The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1896-12-31
The First Congregational Church Celebrates the Close
of its First Century and Starts it's Second
Very Auspicously.

| The centennial anniversary of the First
Congregational Church of Belfast was OBJ
served by appropriate ceremonies at the
church editice on the corner OF. Church
and Market streets Tuesday afternoon and
evening, Dec. 10Th.
The audience room was very neatly and
appropriately decorated for the OCCASION
The pulpit was capped and banked by
solid evergreen with dainty white bios
SONS. An evergreen tree stood at each
side of the platform. Above the pulpit
| hung an evergreen bell, and above the
| cord by which it was suspended at the
top of the arch, was a large white star
| Evergreen loops were tastefully draped on
the walls in front, and above them on
each side, in large figures in evergreen,
were the dates, 1796-1S96. Wreaths of
evergreen hung in other parts of the
room, the whole effect being pleasing
artistic and appropriate.
Music throughout the services was fur
nished by choir composed of Miss Sally
Durham, soprano; Miss Lucy A. E. Palmer,
alto; Mr. {. M. Craig, tenor; Mr.. A. l..
Young, bass; Mrs. j. W. Jones, organist
The following visiting clergymen were
present:
Rev. G. W. Field, D. D., Bangor; Rev.
j. G. Merrill, Portland; Rev. VIM For
syth, Bueksport; Rev. j. P. Cushman,
Castine; Rev. r. G. Harbutt, Searsport
Rev. +. S. Dollitf, Jackson.
The day was warm for the season, the
skies We're slightly overcast, but not
threatening, and the attendance, both
from Belfast and the neighboring towns.
was good.
The exercises opened at 80 p. m. by
an organ voluntary "Etude," by Beriot
and the doxology. Rev. F. S. Dollitf read
the 32d chapter of Deuteronomy from
the 7th to the 18th verse, inclusive, and
the 103d Psalm. The quartette then sang
the anthem, Il will rejoice" by Trow-
bridge. Rev. j. G. Merrill offered prayer,
followed by the response by the choir
The pastor, Rev. George Sherman Mills,
gave the first address on ''Our church to-
day He first spoke of the inconveni-
( ences of the season and the disadvantages
under which the church labored by rea-
son of the inclement weather OF the past
/ few days. He extended a hearty welcome
to all present. To-day we have special
interest in the past, and a statement of
our condition to- day is introductory to a
consideration Of the past. Our present
/ condition is due 10 the faithful work and
/ prayers of those who have gone before.
/ We rejoice in our inheritance, But we
are to some extent an old fashioned
church. We do not make use of many
means adopted by modern churches. He
then gave summary of the meetings held
and the methods by which the church
work is carried on. The church is sim
| pie in its organization and unconventional
in its work. A year and half as pastor
is too short a time to fully understand a
people, yet he is prepared to say that the
people of this church are benevolent and
tolerant; bigotry has stepped down and
! out, and the people are opposed to any
thing that is narrow. They work with a
will and are fearless, yet they are consid
crate of the shortcomings of their pastor
and of each other. The church now has
143 members and the parish includes 80
families. But what of the morrow? We
see in the future a strong working church
and growing church, and the reason is
that the spirit of Christ directs, not in
this member or in that, but in all
At the close of the pastors remarks
the choir sang the hymn, 81 Love thy
kingdom, Lord after which Mr.. Angus
tus Perry, the oldest male member of the
church gave some "reminiscences. Mr..
Perry came to Belfast in 1881, and made
his home with Mr.. and Mrs. Beaman at
the Head of the Tide. The church then
| III Uuc 7COuISIcuCt 1OuSt
ON Primrose Hill. The only other church
here at that time was the Unitarian. He
spoke of his feelings on hearing a church
bell for the first time. To his ear that
was the sweetest toned bell he ever heard.
He described the erection of the present
church edifice and the changes which
have been made up to the present time.
When built this church had gallery at
the rear and doors to the pews. The
leader of the music gave the pitch tC the
singers by use of tuning fork. The first
organ bought was imperfect and was soon
exchanged for a better but smaller one.
In 1868 fine large organ was bought and
was first used Aug 14th of that year. When
it was put in the gallery was taken down
and the singers platform was built. The
doors were taken from the pews, and
the recess built tor the pulpit. The ex-
penses of the organ and changes amount
ed to 81, 800. He also described the
changes in heating and lighting the rooms,
and i'll the vestry, from small room ln
the basement. He spoke of the custom
of announcing the intentions of marriage,
and mentioned his own and that of the
late VIM. O. Poor. To day their descend
ants are in the church to the third gener-
alton. 1.-The church has reason to be
thankful to God for His care over it in the
century that has past said Mr.. Perry
and he closed by quoting the Scripture,
''But the mercy of the Lord is from ever
lasting to everlasting upon them that feaI
him, and his righteousness unto children
Children
Rev. j. F. Tilton, pastor of the Baptist
church, then gave the fraternal greetings
of the churches of the city. He was glac
of the pleasant task of giving the greet
ing of the sister churches to the oldes
church in the city. The cycle which thu
day commentaries is an honorable and
useful one. We should thank God ano
take courage for the future. In the earl
days there was not that era of good feel-
ing which now exists between the differ
ent denominations. They too often turn
ed their guns on each other instead OF OF
the enemy. The denominations are com
ing nearer together, but the fences be-
tween them are not yet all down. Yet al
are coming to join hands in the work te
God. Never before was there SO cordial
| foo1ipn botmoon tho rinuS paStOrS dQC