
Tent-on the Camp Ground-A Brief
History OF the A. u. NJ. +. Church In
Delaware.
The city of Wilmington was thronged
on Saturday evening and all day yester.
day with the coored brethren who were
here TO attend their annual conference.
Il was the seventy sixth anniversary Of
the founding Of the A. U. M. E. Church
in this city and is now known as Big
| Quarterly" IL IAN annual gathering. On
| Saturday there was a meeting for the
transaction Of business. Sunday was de-
voted to devotional exercises Of different
characters. Yesterday there was preach
ing three times in the A. u NJ f. Church
and three times in the tent on the
grounds adjoining the church. There
was also preaching morning and evening
in Ezion NJ e. Church at Ninth and
French streets.
French and King streets We're crowded
yesterday from Ninth to Seventh street,
from early morning until quite late in
the evening
Everybody seemed delighted 20 see
every body and the dark faces beamed
with good nature.
At 10. 80 a. m. the people on the streets
began TO gather into the churches and
tent, and yet after filling them all, the
; streets were still crowded. Rev 10.
renzo Dow Blackson, who is named after
; the celebrated preacher, Lorenzo Dow
preached in the A. u. NJ. r. Church in
the morning to large and attentiv,
audience and the Rev. h. Chippey con
Quoted the service in the tent. In tn,
afternoon at 2 80 the church and tent
again were filled and still thousands were
on the grounds surrounding the churcl
; and on the streets. Rev. Daniel Russell
Jr, preached in the church and the Rev
; Robert Accol in the tent In the evening
the Rev. G. V Peterson preached in thu
church He took for his text Habbakul
t ii II verse: "For the stone shall C y ouI
Of the wall, etc.
At the afternoon service the followin.
I ministers were on the platform: Revs
Moses Chippey, Daniel Russell, Sr., Pres
4; ident Of the Middletown District; Lo
T. renzo Dow Blackson, Thomas Blackson
pastor OF Buffers Mission at Camden
and the local preachers Reys. Peck
/ Shields and Tilmsn.
n The following is a short history of tb
A. U. NJ +. Church Of this city, ttaks
l. from this description.
n "The African Union Church we're for
merly members Of the NJ T.. Church Q
Wilmington, Delaware, of African dc
scent, as early as A. D. 1905, and as tn
y NJ E. Church thought it proper to den
us the religious principles guaranteed
l. us by the Word OF God and h
> liberal gospel, we did quietly withdra
from said connection, aud erected hous
iS of worship where we could worship &c
~ according to the enlightened ctates
:. our conscionces and for the exercises
.. our spiritual gifts; and in the pros
~ cution Of our undertaking, we experiences
from the hands of the Lord pecUli
manifestation of Divine favor, al
through our own exertions and the libg
he ality Of all the religious denominatio
in we were able to build house for reli
ad ious worship the same year. Signed,
he PETER SPENCER,
he WILLIAM ANDERSON.
The church then built is what is kno
as the French street A. U. NJ. F.. ChuI
and it is in this church that the ami
conference is held. The founder, RI
ny Peter u fSpencer, died July %
1913. at the age Of 81 years, but I
lar church has gradually prospered and
creased from that time until the presei
A;. 1t has now membership of several HI
dred Thousands of the visitors who atte
Big Quarterly consider it their duty
! a visit the grave of Rev. Peter Spenc
the founder Of their church. Most Of I
xie visitors returned TO their homes on
10. 80 train last night, the remainder
the midnight train. This morning al
siS quiet again