The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-02
A MODEL FOR ALL.
Such is First Presby-
terrain Church of
Worcester.
REVIEW OF ITS HISTORY.
Special Easter Musical Ser
vices Will be Held
There Today.

Whether it is the fragrance of the
flowers used in decorating the churches,
their beauty or the topics of the day
there is something about Easter ser
vices which appeals to every one, nc
matter how calIoused he is. Stately
Easter lilies banking the chancel OF
covering the platform, the smaller
flowers and plants peeping out from
| hooks or standing boldly out from
backgrounds Of green. ali seem to
breathe an Allelujah for the day that
gave Immortality to the world
Worcester churches this year will be
decorated more profusely than usual,
and with the special music at almost
| all Of them, cannot fail to bring within
their doors congregations such as have
never been known before.
Worcester is distinctlvely a city of
| churches, in fact so many denomina-
tons are represented that some of
them are almost beyond the ken of the
great portion of the people Of the city
even though they be church people.
The church that is the subject Of the
present sketch is one Of a denomina-
ton that has but two representatives
| in Worcester, but at the same time is
one of the most Furnishing of its size
| in this large section of fiOurishing
| parishes.
The world over, the Presbyterian
church is one that occupies a front
rank among the Christian denomina-
| tons and although but a recent conner
| in Worcester, has already made itself
| felt as power for good in the COM
munity.
Especially is this true of the First
| Presbyterian church, Which, under the
able leadership of its newly installed
pastor is already taking a prominent
| position to a greater extent than it
has ever done before in the religious
| life Of the city .
The history of the First Presbyterian
church, which has its modest but sub
stantial house OF worship on Kilby
street, dates back scarcely more than
| a decade. Unlike numerous other of
the smaller churches of Worcester,
this congregation has had no sucp
vicissrudes as appear in the annals
of some Of its contemporaries and
seems to have been particularly bless
| ed with material and spiritual pros
perity since It's earliest inception.
The origin of the church was the re-
suit Of the large influx of sturdy peo-
pie of Scotch ancestry which came to
Worcester some 10 or 10 years ago All
! these people chung with the tenacity of
their race TO the faith of their fathers
| and true to their old Covenanting prin-
cipleE, began the formation Of a church
directly their numbers and means
| seemed TO warrant it.
| The church was organized in 1885
and incorporated in May Of the fol-
| lowing year The infant congregation
was particularly fortunate in the time
Of its origin for circumstances were
such that they were spared the neces-
| sity Of the troubles and trials that at
tend the erection of a church home, as
one was ready for their occupancy as
soon as the church was formed.
Just at the time of the incorporation
Of the new church body, the congresa-
ton Of the now prosperous All Souls
| UniYersalist church was ready 10
move into its handsome new edifice
which it now occupies. From the time
of its organization, All Souls church
| had occupied a chapel building on Kill
! by street which it was glad to sell to
| the newcomer in the church life of the
city. The chapel needed very little
renovation or remodehing and the
Presbyterian congregation moved into
| II UTMOST IIH0GOidbGlJ anu LlrLa HlACe
occupied It constantly with ever in
cPeasing prosperity.
In its short career the church has ha(
four pastors, each Of whom has beer
among the best-known and most high
| y considered ciergymen of Worcester
| during his stay here, The first of these
gentlemen who was called to the church
as soon es the edifce was ready fol
occupancy was Rev, J, Il. Ralston, whC
| IS . - oh 400
| to 1883. During the first portion Of hi!
passionate the church met in a hall OF
Main street pending the completion O.
the church, and indeed there had beer
meetings Of the denomination held il
the city for long time previous to th'
actual organization Of the church.
The second pastor Of the church was
Rev, Thomas Atkins, who remained a
the head OF the congregation from May
1890, TO the same month of 1894. He Wa'
| succeeded by Rev Alvah Scott, PHI. D.
who remained until the close of th'
year 1888. In his term OF office Rev. Mr.
Scott endeared himself very highly Z
the members of his church and to thu
people of the city in general for hi
broad and true catholicity, his genia
character and his earnest citizenship
The present pastor, Rev. Andrew J
BruCKl acher, Is young man who Il
now entering on his first pastorate, bu
one who has already given ample pro
| mise Of a brilliant career in his sacred
calling He is above all else an organ
izer and has already instiled new If,
and energy IN all the activities Of hi
church. He is q very fluent and abb,
pulpit speaker and has IN the shOr
time he has been here delivered a mum
Der Of discouTses that have been reck
oned among the most able and effective
that the congregation has ever beer
/ privileged to listen to in many years
He Is a New Yorker by birth, coming
Of the old KnickeFbocker families c.
that patrloian commonwealth. He is
graduate Of Princeton in the class o
'gS having received his education Their
and In the schools of his own city. Hi
work is thus far very highly appfeciat
ed by hts people and there is every in
dioation that his pastoTate will b.
among the most successful from ma
terial and spiritual standpoint that thu
church has ever experienced
The organizations Of the church ar
very active and particularly notable TO
their kindly cooperation with the pas
tor. The church organization is as fol
lows: Elders, John McInnes. Fret
B. ThompsonS trustees. Fred Kiesteadt
John Grant. Robert McNicon. William
Mitchell, John Blair: clerk Of the cor
poration, James McCullum.
The Ladies' Aid Society Of the churcl
is one Of it's most influential associa
tons, and is particularly helpful in tn,
work Of the church by reason of it
strong activity and broad usefulness
II attends to all the social functions o
the church. and aids materially in rails
ing and providing the financial sup
port of the church. It is Differed al
follows: President, Miss Belle Thomp
son; vice president, Mrs. Arthur
Thompson; treasurer, Mrs. John Cal
der: secretary, Mrs. F. d. Thompson.