The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1891-02-07

0'oAA'hS q" Ouu FELLOWS HAL. One
the grand features of St. James is, that
all are made welcome. The solo by Miss
Maud Conway last Sabbath evening was
pronounced by pastor and all as excel
liant. The choir of St. James church is
of itself an attractive feature. Let all be
prompt to the service.
| REV. JOHN NJ HENDERSON.
Though silent for long time. I have
not forgotten single individual of the
kind and faithful people among and with
whom three o. the happiest years of my
life were spent. ~ ..: -.
1t is pleasant every week to see in The
APPEAL evidences of the continued thrift
and progress of your community.
Perhaps you would like to know some.
thing about Bethel Church where 1 now
am. 1t is large brick building costing
$l8.OOOOO. 1t is moderately we'll located
and is on corner. About tn, ee thou
sand Afro-Americans live within walk.
ing distance of the. church. The lower
story has large Sunday school room
out Of which open with folding doors
two class rooms and a parlor. There is
also a good library room and a toilet
room. The auditorium will seat seven
hundred persons. It is furnished with
neat pews and we'll carpeted. 1t has a
gallery Oft of which is the pastors study.
The chancel is not handsome nor mod
ern and will some dav be remodele1.
The room is We'll lighted, but the glass is
plain. Though a trife wider than the
auditorium of St, James it is not nearly
so handsome as your beautiful room.
l miss the large gothic windows of the
Transcripts with their radient loaded
glass, the spacious ceiling with its pol
lshed beams and graceful corbels. the
magnificent chancel, and the fine glass
OF the window over the Galille entrance.
But what Bethel lacks in the auditorium
is made up in the well arranged base.
ment.
We have an actual membership of two
hundred and sixteen and an average
congregation Of about four hundred.
The Sabbath collections run about twelve
dollars. The running expenses in the
trustee department are about $4,000 per
month.
The stewards have two Sundays and
the trustees two in each month, with the
entire collection for the moath, averag-
ing $4,000 you can see the staaits into
which both stewards and trustees are
forever getting The only other regular
income is from the classes which aver
ages about $500 per month, The
bonded debt is $40, 900 90 and at the be-
ginning OF the year, the floating debts
aggregated $4,000 more, making an in
debtedness of fourteen thousand dollars.
There was $40 in the treasury when 1
came. Up to date the church has accom-
plished the following things: Raised
81 500, organized a splendid choir, pro-
cured neat little parsonage of seven
rooms and fitted it up with new furniture
and has the pastor feeling in good work
ing trim.
Bethel like St. James seems to know
the value of kindness. A pastor, like a
horse, can do twice as much work and
do it easier when the harness Cts we'll
and the wagon-wheels are oiled.
The church needs 81, 500 by April, that
amount will settle pending litigation. I
shall do all can in helping the officers
plan to raise this sum, and hope for sue
cess.
l have two good boards composed of
earnest, self-denying men. There are
two auxiliary societies connected with
the church, the Helping Hand which
bought and paid for the carpet in the
auditorium is composed of the settled
ladies'; the Furnishing Club is UNIQUE
company Of young people who bought
and paid for all the down stairs carpets
and yet had no president, secretary nor
treasurer. They work on the Quaker
plan, as the spirit moves. I have never
seen anything to excel this little club.
Misses Meta Pelham and Sarah Warsaw
seem to be the leading spirits. The Sum
day school is strong and vigorous with
Mr.. Walter Showers at it's head. In St.
Paul found in The APPEAL a great help
and here I find in the Plaindealer a
staunch supporter in all things pertain
ing to the good of the church.
The Plaindea]er, like The APPEAL. op
poses the grand parade to the collection
table and has relegated it to the rear,
I trust that St. James will push on in
the van, she has as pastor one of the
most energetic and ingenious ministers
of the West and by standing close to him
will win glorious success. This church.
Bethel, was pastored by Bishop Brown
over forty years ago, so am living
among the hallowed "reminiscences of a.
line of il]ustrious predecessors.
Goodbye, may God bless each of you
and grant that we shall see each other in
the Glory World.
JOHN M. HENDERSON,
-.- ....,.-..-.. Detroit, Mich.
Helena, Montana.