St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-05-23
new WESLEY CHURCH
The Cosy New Temple Of Wor-
ship Dedicated Yester-
day Morning.
Rev. Wilkinson Says That
Spirits May Come Back
To Earth.
DR.. Simmons breaches On
Floods and Their Effects
On Humanity.
The Inhabitants of the Flats
Are Having a
Harvest.

1t was in 1855 that what is known as
Centenary church was organized. Rev.
William {. Mcdonald was its first pas
tor. The congregation was small, and
J it wOrShipped in little church on Third
avenue south. opposite the site where
the court house is going up. In 1864
| the Ladies' Aid society of the church
! purchased the lots at the corner of First
avenue south and Seventh street. and
in the same year the erection of Gen.
tenary church begun. 1t was finished
| in 1867, and was at that time the only
| Methodist church west of the river. The
church grew and prOspered. There has
| been but one division. In 1875 some
seventy-tive members of the church be-
came dissatisfied and seeded. That
was the foundation of the Rennepin
Avenue Methodist church. Within the
last couple of years there has been talk
of the two congregations uniting again,
but nothing ever came of the movement
but talk.
In the winter Of 1891 the congregation
of Centenary became satisfied that a
new church was needed. The old build
ing bad Outlived its usefulness for such
| large congregation as Centenary, and
! it was too far down town. The neces-
Sary committees were appointed, lots at
| the corner of Grant street and First ave-
nue. south were purchased, and the
erection of the new building begun as
soon as the weather would allow. The
corner stone was laid a little over a
year ago in snow storm. Work was
| pushed rapidly all last summer and the
decoration of the interior was continued
all winter. so that when the church was
formally opened yesterday the people
who attended were shown one of the
handSomeSt church edi6ceS in the
Northwest. The building is thing of
architectural beauty from the outside
and equally pleasing Oh the inside. 1t
is also one of the largest churches Ill the
city.
The auditorium is 75x75 feet, and 30
feet high in the center. On the lower
floor the seating capacity is 500, and the
gallery will accommodate 400. The au-
ditUrium is constructed on the most ap-
proved lines of church architecture,
with sloping floor and seats semi-circu-
larly arranged before the pulpit. The
pulpit extends diagOnally across the
base of the tower. But the church is
not given up wholly to the auditorium.
1t IS most complete in its appointments
for any object that may arise in con-
nection with church work. 1t has, of
course, the pastors study, an ample
parlOr and assembly room. There are
also dining rooms, and a kitchen that
could be made to do as much as most
hotel kitchens. There is also space
23X64 feet that will be utilized as
gymnasium.
The ample seating facilities of the
church were taxed yesterday, the first
day it was opened. Tie congregation
of the Hennepin avenue Methodist
church so far forgot the differences of
years gone by as TO dispense with serv-
ices in their own church and help out
their brethren of Wesley. An elaborate
musical programme had been prepared
and was rendered by an augmented
choir. Rev. II. French, the old pastor
of Centenary church, and now pastor of
Wesley church, read the ritual. Rev. +.
y. Holman, Of Boston, Rev. John Stat
ford. of Minneapolis, and Rev. DR..
John w. Hamilton, of Boston. assisted
in the churchIy ceremonies. The dedi-
catory sermon was preached by Bishop
Cyrus ID. Foss.
Bishop FOss' sermon was devoted to
the exposition of the idea that the world
gained more than it lost by the cruel
fixion of Christ. The argument was to
show that faith is more powerful than
observation. Some people say they
would believe in Christ if they could
see Him and thereby test His claim to
| divinity. Nothing indicates that these
people would believe then. While
Christ was on earth He had but small
following of believers. He worked
miracles. yet the people who saw His
powers believed not in Him. And He
was unable to reach but few, cOmpar-
atively speaking.
Though his death the whole world is
rapidly being converted. lie died and
the Holy Ghost took his place and now
abideS in all parts of the world at one
time. Christ converted but very few
while on earth; st. Peter, through the
power of the Holy Ghost, was enabled
to convert more than 5000 in a single
day. The bishop also spoke of the pro-
priety of naming this new church Wes-
ley church. 1t was lasting tribute to
the honor accorded by MethodistS to
JOnn Wesley, the founder of MethO-
dism, on whose anniversary the corner
stone of this church was laid.
In the afternoon special services we're
held Tor the Sunday school. Short adj
dresses were made to the members of
the school by Rev. II. H. French and
Rev. DR.. Hamilton. A pleasing feature
of the Sunday school services was the
presentation of a life sized portrait of
himself to DR.. JabeZ Brooks, the retir-
ing superintendent of the Sunday
school. Dr.. Brooks will be succeeded
next Sunday by Charles B. Hibbard.
The chairman of the board of trustees
presented the financial report of the
board on the church. As it stands, Yves
ley church, with the lots, has cost, APP
proximately, Sl4S.O00. The details of
erty passed from the control of the con-
gregatiOn have been published before.
Out of that deal the church realized, in
round numbers, S124.000. Then the
trustees gave note for $4,000. in order
that the construction of the church
might not be delayed. making the
amount paid on the church $4,000.
and leaving debt of $4,000. Added to
this is the amount of the note given by
the trustees, and the total Of the debt
apprOXimateS S24, 600.
AS soon as the report of the trustees
was finished it was suggested that the
present would be the proper time for
raising the balance necessary TO free
the church from debt. The receiving
of subscriptions was taken up immedi-
ately, Rev. DR.. Hamilton acting as the
persuader. In an incredibly short time
enough pledges had been made to
insure the payment of the whole debt
Immediately, so that Wesley church
will enjoy the novel experience of
starting out OH its career debt-free.
In the services last evening Rev. ].
f. Stout and Rev. Il. n. McKaig partic-
ipated. Rev. DR.. Hamilton, of Boston.
preached the sermon. Then Bishop
Foss read the formal dedication OF
Wesley Methodist Episcopal church
from the church ritual and the dedica-
ton Sunday was closed with the sing
ing of the doxology and the benedic-
ton.