The Newtown bee., 1898-11-04
STEPNEY AND VICINITY.
THE BAPTIST CHURCH CELEBRATES ITS
 FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY.

The Stepney Baptist society had a | pleasant family gathering on Wednesday | of this week at the church when it cele- | brated it's 50ch anniversary and annual roll call. The church's 5O1h birthday l was really some time earlier in the year, but it was thought best to combine he birthday party and annual rCll call into one gathering, and November 3, vas chosen as a convenient date. The day was all that could be desired and good audiences were present, both morn Ing and afternoon. Invitations had been sent out by the pastor, Rev F. P. Bramap, to all members of the church and congregation, and those present manifested live interest in the welfare uf this little church, which has ruem- bersnip of some 10S souls and is the loved home of it's communicants.
 The services of the day opened, at 10 30 o'clock in the morning, with sing lng ''Blest be the tie that binds." Rev Mr Mckinney of Ausonia led the con- gregatlon in an earnest prayer for Gods blessing on the gathering. The hymn, ''I love Thy Church O God," followed, l ter from Rev A. M. Ogden of Chester field, N. J., a former pastor of the church, who sent his sincere regrets that l he could not be present. His prayer was for Gods blessing on the gathering and l spiritual uplift for the church. Rev MT l Braman tLen gave historical address of the parish, from which we print such parts as are of historical interest, as fol- l lows:
 The 503h anniversary of the church, we musC go back nearly 150 years to dis cover the origin of the church, and tfud l iG in the organization of the Strattield church in l751. According to the so- ciety records the organization was com, posed of 10 members, nearly all of whom ! mad been connected with the Cuns rega- tional church, but who withdrew from that body on account of trouble arising from the dismissal of Rev Lyman Hall. | Possibly, l merely suggest it, the trouble was in their own hearts. They might have discovered that the Word of God did not approve of their position as Con- found some teachings in that Word with which their practises did not harmonize. Our record shows that on the second Sunday in October, 10 persons were baptized by Elder Joshua Morse of New London, after the usual service which was held at the house of John Sherwood of Stratfield. This brother was set apart by ordination to the work of the gospel ministry by elders and messengers fro n New London and Groton. The record does not show whether this service took place on the second Sunday in October
 or later. At least l ana unable to de. termine this matter by the record. It seems that this brother served the Strat- field church as pastor till 1767, when he
 was succeeded by Rev Benjamin Coles.
 In 1881, 67 members withdrew from the S5ratfield church to form the Eastor
 Baptist church, then called Weston
 The few years following the organjza a' tiOn must have been years of growth
 for in 1888, seven years after, when the first meeting of the Fairfield County church reported PIP members. Rev Will
 liam Denison was the pastor of ths church at that time and his picture is or
 the platform before you. MT Denif o preached both at Easton and Srepney
 No separate society existed here at tha
 time. A meeting house used to stand
 0pposite the house of MT Powell ant
 preaching services were held there.
 quote as follows from the records:
 "During the pastorate of Rev William
 Denison there was much talk of formiu {
 B separate society. In 1S40, work wal , begun for the erection of the presen
 houee of worship in the village of Step
 aey, Hanford Hull being one of tn.
 contractors. Different per- ons gave tn.
 lumber needed. MT Hull, with tn,
 building committee, selected the trees
 which he felled, squared and brou4h
 over for the building. In October, 1S41
 the house was dedicated to the worship
 of God. The sermon was preached bJ the Rev Asa Bronson of the Stratfiele Baptist church. It was 8 clear and for
 cible presentation of the truth as he be , lieved it taught in Gods Word. He
 spoke calmly and earnestly, unmoved by
 either fear or favor of man. Mir Deni
 son continued for seven years more tC
 preach in Easton and Stepney on alter nate Sabbaths. No separate society wal
 yet formed in Stepney, for in. both placei Ehe people wanted the continuance O
 MT Denison's labors. AS he could no resiet the claims of the one in favor o1
 the other, he resigned and in 1848 ths Stepney Baptist church was constituted l, While MT DenisoH was preaching ir Stepney, he at one time had the assist
 auce of an evangelist by the name oi
 Fletcher, during which time large nun
 bsryo of eouls were added to the church Mrs Denison was preacher of great ! ability, of thorough knowledge of the
 Bible, of clear perception of Scripture truth and he preached the pure Word in , it's simplicity and power.o
 The organization of the Stepney church took about 5 members from the
 Easton church, as is seen from the fol lowing record: "A number of member from both parts of the society met al , Easton, February l6, and came to the
 following conclusion: It seems to be the
 opinion of majority Of the members
 present at society's meeting of the Bap
 fist society of Weston and Monroe that , the time has arrived that division o1
 said society ought to be made, and that ,, two separate interests ought to be sus
 tained. We therefore, whose names are
 herewith annexed, desire to be constitut. , ed distinct and separate church, to be known as the Baptist church of Stepney.' z This svas signed hy B persons. A reso
 lution passed February 2l, dismissina
 the petitioners and others who might
 wish to unite with them to form the { Stepney church. At g meeting m Step.
 ney 1t was: ssResolved, that we consti. ! tute ourselves into church by the name l of Stepney Baptist church, and that we adopt the articles of faith, covenant and bylaws of the parent church. Those
 were days when it is reasonable to infer : the country churches enjoyed good de- l gree of prosperity. In membership they compared favOrably with the churches in the larger places, indeed, in & sense the latter were surpassed by some of the country churches. In 1888, the first meet- ing Of the Fairfield association, the larg- est church in the association was the Easton church with PIP members. The Newtown church, now no more onlv in Heaven, nun bered more than the Nor walk church. The Rrfdgeport church had only 30 more members. The Red-