The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-05-30
CHURCH DEDIcATloN.

CHURCH DEDICATION.
Tbs Now Mstasdist Episcopal Church
In Henderson, Formally Dedicated
to the Service Of Almighty God.
Last Sunday was an eventful day
with our friends of the Methodist Epis-
copal church in Henderson, It was
the occasion of the dedication of their
beautiful new house of worship. and
our citizens generally, without regard
to UNCONVENTIONAL bias, united with
them in appropriately observing the
event. At an early hour the spacious
building was thronged with people. and
when the hour for service arrived it
was full to its utmost capacity.
Of the ministers present We noticed
Rev. w. S. Black, D. D., Rev. r. O.
Burton, D. D., Rev. L. j. Holden.
Rev. J. J.-Renn,z Rev. w. S. Hester,
Rev. j. E. Sturtevant, Rev. T.. ]. Og-
burn, pastor of the Methodist Protest
ant church, Henderson, and Rev. T. j.
Homer, Henderson. Rev. ]. d. Ar
mold, pastor, announced hymn No. 1856,
Coronation, and the congregation rose
and sung. The pastor then stated that
it gave him pleasure to have Bishop A.
w. Wilson, of Baltimore, present, who
would preach the sermon. In calm
and measured tones the Bishop gave
out the 784th hymn, beginning,
=" Behold thy temple. God Of gracs,
This was sung with force and feel
ing, after which DR.. Black offered an
appropriate prayer invoking the Divine
blessing upon those present and asking
that the favor and acceptance Of the
Heavenly Father might rest upon the
occasion and the house that had been
erected and was then about to be ded-
icated to the worship of the living God.
The Bishop then read as the first les
son a selection from the 2Stk chapter
of Isaiah, and as the second lesson a
portion of the LIST chapter of Paul's
Epistle to the Ephesians, beginning at
the 18th verse. The 7s5th hymn,
commencing with these lines,
Lord of hosts. to thee we raise
Here house of prayer and praise"
was sung, after which the usual col.
lection was taken up. While this was
going on Miss Lula Hester, one Of
HendersOn's sweetest singers. sang a
solo with good effect, Miss Mary
Young, organist.
The Bishop then announced as his
text the 22nd and 23rd verses of the
Epistle to the Ephesians, which reads
as follows:
And hath put all things under his feet
to the church,
Which is his body. the fulness Of him
that filleth all in all. :: 49,.
Bishop Wilson preached one hour
and fifteen minutes. His sermon was
one of the finest efforts we ever listened
to. It was deep ia thought, mastery
In conception, and beautiful in diction
His style was graceful and easy, his
delivery plain and natural, and his
manner earnest and fervid. The lead
ing idea was that Christ is the head Of
all things to the Church. This fac
was strongly dwelt upon and clearly
brought out.
We started out Sunday morning tt
follow the Bishop through his discourse
and take notes of his sermon, but hi
had not gone far. before we found tina
anything like synopsis would do hin
injustice and we shall not attempt it
1t was necessary to hear his sermon tx
appreciate it. It was listened to b.
one Of the largest and most intelligen
congregations ever assembled in Hen
derson, and we have heard only tn,
highest praise of this really admirable
sermon. It combined the elements o
force and beauty in high degree, dis
played careful thought and study ant
showed great earnestness and feeling
on the part. of the speaker. Bishol
Wilson is strong man, and bears tn
unmistakable impress of intellectual
force and power in his countenanc
perhaps as much as any man we hav
seen in long while. He did not us
manuscript, not even having his SCI
mon arranged under appropriate sub
heads. He was never at loss for
word. and while he spoke readily, h
was at the same time deliberate. TIL
manner of the man as well as his vi
terances quite captivated his hearers
and we regretted when he stopped a
the end Of one hour, and quarter
The Bishops closing remarks wer
beautiful and appropriate, full of word
of counsel and comfort, touchingly an
feelinglY expressed. Speaking Of tn
new church building he said it wa
something worthy of the Son of Go
here in Henderson; not for the purpos
Of gathering a select few, howeve
There is broader word in the Chri
tan vocabulary than civilization,
deeper word than culture. You hay
builded this house in His name; e
has right to the resources Of tt
Church. This is set up as a witne
; that He is the head over all thing
He claims the service and resources
His people. Whether His Churt
needs in body or soul. He claims the
ALL" 1t was the business of Christian
the Bishop said, to 60 out and bring
those outside the ark of safety and re
oncile them to the service of God.
The 786th hymn,
"And will the great, eternal God
e On earth establish his abOde?