Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-12-14
NEWS IN CHURCH CIRCLES
Matters of Interest to the
Various Denominations,
REOEDIGATI0N OF A SANCTUARY
A Great Day Among Brandy
wine Hundred MethodistS.
Pleasant Exercises Commemorative Of
the Fifth Anniversary of the Organiza-
tion of st. stephens Congregation.

Mt. Pleasant M. L. Church, Brandy
wine hundred, which has been hand
somely remodeled and refurnished, was
reopened Sunday Interesting SER
vices were held and the attendance was
large.
The building was rededicated in the
morning. Bishop Cyrus d. Foss of
Philadelphia had charge of the service
and was assisted by the Revs. w. L.
Tomkinson and james Conner. The
bishop preached from the text John, II,
3: ave do know that we know him."
The afternoon services were con-
Quoted by the Rev. John Y. Dobbins,
johnson. DR.. Dobbins' text was James
", s: DRAW nigh unto God and He
will draw nigh unto you"
In the evening there was service of
song. Pastor Tomkinson presided and
George w. Weldin, the leader OF the
| choir, directed the music. The choir,
composed OF about 90 vocalists, was as
sisted by Miss Emma Lore and accom-
panied by an orchestra. An address
was delivered by Chief Justice Lore.
The finances were managed by II. s.
Goldcy and about s 100 were raised in
Casu anu SUBSCRIPTIONS.
Mt. Pleasant Church stands about
four miles north of this city and over
looks the Delaware river. II was first
erected in 1888 and has been rebuilt
twice. All that remains of the original
structure are the walls, which have been
plastered and blocked to represent light
gray granite. The auditorium is lighted by
eight stained-glass windows. The walls
and ceiling are stipple-fnishod and deli
cately cOlored, the walls in pale yellow
and the ceiling in biue-gray. The pulpit
furniture and the chancel rail are of
oak and ash, and the pews of ash and
| poplar finished in natural color. The
chancel rail sweeps around the pulpit
| platform in u scmi-circle the ends of
which almost touch the west wall, and
the pews conforming To this form
make a succession of curves in bright
colored, highly-tinished wood work.
ANNIvERsARY OF ST. STEPHEN 5 CHURCH.
ST. Stephens Church had largely.at-
tended and interesting services Sun
day in celebration of its fifth annlver-
sary.
The Rev. William Ashmead Schaelfer
of Philadelphia, secretary Of English
missions of the ministerium of Pennsyl-
yania and adjacent states, preached in
the morning from the passage Luke VII,
l6: God hath visited His people,"
In the afternoon the Sunday.school
had appropriate exercises, including an
address by Mr.. Schaetrer and an histor-
ical sketch by the Rev. Lewis j. Bickel.
The first steps to organize an English
Lutheran church in this city, said Mr..
Bickel, were taken Augusta, 1888, when
a meeting was called in Institute Hall
by the Rev. w. A. Sadtler Twenty
persons were present. A Sunday school
service was held in Institute Hall. Sep
TENDER 8, and a regular church service
was held there October Z. The place of
meeting was changed October 2Sth to
Fletcher Hall, where services were held
until the present church building was
purchased and occupied, The or
ganization of the congregation was
effected December 18th, and the Rev. w.
A. Sadtler was formally called to be-
come pastor. In February, 1880, the
church property on Tatnall street be-
low Eighth was purchased, and it was
dedicated April 9TH. The Rev. w. A.
Sadtler resigned the pasturate Septem-
Der 2Sth, 1870, and the Rev. j. l.. Bickel
Of Reading took charge of the congre-
CATION November 9th, 1890. The num-
Der of members at the organization was
II, and the present membership is 175.
The Indebtedness of the church is gradu-
ally being reduced.
Mr. Schaelfer preached in the evening
on Following Christ"