The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-19
THE PENTECOSTAL BAND
IT'S CHARACTERISTIC TENT SERV-
ICES IN THE COURTHOUSE YARD.
Rev. r. v. Hunter Joins with Rev. MIR.
Milburn I'm DepIOring the Evil
Effects of Fair Bank.

The little congregation of men and women
that meets under a tent in the courthouse
yard every Sunday afternoon and every
evening in the week is known as the Pente-
costal Band. 1t is a sect, according to a
member of the band that knows no creed
save the plain, everyday gospel. They be-
lieve in the coming of a Judgment day, but
do not pretend to say when or how it will
be made known to the people.
The white canvas house of worship in
the courthouse yard is barely large enough
to shelter two hundred people The Pente-
cOstal Band is not the largest congregation
in the city, but it is one of the most earnest
in the work. Out at $40 East Washington
street is the bands home, where a dozen
or more young women reside and engage in
missionary and philanthropic work. South
of the city the band has a farm of twelve
acres, where the members go to rest from
their work. The band goes into the street
and breaches the gospel wherever listeners
can be found. The Sunday afternoon SER
vices at the tent are usually fairly well
attended. Above the entrance there is the
inscription in great black letters: Pen
tecost Band-Services Every Night. Come
Yesterday afternoon the services were in
the nature of an experience meeting. There
was prayer and song and then members
of the band told of their conversion to
Christ and how it had come about. There
was no regular sermon, as the leader of the
band, Rev. Thomas Nelson, was absent at
Waverly, holding a meeting there. Two or
three young men and a rather comedy
young woman-Miss Anna Bright, leader OF
the band of girls who belong to the organ
izatiOn--cOnducted the exercises. The songs
they sang were familiar old gospel hymns.
One would give an experience and then a
strong baritone voice would be Ilfted In
song:
Follow, follow, I will follow Jesus,
Anywhere, everywhere, l will follow Him.
The clear, strong voice of Miss Bright
bers of the band would take up the words
until they fairly rang. Then man stood
up and began to talk. He was glad he had
been saved by the Pentecostal Band. He
had been drunkard he had been in the
streets, in the station house. But Ill be
there no more" he exclaimed at the close
of his exhortation. IF I'm arrested again
1t will be for serving God. Then came an
the lips of the band. A woman got up TO
tell how she had been saved.
I'm a witness for Christ" she said, and
I am so glad that God owns me, poor and
unworthy as 1 am" Another woman told
OF her experience and how she came to
foresake the world. She said she had
danced and partaken Of the, gay amuse,
ments of the lighter world, and she believed
they were wrong. AT length 1t grew time
TO close the service.
IT'S time for our street meeting" said
Miss Bright and friends, we owe SIS on
our tent and we want to raise that money
this afternoon or night" The girl TOOK a
hat and passed through the audience, gath
ering coin here and there. me pest Oh or
der prevailed during the service, the au-
dience being attentive and apparently eager
to hear all that was SAID.