Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1899-12-14
III HURCH DEDICATION
II - The First Presbyterian Church of Hui
ll-- dubon Dedicated With Hppropride
'lE-- Exercises, Sunday, December TO- 1900


day, December 10, 1899
united work and interest in the Re-
deemer's cause.
The following program for the three
services of the day was fully carried
out: The sermons, morning and even
ing, by Professor Willis G. Craig, of
Mccormick Theological Seminary, at
Chicago, were mastery, scholarly
efforts, highly appreciated by the
great congregation. The transfer and
presentation OF the new church keys,
by the president of the building com.
mittee, to the president of the board of
trustees, accompanied by the beautiful
and appropriate ceremony of formal
dedication by pastor and people was
most touchingan and impressive.
The afternoon congratulatory service
though not quite so largely attended
was, perhaps, the most acceptable and
highly appreciated of any of the pro-
grams as all the addresses on that oc-
casion We're SO appropriate and attract
I've that they came very near to the
hearts of all the people, and revealed
the common bond of sympathy and
christian purpose, so signally evident
in all the services of the day. The
music, by mixed chorus from all de-
nominations, and by the Glover Leaf
Quartette y was very fine, adding great
ly to the high standard of the program
throughout; but the browning glory Of
1T all was the sweet melody and majes-
tic tones of the grand pipe organ, Just
placed in the new building, which
added completeness to the entire SER
vice obtainable in no other way. That
Is most valuable, appropriate treas
ure which not only the Presbyterians
but all the citizens of Audubon should,
indeed, be proud of and thankful for
Miss May Harris, of Atlantic, presided
at the pipe organ very gracefully and
effectively in most pleasing and ac-
ceptable manner. Altogether it was
day and an occasion of signal note for
Audubon and one ever to be remem-
bered and cherished by those who were
privileged to be present and participate
in the enjoyment. 1t was a most it,
ting commemoration of similar event
of much lesser magnitude, nearly TWEEN.
ty years previously, when the dedica-
ton of the old building as the then
new and acceptable home of the First
Presbyterian church of Audubon,
Iowa, in q like manner was as solemn
ly and sincerely dedicated to the wor-
ship and service of the same blessed
Lord, on May 8, 1880, and the young
churchs' first pastor was, also, installed
on the evening of the same day. That
old building, commodious, comforta-
bic and acceptable for it's times, per-
formed its mission work to which it
was consecrated for nearly twenty
eventful years, and though torn down
and moved away its cherished memory
will be ever held sacred by the many
who from time to time met within its
walls for worship, and especially is it
dear to those who there first found
Christ, Savior personally precious
That old church, doubtless, was
erected, in its day, at greater sacri-
flee, not only on the part Of its very
small membership but of the entire
community, than was the much more
elegant, well ordered, commodious new
editice today. Since the first building
forty-eight by sixty feet sprang up
around the little nucleus of church
membership OF seven organizing men,
bers, April IA, 1879, to completion and
dedication, May Z, 1880, at a cost of
about $4,000 90 all of woich amount,
save $4,000 was raised on the new
field and nearly all of which was freely
given by persons, most of whom We're
not christian professors, but who evil
IDENTIFY had high appreciation of the
power of christianity on civilization
and enlightenment and of the supreme
value and Importance of the christian
church in the building up of new
town and community, and the further
ing OF financial progress in the devel-
opement Of any new country. While
the new church oftoday, about seventy
by eighty feet in size, with all the vari
Gus appearances and appointments OF
of an elegant, model structure, fully
adapted to broader greater church
work of today in all its various depart
ments was erected by an active church
membership of about two hundred
many of whom are abundantly blessed
with this worlds goods, many more
are well fixed and prosperous tinanci-
ally and all Of whom are comfortably
situated, at least as much so as were
the average membership of twenty
years ago. and this one at the cost OF
ten or eleven thousand dollars, all told
very liberal per cent of which was
freely and cheerfully contributed by
good friends and neighbors without the