The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-11-13
SIXTH anniversary.
Rev. G. ID. OIden, ID. D., Tells
of the Growth of His Church.

en- in the programme published in Sat |
urday's State Journal. Rev. G.. D. Old /
en-, the pastor of the First African Bap- |
fist church preached the following ser |
mon, concentrating his sixth ami !
versary and giving an interesting sum |
mary of the growth of the church under /
his charge:
Behold, I have craven thee upon the
palms, of my hands; thy walls are con- |
tinuauy before me.''-Isa. 1915.
The church of God is not a modern !
institution or invention. 1t antedateS /
all Institutions, both ancient and mod !
ern, and is established upon the apOs- |
ties and prophets and Jesus Christ, the
chief corner stone" It is not a chalk
mark upon the blackboard, it is not
painted on canvas, but 1t IS craven on
Gods hand The church of God is COM
posed of stable minded men and wO-
men, with a determination to oppose
every opposition that may come against
it.
The existence of the church is a ne
cessity. Mans nature demands it. The
idea of worship is as old as God. What
ozone does in the natural world the
church does in the moral No cOmmun-
ity can be morally healthy without the
influence of the church. The church of
Christ that stands up boldly for the
truth, righteousness and peace is sure
to cross swords with the devil. When
men find fault and denOunce the church
it is a splendid proof that the church is
right. The devils war is often better
than his peace. Religion is an armour,
not cloak to hide our imperfections.
The great apostle. in addressing the
church, commands it to put on the
whole armour. that it may be able to
stand against the WiIes of the devil"
After all that has been said and done
against the church, one of the strang-
est evidences of its superhuman power
is that it still exists. VOltaire who new
er dipped his pen in ink to write on re-
IglOn except to denOunce it, said that
the time was near when the religion of
Jesus Christ would be thing of the
past. But, like all other attempts to
destroy the church of God, his have
failed, and, long since, the author has
been called to stand before the Great
Judge of all judges. Meanwhile the
church continues to flourish, and at this
time the room where VOltaire wrote his
maleVOlent sentiment is used as store
room for Bibles from whence the gospel
may De promulgated. The church can
not be injured through any instrument
tality of man. No word spoken to its
detriment can have lasting effect
In times of adversely and suffering
Gods people are apt to despond. HUI
man reason cannot understand why it
! IS that prosecutions and trials are al
| lowed to come upon a god fearing peO-
| pie. But whom the Lord loveth He
chasteneth," and where reason fails
| let faith be our guide. The Lord never
! Iorgets nor neglects His church 1t is
craven on the hand craven mean
| ing carved, so as not to be erased or
removed; and ''on His hands so as to
| be continually before Him or in His
Il
! birds have to be put in darkened cages
| to learn the sweetest notes. and that a
! dark room brings out the Vermilfon
| beauty of the rose. So some Christians
| are called upon to undergo the most
! severe trials in order to develop their
] usefulness and to make more potent
/ factors in the church of God
Gods love for his church is infinite
| His care over her from the beginning
! has been unceastng. He has suffered
! no Affections to come upOn her bI1t s11cb
/ 11ear- fFir,-,4
4 and He has made them all subservient
1 70 her enlargement and final triumph.
! He has appointed her to universal do
/ HllllOn over the hearts of man and her
! progress is continually onward toward
! that blessed day when in righteous
ness she shall be established.
We stand today between the twilight
! of the nineteenth and the dawn of the
/ twentieth century. The ninteenth has
| had its labOrs and its gIOries, its fail
! ureS ana ITS successes and will soon
! nave It's repOSe. Looking backwards
We review the Lords dealings with us
| ana are made to see how His hand has
| led US through many vicissitudes Our
! past has been full Of setbacks, retro
! gressions, whirlpools, yet the tendency
| has been towards something better. We
! have seen the mercy of the Lord and
| His brightness lightens up the gloom of
| the future, and enables US to feel that
| His Kindness will be continued toward
US We are thus encouraged to engage
unltedly and heartily in His work We
! can not always see the stream of His
purpose. We may not be able to saw
/ which is current and which is eddV.
! but let US trust Him unreserved1v for
| the future, and let Him use US as in
strumentS in carrying out His plans
Let US take a retrospective view of
the past SIX years of our ministry, and,
/ in the language of the prophet. let us
/ ask the question: What has God
| wrought"
CALL TO THE PASTORATE.
In the month OF September, 1893 by
i your unanimous consent nd NV
! usurpation, as some have been pleased
to assert while in Louisville XIV
received a call to the pastorate of this
church, and six years ago today, I be-
| came your pastor.
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP
On examining your church register, I
founD a membership of 25O persons OF
these fourteen have been called from
the church militant to the church trf-
/ umphant; eleven have received letters
/ of dismissiOn with permission to tofn
other Baptist churches, and 1O1 have
been expelled from the church for dis
| orderly conduct and neglecting to at
/ tend divine service. Since my pastorate
there has been received into the church
! by baptism and by letter $50 persons
/ thus leaving our total present member
ship 800.
FINANCIAL CONDITION.
When I took charge of the church, I
/ found a debt on the church property of
| over So, 600, upon which you We're paying
| as interest alone, annually over $500
There was due your former pastor on
/ back salary for the fourteen months
of his pastOrate SO and a debt of $685.
J due the sexton for four months ser
vices; and for incidental expenses a.
| debt Of $50. And there was not one dol
! lar in the church treasury with which
. to meet your obligations. During my
/ pastOrate, these six years, the church
has been enabled to meet all of its ex-
penses each month and at the close of
! each year to have a little balance on
hand with which to begin the work
raE HnGa Mo-