Smyrna times., 1890-04-30
ReOpening of the Methodist Church
A GRAND FINANCIAL SUCCESSFUL
EXPENSES MET.

~eAAACA hC0A ehesh USUAL buO pCOplO
began to flock to the NJ. f. Church
and when the 1890 bell rang, the
auditorium was filled and the seats in
the gallery well occupied.
There was that expectancy visible
that chaTacteriZes events of the kind,
and with the regular attendants on
worship here, a positive delight written
on each cOuntenance at getting back
into the room where they had passed so
many hours in divine worship. This
feeling was enhanced by the delight to
the eye of a handsome new organ in
the rear of the pulpit, art written by
the skill of the painters brush on the
frescOed walls, new and bright carpet
and cushions, and hard finish of the
woodwork. There was nothing more
needed to make it a credit to the con-
gregatiOn and an honor to Him in
whose name and for whose worship
the change had been wrought
At the appointed hour, the choir
having been seated in front of the
organ and in the rear of the pulpit,
opened the services in an anthem sung,
it seemed, as they had never sang be-
fOre-sO full, so rich, so soulful. In
one one of the morning anthems
Walter o. HOffecker, the leader, sang
a baritone solo as leading strain and
in the same anthem was a triO-tenOr.
alto and bass, which was also we'll
rendered in very fine voice. Prof.
DuttOn, of Carlisle, presided at the
organ and brought out its rich tones
to the evident satisfaction of the audi
ence. Rev. DR. Geo. E. Reed, Presi-
dent OfDickinson College, the preacher
for the day, announced the first hymn,
"Oh for a thousand tongues to
sing" which the congregation, with
voices united to that of the choir
made ring out in the characteristic
fervOr of MethOdsts.
DR.. Reed took his text from the 9TH
chapter of Luke, 9th verse, For he
lOveth our nation, and he hath built us
a synagOgue"-taken from the passage
relating to the rich centurion, whose
servant Christ healed. The discourse
was little over an hour in length.
but so well was it delivered that
scarcely any one thought it that long
by twenty minutes. We cannot in
this connection attempt a synopsis of
it further than to say that it presented
with unusual clearness and imT res
siveness mans stewardship, with his
relations thereto of himself, his fellow
man and his God.
Then came the tug of the day-the
lifting of the remainder of the debt of
about $4,000 incurred. John B. Cooper
was called out by the pastor, Rev. w.
w. W. Wilson to read the financial
statement showing what each special de-
partment of Improvement had cost.
asking the congregation to meet all
outstanding liabilities (which included
the recent cost attending the removal
OF the Jerman chapel to West Smvrnal
the sum of $l,7OO The congregation
had already raised and paid over the
sum of nearly $4,000 (the original es.
Inmates of the needed expenditures
in repairs) and it looked like hercu-
lean task in the business depression
prevailing, but how successfully ac-
cOmplished, we shall see.
DIR. Reed, who proved himself an
adept at managing church finances,
took his stand on the pulpit dais with
Rev. Mr.. Wilson and a corps of col
lectOrs below. 1t moved off SLOWLY on
the 500 proposition, but the spirit grew
with the announcement of new propo-
sltlons and at the end of an hour and
a half the secretaries announced that
the amount footed up about 81 100.
The audience then dispersed for din.
ner, and with the determination to
bring up the balance at night.
EVENING sERvTCFs
The house was again filed in the
evening. The choir gave some excel
lent music, and Prof. Dutton a solo
from the OratOriO of the Messiah. DR.
Reed, however, in the exercise of his
ready tactics came coup de etat on
the congregation, by taking the col.
lection Of the remaining 5000 the first
thing after the singing. This reouire Il
about an hour, but it wasn't a dull
hour by long wavs to the official
Ooard. The spirit of giving seemed
contagious, nearly every boy and girl
IN the house joining in the effort to
nand the church over to the trustees
free in every way reimbursement and
they did not stop until $50 more had
been given than was asked. 800 of
this was subscribed by the Young
Peoples Society of Christian Endeavor
VINO had been relieved by their friends
IN the morning of similar obligation.
A marked and new feature of church
giving characterized the evening. In
the morning one of the propositions
was assumed by the Presbyterian
cnureh on the part of some friends,
VINO were present. Whether the idea
was caught from this OF not we do not
know, but in the evening Oh the $40
proposition, some one called out the
name OF the Morning Star Lodge No.
b, l. .. y. F., and this was followed bv
similar contributions from the Good
Templars, the Ancient Order of
United Workmen, knights of the
Golden Eagle, Mcdonald Encamp-
ment, WOmen's Christian Temperance
Union, Royal Templars, an Organiza-
ton OF the Good Templars, Harmony
Lodge, A. F. A. NJ, the Band of Hone
little fOlks) bringing up the rear with
half the amount, SIS. Morning Star
Lodge, ever prompt and ready, has
the credit of leading off in this fra
ternal work. COngratulatOry smiles
passed from one to another when
the sum asked for had been OBJ
tained (which many thought could not
be dOne) and they are hardly done re-
celving the congratulations yet of
these surprised people.
J. Ed. HOhecker, in a letting down
from the business to the worship
proper, sang solo from the OratOriO
of Elijah. DIR. Reed announced that
as it was now past 8 o'clock he would
preach them short discourse, which
he did very effectively from the pas
sages of the woman at Jacobs we'll in
Samaria, the topical idea being the i'm
pOrtance of working for the individual
by christians rather than for the
masses, each the work that came
before him in the order of providence.
There is but one feeling, that Dr. Reed
was the master spirit in the accom-
plishments of the day.
This sketch would not be complete
in this connection without another
tribute-tO him who planned and put
il in prOcess-Rev. DIR. VIM. S. Robin
son. He is gone, but it remains as his
monument. He returned from Con-
ference year ago with this as one of
the things to be done 1t was the in
tentiOD to commence it in the early
summer, but one feature after another
of the peculiar season suggested delay,
and there was really no encourage
ment to commence the enterprise. The
fall brought no brighter outlook, but
Mr.. Robinson set out alone or with the
aid of a single member, and in per-