The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1894-08-03
CHURCH DEDICATION.
Bishop Joyce Of Chattanooga. Tenn.
Dedicates the Methodist Church
Of This City.
The Church Has Been Enlarged, Re-
modelled, and Is a Pleasing
Structure.

SUNDAY WltDe65eu one VI Tue HnOst
impressive occasions ever seen within
the walls Of the Methodist Episcopal
church at Great Falls. The ceremony
was the dedication of the church, which
has been enlarged and remodeled, max
ing it virtually a new building.
At $50 a. m. the tones Of the new bell
presented by the Conrad brothers and
weighing 800 pounds) summoned the
congregation, which soon filed the
building. Among the clergymen present
we're Bishop Joyce Of Chattanooga.
Tenn; Rev. S. G. Keane, ID. D., Cincin-
natl. and Revs. w. w. Van Orsdell,
Stull, Bennett, Riggan, Roger, Hawk and
Armstrong, state ministers.
At 10 o'clock a good, old-fashioned
love feast was held under the direction
of Rev. DR.. Kane.
At IL o'clock Bishop Joyce preached,
taking for his text st. Luke, chapter vii,
verse 6: 'For we loveth our nation, and
love built us a synagogue The rev.
erend gentleman commenced bis address
by asking. why do we have churches
and stated that it was because Of GER
tain conditions Of conscience, certain
conditions OF society, and bedrock con-
ditions of nature, and that everything a
man does is expressive Of his character.
AS architecture differs so do men. They
have different needs, but all are uniform
in the expression of a want OF something
that these things which We can touch
and see do not satisfy"
The speaker referred to the fact that
man never gets away from the convic-
ton of an invisible world to which he
is related by his soul, and this convic-
ton grows from the powerful motor
duty. Religion is a necessity to mental
life. The religion that is going to con-
quer is the one that brings to men
thoughts and inspirations never before
given. The older the world grows the
more practical it gets; men do not live
on theories. The world as it grows
older is getting Weather and is giving
more freely to religious institutions.
This shows that men do not put all
their money in worthless brick and NOR.
tar, but that they have faith in Christ.
The bishop said: There come mo.
ments when the touch OF a hand does
not inspire, the human voice is an empty
thing, then you expect your church to
talk to God from its altar, and through
your tears you see the light of his face.
Conscience is the appetite of the soul
Murder it and cruelty it, man becomes
an animal and no longer a factor in
society.
I'VE build churches because we have
faith in that character which towers
over the ages like a lofty mountain and
has stood the test Of 1900 years, while
mortal leaders barely last two decades
We build churches because Of the
oneness and continuity Of human
nature
The speaker here paid a high com
pliment to Rev. j. w. Bennett the pastor
for his interchangeable efforts and sacri
fees for the church. He Furthermore
theses to the post, they we're the source
the mountain range, and dropping to the
vatican, stirred it to its foundation
The speaker then referred to thu
universally Of the religion Of Johr
Wesley, and that the Salvation army il
so potent in England, that the Church
of England had asked it to join it.
The bishop said: Deep down in thu
soul Of man is a wonderful conviction
and God will awaken it. When a maj
is imbued with a sense OF duty, destiny
and God, the world will hear from him
they may revile him, hurl epithets a
him, and profess to scorn him, but il
their hearts they love him. The church
is built to bring on a moral warfare,
conflict between right and wrong, right t
go up, and wrong to 60 down, and it i
coming-throughout the grand state O
Montana, | hear the tramp of our arm,
of Christians, and it Is the mission o
this church to bring Great Falls t.
Christ"
The bishops sermon was a MASTERPIECE,
of eloquence and commanded the undi
vided attention Of the large audience
and the TRIBUNE regrets that space will
not allow a verbatim report. In tn,
afternoon was childrens church service
under the direction OF Rev. DIR. Keane, a
which twenty three persons OF variou
ages joined the church. At 3 o'clocl
Bishop Joyce ordained Rev. n. L.. Han
son of the Scandinavian Methods
church, deacon of that church, at tn
same time paying the reverend gentle
man a high compliment on the admirabl
manner in which he had built the churcI
10 this city. In the evening a sermon
was delivered by Rev. DR.. Keane, and
large audience was IN attendance. Col
~lections were taken up after the services
members of the Methodist Episcops
church have received many compliment
from our citizens for the snccees whic
has attended their efforte on behalf c
their church.