The sun., 1895-05-15
rRArED ron EVERY BRrcK.
Grace Baptist Church Dedicated, Free OF
Debt.


Debt.
The cburcb tb,, IN. bui,t nv praver was ded :
icated last night, in the presence of humble
but fervent congregation. in q sequestered part
of Bainbridge street, near Saratoga avenue.
Brooklyn.
Tho edifce, which is Of brick, was built In q
manner dinerent from any other building USED
Tor religious purposes. Every brick In the struc-
renroson,s n nro,.r
~, 80 -, = 90 ~
The foundation stone was laid Just year ago
seS worsh,nper, who seeded s with with their @ pastor
,ho por wa,s Noa,ea s,o,,, m' ~. oo.an II;,i
Fulton Fulton street % about III ,mo mVvs"~Sy ysars aso '" "'
find no scrip,urai justifcatron for working in
the vineyard of the Lord for wages. Mr. Mosier LOST
was getting along very comfortably on s2'ooo
year and his parsonage rent free.
i.e nap.'se 'a'lo" ,,'eu W
that he was unorthodox. He quoted Scripture
himself and thirty eight enthusiastic adheren's
with the faithful seceder. he hired vacant
grocery store Mt Decatur street and Rockawny
e~,os $500 e.o,0 ,', ,,I az neva.u, ',o.. 1 "u ,.' ~,
avenue and Immediately began planning the
erection of the church building. which was ded-
Gated last night free of debt.
Every month something was put by for tho
building fund. About fifteen months ago the
trustees went around looking for II site and Sc
stands. These lots were valued at S1,S00 each.
Among Mr.: Mosier's congregation is q beneyo-
heard about tho lots she bought them and gave
them to the church. The owner knocked or
5000 because the lots were wanted for putting II
Mrs. Abel stipulated in the deed of gift that
the church should always be free; that there
mission fees charged at any time at the doors;
that no fairs or other entertainment for making
on May il, 1894. on a moonlgh. night.
was broker for the IA Is bs. Ms
the keys in the open lot. and the congregation
sang with unwonted fervor. There were cler,
every one had a spade.
Vigorous old and young men with picks went
When the workers got thirsty young women
supplied them with iced lemonade and cake
p @ ts Desi ns Sanr Sa M fk who
couldn't dig encouraged the folk who could by
singing hymns with the organ accompaniment.
there was digging by the congregation.
or course there had TO bc bricklayers and car
penters, plumbers, gasitteis, and roofers to
complete the structure. They were hired at the
highest union rates and they were paid regu-
Several times the brcklayers were forced to
We're special meetings at which prayers were
Some OF the scculars newspapers noticed the
plight OF the church and wrote things about 1t.
More bricks came. or rather more money to buy
bricks with, and the work went on.
There were meetings on every Wednesday.
the contributions collected at which were do
voted TO the building fund. So poor the
congregation that sometimes only nine cents
was taken mp. and never more than Sl.5O.
Sometimes because OF the lack OF funds.
there was not stroke done on the church for
several weeks. Then the congregation would
fast for several days. deny themselves little
luXurcs that they had expected to indulge in.
and devote the money thus saved to buying
bricks.
The church was not completed last even
ing II did not look like the usual run
OF churches that are dedicated. There was
no plaster on tho walls and no paint on
the fronts of the balconies and the
yellow pine pillars supporting the balconies; but
the furnace in tho cellar was going all right and
the piasterle.s structure was quite comfortable
within. Hanging on the laths were some plain
prints representing Scriptural events, and on a
curtain behind the pulpit and under the gal
leries were notices in red and white letters
fashioned by Mrs. Green, one of the worshippers
On the platform were clusters OF exotic and
native plants and flowers contributed by the
oldest member Of the church. William Pierce
an octogenarian florist Of Rockaway avenue
whose daughter Miss Eta Pierce Is the
chmrchs missionary. "
There we're at least 200 men and women in
the aud ditorium when the services began. There
were no news and the chnirs that they sat in
didn't have any cushions on them
They were plain hard board chairs The chairs
were presented to the church by several MEM
bers OF the congregation, and were originally