The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-12-11
CHURCH is DEDICATED
INTERESTING EXERCISES HELD AT
THE GRACE PRESBYTERIAN.
Governor Mount, Rev. VI. l.. Haines
and Rev. j. Cumming Smith De-
liver Short Addresses.

The dedicatory services of the Grace Pres
byterian Church, Capitol avenue and Thir-
ty-second street, yesterday afternoon, COM
pletely filed the small edifice with an Ell
thusiastic audience. And this enthusiasm
was not confined alone to the programme,
but when at the close of the exercises 1t
was announced that the church had an In
debtedness of $50, which was still unpIo-
vided for, the money was raised in less
than half an hour.
After an anthem and the invocation. Gov
ernor Mount gave a short address on the
value of the Church to Society and to the
State" In part he said: This is Very
impressive scene on this significant occa-
sion, and 1t becomes especially so, when
we come to consider the real value of the
church. The church is the great exponent
of the doctrine of Jesus Christ, and 1t
teaches mankind the greatest OF all things
righteousness; II gives him the great priv
ilege of becoming a co-worker of Christ.
We cannot measure the value OF the
church; just what 1t has accomplished is
unanswerable. 1t towers above any fnan-
cial consideration: it uplifts mankind and
gives them character, and character is q
thing that defies a valuation. The church
has always stood as the light to the world
IL is the salt of the earth. There is only
that has embraced Christianity. yet the one
third controls the destiny OF the world.
Where you find Christianity, you find a
high state of law and order, and it is only
when we view the history of the past that
we begin to realize something of the value
Of the church. In France, in the days gone
by. we find revolution, because France had
no regard for the church. But In America,
from the time OF the landing of the pill
grims. we have built our churches and they
have walked hand In hand with law and
righteousness.
WHOLE WORLD WILL MOURN.
whenever the church is on the decline
the whole world will mourn the fact, for
whenever 1t happens you will find that 1t is
the beginning of disintegration. Wherever
you find the church. you will find that ev-
erything has been raised to higher plane
because of it. 1t is the synonym for good
morals and for good order. Indianapolis is
one Of the most attractive cities in all this
fair land, and her churches have had a
large influence in making 1t so attractive.
Who can tell the value of the church? It
will require more than the finite mind; it
will take all Of enternity to measure the
value OF Grace Church"
Governor Mount was followed by the
Rev. NJ. L. Haines. d. d., who spoke very
briefly Of the supreme Mission Of the
Church" He said in part: s'The best ele-
ment IN our city are those that have come
out OF our churches. But 1 want to say
that the church is not of very much value
to some Of its members, because they are
not OF very much value to the church
There is law OF reciprocity which tells us
II we give, We shall be given unto, and l
know that those who do give to the church
get 1t back a hundred fold The church is
to US largely what we are to it, and no one
can properly appreciate the church until
they have been in it, You must share its
privileges, its joys and its work. One value
or the church lies in the fact that it is a
tabernacle or meeting place where we are
priviieged to meet with God. The church
Is valuable to us because 1t means the
brotherhood of men; in this particular it
Is the broadcast institution in the land"
The Rev. j. Cumming Smith in speaking
also OF The Supreme Mission of the
to ask what church is for, for then we
begin TO understand that IL is for no other
reason than to carry out the teachings of
Jesus Christ. These teachings are three
study the higher things; they teach us be-
nevolence, which the great fraternal or
ders Of the country have stolen from US.
A FUNCTION OF THE CHURCH.
"Benevolence is function of the church,
and the church is behind the secular or
CARNATIONS in benevolence. We must have
| system OF larger churches which will
set the initiative in all lines of benevo-
lence and in mission work. There was a
time when the church did just that sort
or thing, and 1t is time were going back to
the old order of things. We must be able
to care for our poor, but we cannot do 1t
as long as our churches are weighed down
with mortgages and our ministers are too
poor 10 more than support themselves In
the modern churches the idea of giving
support to one church has been cultivated
10 too great an extent. We must help one
another, for in this way we will expand
and grow. II / thought that Grace Church
was never destined to have a congregation
larger than three or four hundred, | would
not be In favor of its establishment, but
firmly believe that there is the right spirit
| In this little congregation, an that the
day Will come when Grace Church will
have a membership of ,wo thousand
The cost OF building Grace Church com.
plete was s. 1888. There had been col.
lected on subscriptions 81, 1911. and SIS sub
scribed which remained unpaid Includinp
| the cost of the lot, which amounted tS
$110o. and had been paid. and 81 200. which
had been provided for by bond there re-
manned only $50 unprovided for When DIR
| smith made this announcement of the
| nnanciai status or affairs, he began calling
| for voluntary subscriptions, and In fifteen
minutes the entire amount was subscribed
Inc meeting ADJOURNED with the singing OF
| the long meter doxology.