The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-06-06
A DECADE REVIEWED.
Sermon on the Tenth Anniversary of Rev.
E. P. Woodward's Pastoral


Ten years ago Rev. E. P. Woodward
came to Portland to accept the pastorate
of the Second Advent church. Yesterday
in his afternoon sermon, he reviewed llAe
work of the ten years and mace sumo
comparisons of the condition OF the parish
today with those which existed al the Do
ginning OF his Passionate. Ihero was d
good sized audience present opeclai
mus ic was rendered.
Tn baqinning his sermon he said that
the vatchword of God is Forward" and
If should he mans watchword as we'll.
As rule people are given too much to
looking backward, spending in retrospect
linn valuable time which could be utilized
in achieving the labors of the present
Bat there are times when it is we'll to
look back and learn lessons from the
past, SO that if we have had successes we
may repeat them, and if we have en-
oountared failures we may avoid them IN
the future. A church anniversary day is
an appropriate time to review the history
of the past.
lie then recalled some of the discourag
ing obstacles that beset his pathway when
he began his pastorate in Portland. He
said he accepted with much reluctance
the call from this church. He had devoted
the greater part of his life to farm work.
He had been preaching ten years, and had
for four years been uofninally the pastor
of county church, but had not given
his whole time to pastoral labors. he
realized that he was deficient in training,
and he hesitated about coming to city
of Portland size and Importance.
When he came he found that the church
had for some time been in decline; in
ternaI difficulties had caused several
divisions of the parish, and every division
had left its wrecks upon the lee shore.
The leaders of the denomination had
openly expressed encouragement regard
ing the Portland church. Most of its
active members were aged people, and
there were on its books the names of many
presidents. The parishioners were
worshipping in a hall, difficult of access
and with uncomfortable seats. The parish
WAS ignored by all the other churches in
the city.
In the face of these discouragements,
the pastor began his work, with a deter
mination to set all the church members
at work, and to establish as soon as
circumstances would permit, church
home wort by of the name. In both OF
these endeavors he was successful. The
comfortable and attractive house of wor-
snip in which the church is now estab
lished was erected at a cost, including the
land, of $4,000, and the only outstanding
liability upon it is a mortgage of $780,
On the books of the church ten years
ago were the names of 113 mem pers, So of
them non-residents, and only Is of the
whole numb of resident members were
under forty years of age. During the ten
years "a new members have been received
by vote of the church; so on profession of
faith and "A by letter. OF the original 113
members, 3s have died, and of the new
members four have died; IS have been
given letters of dismissal and six dropped.
making a total loss of &C.. The present
membership is 121, a net gain of eight.
But instead of being o church almost ex-
clusively made up of aged people, its
present membership includes people of all
ages, who are earnest and tireless in their
labors He knew of another church, one
of the largest in Portland, whose MEM
bership has decreased so in the last decade.
When he began his passionate the ..ver-
age receipts and expenditures were from
$3.50 to $500 year. In the ten years since
then the receipts from all sources and for
all purposes, including the building and
furnishing of the church, running ex-
lenses, contributions for missions and
charity have aggregated $4,000. He be-
lieved this showing would compare favor
ably with that of most any other church
in Portland, considering the number of
its members. He recently attended divine
service in large Portland church and
saw its pastor raise $1,000 to pay current
expenses, and in the case Of another large
church three of its wealthy members had
been recentl y credited with practically
keeping its expenses paid.
He referred to the increased activity in
the Sunday school, the organization of
the Ladies' Aid society, the Christian
Endeavor society and the Missionary So
ciety during the ten years Of his pastor
ate. He also complimented his parishion-
ers on the home-like spirit that pervades
their house of worship. The church is
now recognized and treated in n friendly
manner by all the other churches of the
city.
He has preached in nine other pulpits
Sn Portland, baptised 80 converts who
Rave joined the church and nine others
who did not. He has attended 63 funerals
during the ten years.
In the evening Rev. Mr.. Woodward
conducted baptism and preached a SER
mon specially fitting the occasion.
THE LOSS OF THE MAINE. "-