The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-02-04

FORTY YEARS AGO
Bergen Baptist Church Pre-
pares for a Four Days
Anniversary.
EXTRACTS FROM AN OLD DIARY
History of the Church and the
Men Who Established It
Among the Churches.
EXTRACTS FROM AN OLD DIARY

The history Of the Bergen Baptist
Church is one of unusual interest. Deacon
John Shopp tdeceased), who was one of
its founders and eminent workers, re-
lates in his diary: I'm April, 1852, l moved
from New York to this place, then called
Bergen or Town of Bergen. I looked
around to see f there were any Baptists
on the Hill. found none but an old col
ored brother who could not assist me in
the undertaking 1 desired; that is, if pos
sible, to establish a Baptist interest on the
Hill.
IN 1856. after remaining here three
years, there came to reside on the Hill
two Baptist families consisting of Richard
Slee. wife and two children; Edward
Avery. wife and two children, who with
nv family made three Baptist families. l
Immediately waited on them and proposed
that we should have prayer meetings al
~ternately at our houses. After having
these meetings for some Brother
Avery and myself, after consultation, con-
Guided that it would be for the best II
we could establish a Baptist sabpasn
school on the Hill. Inasmuch as there
was no hall that we could hire, we con-
cluded to make application to the trustees
of the town for the public school house.
One of our influential citizens having
heard that we were to make application
for the school house. determined that we
should not have it if he could prevent It.
When we went before the trustees we
found this man in a seat ready for action.
We Immediately retired. and after con-
srlltation came to the conclusion that as
we were strangers on the Hill we had bet
Ter abandon the project for the present
than 10 enter into a controversy about it,
IN 1856 John Shopp and wife, Richard
Slice and wife, Edward Avery and wife,
with ten brothers and sisters from Hud-
son City, organized the Hudson City Bap-
tlst Church. In the course of a year the
church grew from sixteen to sixty mem
bers.
I'm 1853 Brother William White and wife
having moved on the Hill with others,
came to the same conclusion about a
Baptist Sabbath school as myself.
..Sister White came to my house, I not
being at heme; spoke to my wife about
it. in these words: Sister Shopp, | have
been all night thinking of a plan to have
a Baptist Sabbath-school on this Hill;
don't you think it would be we'll to hire
MT. NGNklTk ) Hail. Ol III SOiANt "
Bergen and Newark Plank Road?' My
wife answered, Yes, l think it would L
was thinking of the same thing The re-
suit was that Brother White and my
self hired the above hall and secured
benches from Jersey City.
This subject being brought before the
Hudson City Church, it was resolved to
form a Mission Baptist -Sunday-school of
Bergen attached to the Hudson City Bap-
fist Church. Seventeen members drew
out and organized the above mission
school, of which this is the second.
Sunday. July %, 1855, the Mission Sab
bath School was organized The meeting
was called to order by Uriah Allen. Ed
ward Avery was appointed moderator;
William White, secretary. Prayer was
offered by Deacon John Shopp. Seven
teen brethren and sisters reported as
teachers and twenty-one scholars We're in
attendance. Mr.. William Minaugh was
elected superintendent; Mr. William
White. secretary and treasurer; Richard
Slee. librarian.
~.The teachers ~were:-John Shopp, Uriah
Allen. Richard White, William Minaugh,
Richard Slice, John Benson, Edward Av-
cry. William White, George Meadeville,
William WEIGH, James Wood, Annie
White, Mary White, Eiethea Shepp, Cath
arine WEIGH, Louisa Callahan, Caroline
Tripp. Elizabeth Burton, Mary Lewis and
Catharine Watson.
1.-The hall being occupied occasionally
during the week by other parties, it be-
came necessary in that event to remove
the benches and settees out of the hall,
for which duty two persons were appoint
ed monthly. This duty was cheerfully
performed until the chapel was ready for
occupancy.
SIN August the constitution and by
laws were drawn up by Brothers John
Shopp. William White and Richard Slice.
The Sunday-school steadily increased in
numbers, neeessitating additional seat
ings. Through the efforts of Mr.. John
Shopp with the trustees of the Grove
Street Church, two wagon loads of set
tees were secured, a library, and hymn
books were purchased
This Sunday school was the nucleus of
the Bergen Baptist Church, which was
organized with thirty-six members, Feb
ruary 4, 1859, when Brothers John Shopp,
Uriah Allen and William White were APP
pointed a committee to examine and pur-
chase a suitable property for the erection
of a church edifce. They selected the
ground at the corner of Madison and
Clinton avenues, extending through to
Monticello avenue, and purchased it from
Mr.. James NJ. Barrows for s.. 5o0. Hiram
Eigler. Amadee Spadone, William Bum
sted. Urich Allen and James M. Barrows
were. appointed a committee to secure
plans for the church building. Mr.. Louis
H. Broome was engaged as the architect.
The immediate vicinity of the location
was at the time of the purchase open
country: farms extended east, west and
south. Post and rail fences occupied the
ground Immediately fronting the church
property, a grove of maple trees occupy
ing the same. Within the radius of one
mile there might nav been scattered here
and there-one hundred residences. There
were no graded and paved streets, foot
paths diverging in all directions to the
farm houses were prevalent, and many
were the doubling Thomases as to the
propriety of building and maintaining q
church away out there"
The Sunday school continued to increase
in membership, and at its successive meet
ings there was such an accession Of adults
that it was decided to invite the Rev.
Marvin Eastwood to preach to the little
flock. He complied to their request and
preached from February to May. 1859. He