The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-02
HE IS VERY POPULAR
Rev. Mr.. GrOeneveld of the First
Presbyterian Church, Butte.
YEARS OF GOOD WORK
There Is Under Consideration the
Erection of a Large, Magnificent
Edifice-The Old Guiding IS 100
small for the Congregation.

Rev. Z. ]. Groeneveld will complete
his eighth year as pastor of the First
Presbyterian church tomorrow. and he
will make this happy event the occa-
sion for a special anniversary and his
torical sermon tomorrow evening. Mr..
Groeneveld has outlived all Of the other
ministers in Butte with one exception
and If his future is left entirely with
his congregation il is a safe prediction
that he will remain here for eight years
longer. His church has grown and
prospered under his pastorate and IL is
now the largest Presbyterian congrega-
ton in Montana as well as the wealth.
lest. In addition to the property of the
First Presbyterian church proper. the
congregation is now building a new
church in South Butte at cost of
about $500. This church will be dedi-
Gated in about a month and will be full
ly paid for at that time. The church
also has about $500 invested in a Sun
day school building at Travona. and IL
does not owe a dollar IN the world.
II seems strangely appropriate that
Mr. Groeneveld's anniversary should
occur just at a time when the MEM
bers of his congregation are taking the
preliminary steps towards the erection
of large and beautiful new church,
and this fact gives additional cause for
congratulation to both pastor and peo-
pie. The need of a new and much
larger church has been felt for a long
time and the membership has increased
so rapidly lately as to make IL an i'm
perative necessity. More than 40 new
members have been received since the
first of the year and the church now
has an active membership of fully 800
The seating capacity of the present
church is entirely inadequate to such
large membership. The Sunday
school has grown even faster than the
church and the present accommoda-
lions are out of all proportion to the
demands made on them.
The officers of the congregation will
meet on Monday evening to discuss the
matter of a new church, and will for
mulate plans which will be laid before
meeting of the congregation on We'd
nesday evening, May 13. The sentiment
in favor of a new church seems to be
almost unanimous, and II is altogether
likely that a handsome new building
VIII be erected this summer on the site
of the present church, at the corner Of
Broadway and Idaho.
Mr.. Groeneveld's wonderful populari-
ty I'm Butte, both in and out of his con-
gregation. is attested by the large and
ever-increasing crowds which throng
his church at every service, and his
reputation as an able and eloquent di-
vine is state wide. His absolute fear
lessness and the manner i'm which he
discusses live topics from the pulpit
have made him many admirers among
people who are not generally counted
as church-goers.
About four years ago a pronounced
infidel, who carried his seedlings at
/ Christianity to the extreme. and who
| claimed that there are parts of the Ri
/ BILE that are too obscene to read i'm pub
/ lie, offered 800 through the Standard
| to any minister in the city who would
read from the pulpit a chapter of the
| Bible that he would select. Mr.
| Groeneveld accepted the proposition.
and when he read the chapter selected
| by the infldel his church was packed
almost TO suffocation, and scores OF
| people listened to the reading from the
| outside, through the open windows.
This incident contributed largely TO Mr.
| Groeneveld's well deserved popularity.