The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-01-06
NEW CHURCH.
Colored Christians Hope to
Gather Funds for a New
Edifice.
NEWS FROM THE sEcTs
The Week Of Prayer Ended, Ex-
tensiye Revival Services
Begin.

Armed with the following letter and an
unlimited amount Of hope, the Rev. F. F.
Smith, pastor of Bethel African Methodist
Church, is soliciting subscriptions to a fund
for the erection of a permanent place of wor-
ship for his flock
JERSEY CRY, January Z, 1894.
To 1choDo 1T nluy concern, greeting.
At the request of several prominent
citizens, Who are DESTROYS to as
sist the Bethel African Methodist Church of
this city. In securing a permanent place OF
worship, either by the purchase of a lot and
erecting OF a building thereon, or by the pur-
shase Of a suitable building, we nave con
sented to receive subscriptions and act as
trustees for said fund in the interests of said
society, and the Rev. F. F. Smith, pastor of
said church, is authorized to receive sub
scriptions for that object, said subscriptions
to be turned over to us, and all monies to be
paid to us, to be used exclusively for that
purpose. Respectfully,
Jersey City.
Mr.. Smith will ask each of the churches
in the city to aid him in raising the capital
necessary to start the building of a church
and will also seek subscriptions from bust
ness men and private citizens. He said:
my people lave been struggling along on
the Heights for over fifteen years, and it is
about time they had a proper place to wor-
ship in"
At present the only place they have is a
dilapidated little store on Communipaw ave
nue., above Jackson avenue. This they have
beautifed as best they can, and there they
worship. 1t is scarcely big enough to hold
the congregation, which now numbers about
seventy-fiye, forty of whom are comrnuni-
cants. Mr.. Smith said that the hard times
have reduced his congregation considerably,
nc m " of MIC pnonla or.o o1tf IF rrrN1slr o1l6
are too poor to go to church unless they
can contribute literally to the collections
which are taken up twice every Sun
day, as regularly as that day comes around.
MI. Smith is very hopeful that he will soon
be able to raise enough money to warrant
him in purchasing a lot and starting a build
ing. When asked where he ~eontenplateS
building he said:-"I don't exactly know,
but it will be somewhere near where we are
now situated
BETHEL's BEGINNING.
Some five years ago Bethel Church made
an attempt at getting a home of their own.
They raised S575 and purchased a lot, the
for the balance over the money they had.
On this lot they built the foundation, and
laid the beams for the floor of a church.
They also laid the corner stone Of the build
ing. Hard times struck them, though, and
they had to discontinue work on the build
ing, which later was seized by the mort
gage.
The foundations became overgrown with
weeds, and the cornerstone became loose in
it's bed.
One day last summer one of the deacons of
the church, passing the lot, saw the corner
stone, which was about ready to fall out of
place. He went in, and gently lifting 4t-for
it was ~heavy-carried it home, to keep it for
some future occasion.
A VANISHED ONE
Some of the colored people who did not
know that the deacon had taken care of the
it's disappearance, and vowed vengeance
upon the head of the one that took it. On
the following Sunday, however, the circum-
stance of its disappearance was explained to
them. If Mr.. Smiths hopes are realized,
this stone will soon be placed in the corner
of q new building.