The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-06-03

SFlFTEEN YEARS.
Lafayette M. E. Church
Arranging For Three
Days Birthday
Celebration.
INTERESTING PROGRAMME
Sketch Of the Church and
It's Founders-Among
the Churches.


The special committee appointed a few
days ago to prepare for the celebration
of the fifteenth anniversary of the erec-
ton of the Lafayette Methodist Church,
on Pacific avenue, is arranging an eiap-
crate programme. This event falls on
June "a, but the celebration will last three
days,
On June "a an excursion will be held,
the scholars and congregation going 10
Grand View Grove on the Long Island
Sound. The Excursion Committee mas
completed the plans for this event. On
the Sunday following the services VIII De
of more thar ordinary interest II pos
sible one of the Bishops will be present.
AT any rate, the pastor, the Rev w. s.
Robinson. will preach an anniversary SER
mon. in which he will deal briefly with
the splendid history of the church.
A plan is also on foot to have a plat
form service, at which all the former liy-
ing pastors of the church will be present,
The third days celebration has not YET
been prepared. The committee Is no"
busy on the work and hopes to have all
arrangements completed in about a week.
The Lafayette Methodist Episcopal
Church was organized in 1863. by MT.
Michael S. Allison, a resident of that sec
ton. A small building, which is Still USED
as the chapel on Wilton street, IN the
rear of the main edihce, was erected IN
that year. 1t was built chiefly from ma
teriais obtained in a disabled HUDSON
River barge. For five years services were
held under the direction of Mr.. Allison.
In 1868 the Rev. D.. R. Lowrie, then
pastor of the Emory Methodist Church,
began to preach for the newly organized
society and established a Sunday school
vita seventeen persons present on the
first Sabboth. Mr.. N. H. Gillette was
elected superintendent.
On February 2S, 1869, the chapel was
dedicated by the Rev. A l. Brice, the
presiding elder. On April 5, 1870, the LAT
ayetts society WAS separated from the
Emory Church by the appointment of the
Rev. w. L. Hoagland, now of the Emory
Church, as its pastor. The church was
shortly afterwards organized with nine
teen charter members. Mrs. Allison and
Mrs. Buss are the only two persons who
retain their present association with the
church. Several societies were organized
later on, and in 1884 contracts were signed
for the erection of the present church.
On June "a, 1884, Mrs. Jane Allison, the
widow of the founder, broke ground for
the new church. The building committee
was:-Messrs. NJ. H. Gillette. President;
George R. Hitler, Edward S. Allison,
Fred H. Spengeman, W. R. Wheeler, and
the pastor, Rev. W. H. Hoagiand.
About a year later, or on May 8, 1885,
the church was dedicated by Bishop Fos-
ter. The church since then has enjoyed
prosperity and has been successful, both
spiritually and financially. The building
IS valued at about $4,000. There. are
about three hundred members in the
congregation and nearly four hundred
scholars in the Sunday-school. The So
cietfes now AFFILIATED with the church are:
Epworth League, Sunday-school, Ladies'
Aid Society, Pastors Aid Society, Choir
Association, Lafayette Kings Sons,
Whatsoever Kings Daughters n Will
ing Servers Kings Daughters.
The former pastors of the church are
1866, Rev. D. R. Lowrie: 1901, Rev.
". L. Hoagland; 1924, Rev. A. H. Tut
tie; 1S75-n. Rev. c. S. Colt; 1850, Rev.
Edison W. Burr; 1SS1-S3, Rev. j. A. Mon
roe; 1886, Rev. W. L. Hoagland (two
terms); 1sS7-sS, Rev. j. w. Johnston; 1889
81, Rev. P. G. Blight; 1S92-97, Rev. c.. E.
Little; 1878, Rev. C. B. Barnes, and the
present pastor, Rev. w. S. Robinson.
The general committee comprises:-Off-
cial Baard-A. A. Campbell, w p. Sc
guine, F. C. Harmstad. J. H.. Perry, John
: Dickson, p. SHE'D. John H. Brown, {. w
Booth, William Field; Ladies' Aid Society
Mrs. B. F. Harrison, Mrs. James HITLER
Mrs. Elizabeth Wilson; Pastors Aid So
ciety. Mrs. A. j. Boyd, Mrs. c. Lawson.
Mrs. Groeffel; Choir-Miss S. L. Culver,
Mrs Walter Williams, Miss Clara Angel;
K ng's Daughters-Miss Minnie Klingen-
berg. Miss F. Lulu Hitler. Miss Lena
Muller; Sunday school-W. r. Wheeler, B..
r. Mead. Mrs. Fl. Froburg; Epworfh
League-W. NJ. Robinson. Miss f. L.
Fisher, Miss Gertrude Seguine; Kings
Eons-Walter Williams, Charles H.. Plen-
ny, Fred A Keller; Young Ladies' Physi-
cal Culture Class-Miss Nealie Hagen,
Miss LIZZIE Kaiser, Miss A. Name Bauer.