The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1897-11-18
MEMORIES OF PAST.
BLESSINGS OF PRESENT, HOPE
OF FUTURE.

L
| Salem's One Hundred and Thirty
Fifth Anniversary Fittingly Observ-
ed at the Home Church-Ser-
mon by Bishop Rondthaler.
Sunday was especially notable in
the history of Salem and was f1ttingly
| observed at the Moravian Home
church. It was the 135th anniversary OF
Salem andBishopRnndthaler delivered
powerful sermon, dwelling upon the
past, present and future Of this veneer
able and beloved city and the grand
old Moravian church which has been
through all these years and is now it's
chier cornerstone.
Bishop Rnndthaler's text was from
Hebrews 13:8-''Jesus Christ, the same
yesterday, today and forever"
The trials, hopes and fears of the
early settlers of Salem were portrayed
in DIR. Rondthaler's usual fluent man
ner. There was a word picture repre-
senting the little village of 25 humble
cottages nestled In the primeval for
est which covered this section in 1887.
In the picture there was no church
building, no academy building. no
manufactures or any of the hundreds
and thousands of creditable enter
great Twin-City of the Salem and
Winston of today. The Bishop told
of the erection of the Home" church,
the Establishment of the Academy,
the Indian mission in Georgia, all of
which were accomplished in those
early days.
The Salem Of today was presented
with its homes spread far and wide,
It's numerous sites of busy manu-
facturies; then Winston north of her
an Outgrowth OF the elder city-with
interests SO interlinKed that the
prosperity of one is the prosperity of
the other. He referred to the MORAY
ian churches aud missions established
-CentervIlle, East Salem, Elm street,
Calvary, Christ church, Far View,
Wacbovia and the culored church, all
scenes OF Christian labor-to the
Salem Boys School with it's enlarged
work and the widows and sisters
houses.
He said there was no part of the
Southern Moravian District in which
Salem's Influence is not felt and that
she has become in these,latter years a
mother OF churches"
All this work, the Bishop said, was
Christ inspired and Christ blessed
personal appeal was made TO every
worker in church, Sunday School.
Christian Endeavnr and workers of
every degree To take courage and lay
hold vigorously Of the tasks before
them That Christ had been with
them in the past, was with the N to
day andwuu d be forever.
He clGsed with the following beauti-
full and prophetic reference to that
Infinite word forever:
Low sOlemnly that final attribute
of the Saviour sounds forth in our
text: Jesus Christ, the same yester
day, today and fore YER" ''Furever,"-
it points US as it were with white an
gel hand into great future Forever"
it tells US of what our beloved congre
gregation shall be when we, the pres
ent memb ers, have passed away from
these earthly scenes.
Amongst us, in this congregation
today sit little children. They are
only the represent atives of many other
little children, who are to be found In
the homes or our congregation. The
future of the church will be in their
hands Their faith and love and la
Dor will make it, from the. human
side, to be what it shall be for the ut xt
century. 1t will be a heavy task for
them, but the same Saviour who was
the Jesus Christ of yesterday and is
the Lord Of today, will be their Helper
in the future. Let Us teach them by
word aud example to cleave closely to
Him and all will be well
Forever" This is the closing word
Of our text. How wildly it's force
comes to us in a church building in
which not a person sits or could sit
who was in it when it was first build
ed. So we too, shall in our time, with
out single exception, even the very
youngest OF Us, be gone from our earth
ly seat in the church, gone into eter-
nifty. Let us covenant today in the
presence of Jesus Christ, the same yes
terday, today and forever, that we
will believe on him from the heart, love
him in fellowship with each other and
cheerfully work for him. in his service
with all our might so as to be togeth
er with him forever. Amen.
RI-MEEA RI2nE9fAS