The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-04-19
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

The Annual Meeting Shows the Organiza-
tion to be In Prosperous Condition.
The annual meeting of the congrega.
ton of the First Presbyterian Church
was held in the auditorium of the
church last night. The meeting was
pres ided over by Capt. R. b. Norman,
and Mr.. Geo Glass was elected clerk of
the congregation. After prayer and
singing, led by the choir, reports wore
read by the representatives of the
deacons, elders and various societies in
the church.
The Ladies' Aid Society, composed of
the ladies of the church, reported 46
Nom oers and Sl93 raised last year. The
Louise Missionary Society, composed of
the young ladies and girls, reported a
mem bership of 40, and Sis raised for
mission purposes. Tho Young Peoples
Society, organized for training in re-
ligious work and spiritual mproveme nt,
reported 81 members, and funds col
lected sufficient for all needs
The statistical report, prepared by the
deacons and session, and read by Mr..
McClelland, showed the finances to be
in an excellent condition, and as fol-
lows:
ii ,me missions, 5000; invalid fund,
S26; foreign missions, sl95; education
S310; publication, SIS; work among the
colored people, SEQ; church erection,
S2,3l2; Bible society, $40: Presby terial,
SAT-; pastors salary, $500; congrega-
tional, S1,434; miscellaneous, $40.
These amounts, with somo others,
made the total contributions OF the
church to all objects during the past
year to be $3.50.
The report of the session, read by Mr.
Glass, showed that at this time the con-
grcgation has six elders, seven deacons
and 494 enrolled members. During the
| past year fifty-four persons have been
| received on profession of their faith and
sixty-four by letter, making q total OF
accessions Of lis. Thirty eight pers ons
were baptized. twenty four adults and
| fourteen infants. Eighty-eight persons
were dismissed to other churches. The
larger portion Of these went into the
other churches recently organized in
the city. Six members have died and
there was Il total OF twenty deaths in
the congregation.
The Sunday school showed an enrol l.
| ment OF gao members ana Is In MUIR
ishing condition. During the past year
three new congregations have been
formed out Of the First Church and at
this time the mother has four daughters,
provided with comfortable homes, to
| WulCu tue Oiu uObucr nus 'lUer2lly CON-
tribu ted through her members.
Some interesting facts were broughl
out in the course of the evening. Cap
tain Moorman statsd that twenty years
since a prominent member of the
church, Mr.. F. Rorer, WAS laying of
some lots in Big Lick, and told him i
he would select a lot he would give i
to the congregation. He selected the
present site, and was chided for select
ing a lot "away out in the woods" Al
this time, after an interval Of less thar
twenty years. that lot is just little
west Of the centre Of city of $4,000
people, and in a short time will be cas-
OF that centre. Within just little
more than half OF this period and during
the pastorate OF the present pastor t.
this church, which then had 60 mem
bers. 76O communicates have beef
added. of whom 236 came on profession
of their faith, and for all purposes 1t ha
raised nearly s6s,o0J Out of this churcl
in that time four other flourishing con
gregations have been formed. At thi
time there are in the city between SOL
and 900 communicates in Presbyterial
churches, giving it constituency Q
n nao