The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-04-08
Montgomery Street M. E.
Church to Celebrate To-
morrow Its Forty
fourth Birthday.
CHANCELLOR i. 4. DAY 70 PREACH
Interesting Financial State
ment to Be Made to the
Congregation-Among
the Churches.

Hedding M. e. Church, Montgomery
street, near Barrow, will celebrate its lot
ty-fourth anniversary tomorrow, beginning
with half-past ten in the morning wheh
Chancellor James r. Day, S. t. d. Lib
Of Syracuse University, will preach tnt
sermon and a statement of the church
debt will be made. Up to the present TINS
$500 a been paid on the debt and there
are still several hundred dollars out IN
subscription which can be collected
Evening services will be conducted by
the Rev. w. c. S-nodgrass, former pastor,
and the only man who has served the
church FIVE years. h afternoon pc
ginning at haIf-past two. will be devote
to Sabbath School platform services
wherein the various former living pastors
and presiding elders, will address the aa-
aience. The entire programme VIII De an
terspersed with music specially prepared
for the occasion
Steps toward the organization OF He'd
ding Church were first taken at a mes.-
ing held March 20. 1856, with the Rev J.
S. Porter in the chair, and a committee
was appointed to secure a lot. Those
present at this first conference were the
Rev. r. B. Yard. pastor, whose wloo"
and daughter still preside in Jersey CITY;
Joseph Mccoy. James Rosbotham, John
Black. George Crosby. John F. White, j.
H. Mecabe and james Gilkenson-
The site where the church now tards
was secured for $1,000. but there is no rec
ord of the date. On March 81, 1850. now
ever. the church was organized with hlty-
two members. all from Trinity M. f.
Church. and Rev. William Burrows was
appointed pastor till the meeting OF the
conference. which met April Il, 1880, wnen
the Rev. r. B.. Yard was appointed pas
TOR. The first quarterly conference met
NAV q 1855. at the residence of Mr.. Black
and the cornerstone of the church WIS
laid August Is. 1856, when $3.50 was sub
scribed toward the new building, the base
nent of which was dedicated u 20,
1Sss and in June 10, 1857, the ladies of the
church held a supper and fair in the I'M
finished ediice. The completed churcn
was dedicated April II, 1889, when me
whole Indebtedness, amounting to $4,000,
was met by the congregation.
Prior to the dedication OF the lecture
room services were held in WILDWOOD
Hall At the time of the laying OF the
corner stone the congregation numbered
from 81 TO 101 and the Sabbath school
from 70 TO 200, today the congregation
numbers about three hundred.
The first class leaders were Messrs-
Joseph Mccoy, John Black, and James
Rosbotham, and the presiding elders TO
the present time have been:-The Rev
s Porter. a~ppoined 1856; Rev. j. T. Me-
Carroll. 1856: Rev. B. Day, 1860; Rev.
Nicholas Van SAINT, 1864; Rev A. L.
Brace. 1868: Rev. Richard Van Horne, i8fz;
Rev. w. Tunison. 1876; Rev. M i. Ellison
1850. Rev. Alexander Craig, 1884; Rev Y
r. Iowery, 1888; Rev. J. 3. Fauiks, lesz'
ana the present elder, the Rev. J. H.
Wright. appointed 1895.
Tbs list of pastors with the dates or
their appointment stands as Tow
II. B.. Yard, 1856; VIM Day, l@t; Cnaries
Larew, 1889: James r. Bryan 1901; WIN
lam say, 1868; J. Hanlon. 1866; j. M. Free
man. 1869: r. B. Yard. 1872: }. L. y.
McCown. 1876: James Montgomery 1885,
John Rhey Thompson, 1881; j. H. Hargis'
1889. ], Boyd Brady. 1884; w. c. Snod-
grass. 1887; ]. C.. Jackson, 1892; Geo. :.
Winding, 1896.
q,h officers of the church today are
the Rev. Charles H. Fowler, Bishop; Rev.
John r. Wright. Presiding Elder; Rev.
George c. wilding, Pastor and local
preacher. Professor w. R. Esher. Tne
Trustees are:-Dr. James HOFFMAN.
Messrs. James v. Foster, J. Smith
Richar dson. NJ. G. Hall, T. A. Low, A.
Kdnssbury, Professor j. P. Towne ana
Tr. s w. Clark, and the class leaders
are Messrs. II. j. Esterbrook. Samuel
Sterling and Paul Gray.