The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-02-03
AN OLD OIL Cloth SIGN
Proved an Eye-Sore to Two Ber-
gen Baptist Church
Trustees.

lruS I6CSs
A common oil cloth sign, about two by
four feet, has caused a ruction in the Bergen
Baptist Church. The way it happened was
is:-Arrangements were made by the
church to have the Bradford Trio play there
on Sunday evenings, beginning on the first
Sunday in January and continuing until
April. The pastor and the deacons went tc
the Board of Trustees and asked theiI
permission to place sign on the outside OF
the church announcing the Trio. This was
done, the sign being placed in one OF the
windows. The first night the Trio played
there was not standing room in the church
The next Sunday night there was an over
and over a hundred people were turned
away. Hundreds of people arose for prayers
when Evangelist DR.. Vine, who has been
there since the special services began,
preached On Monday night at the inquiry
meetings, large numbers expressed them
selves is willing to join the church:
Now, the Bergen Baptist Church is situ-
ated in an aristocratic portion of the hill.
Its building is an imposing one,
with brown stone front, and many
of the congregation are very aristo-
cratic. They are inclined = these
few people to be very exclusive. When the
special meetings began the church was pack
ed to the doors every night, and Evangelist
DIR Vine preached the Gospel so that the
masses could comprehend 1t, and many souls
Joined the church.
The aristocrats said:-ssThis will never do.
This church is getting too common. 1t is our
church, and it is we and not the masses that
should be preached to-
EXCEPTION TAKEN 70 THE MASSES.
They took exceptions to the crowds and to
Rev. DR.. Vines Evangelical methods,
and absented themselves from the services.
Meanwhile other members of the church,
who were not SO exclusive, have been rejoic-
ing over the good work that has been done.
Among the exclusive set are two of the trus-
tees.
One day this week the sign disappeared
from the front of the church. Nothing was
said about it until last night, when business
meeting was held. After the other
business was transacted church mem
Der arose and asked if the Bradford
Trio were going TO discontinue playing at
the Sunday evening services. He said he
had missed the sign.
Pastor Ellison then arose and said that
missing the sign also he had asked
the sexton why it was removed. The sexton
said that he had received instructions tore
move it from two of the three trustees as
they said it disfigured the brown stone front
of the building.
DEACON wooLsEY ARGRY.
Deacon Woolsey arose and said that he
thought it funny that after giving their per-
mission to the placing of the sign there
they should remove it without saying
anything to either pastor or dea-
cons. He furthermore said that if
the trustees who objected to the sign
would only pay a visit to the in
quiry meetings and see the good
the special meetings have done
they would not think of the looks of the
building. They would only rejoice at the re-
suits achieved He ended by inviting the
dissatisfied trustees to visit the meetings.
BULLETIN BOARD PROMISED.
Deacon Applegate arose thoroughly
angered and storming around expressed
himself in pretty free terms. He said that
if his actions as trustee were to be ques-
toned he would resign. He said that the
sign was an eye-sore and spoiled the beauty
of the church and that it was the intention
of the trustees to place bulletin board in its
place and thereon make a suitable announce
ment 1t happens that Brother
Appelgate did not attend the
special meeting last Sunday night, and that
the other trustee who objected to the sign,
left the meeting when he learned that the
evangelist was to preach The promised
bulletin board has not yet been put up.