The Jersey City news., 1899-03-06
TRINITY CHURCH.
Seventieth Anniversary Cele-
bration Begun Yester-
day Morning.
WILL BURN THE MORTGAGE
Deed of Thirty Years Debt
to be Destroyed Next
Sunday Night.

Dratlon Will continue Until neat ouhuuy
evening.
The anniversary exercises began yester-
day morning at 1880 o'clock. when a ser
mon was preached by the Rev. Henry
Spellman, who was pastor of Trinity in
1854. The church was crowded at all the
services and last evening it was impos-
sible to get seat.
AT three o'clock in the afternoon the
Rev. j. R. Wright, presiding elder of the
Jersey City district of the Newark confer
ence. presided at a reunion love feast,
which was attended by a large number
of present and former members of the
church.
In the evening the Rev. John Krantz,
DID,, VINO was in charge before the pres
ent pastor. the Rev. d. B. F. Randolph,
was the speaker.
The walls of the old building were hand
somely draped with American flags, and
potted palms were distributed throughout
the church.
The exercises will continue every night
with the exception of Saturday evening,
and will close next Sunday evening, when
the burning of thirty year mortgage
will take place.
The speaker will be the Rev. James
Montgomery at the morning service. and
in the evening the Rev. Richard Harcourt
will fill the pulpit.
In the afternoon at 2:30 o'clock Sun
day School reunion of all the former ana
present members and superintendent Will
be held, when an elaborate programme will
be given.
At all the exercises special music will
be rendered.
The following pastors will speak at the
evening services this ek:-Monday, Rev.
r. M. Aylesworth, of Simpson; Tuesday,
Rev. E. c. butcher, DID,, of Linden ave-
nue.; Wednesday, Rev. A. B. Richards,
DID,. of Hoboken: Thursday, Rev. T. G.
Mayham, of ST. Paurs; Friday, Rev. G. G.
Wilding. DID. of Heddng.
The church stands on the site of the
original structure in York street, near
Washington street, on what was formerly
Paulus Hook, an historic site, as
skirmish took place there in the War OF
the Revolution. The cornerstone was land
on May 10, 1S43. The church was part
of the Philadelphia Conference, and In
1881, was known as the Bergen Neck
Mission, In 1S43 it established a branch
in what was then the town OF Bergen,
and the mission developed into Simpson
Methodist Episcopal Church. On May 70,
1S45, a branch was founded in Greenville,
now known as the Linden Avenue Church
On May 10, 1886 a branch in Hoboken was
established and is now the f1ourishing
First Methodist Episcopal Church of that
city. On August 8, 1916, a branch was
formed in that part of Jersey City which
was then called Harsimus, and from that
branch grew st. Paul's Church. In 1852 a
German mission was established and this
was succeeded by the German Methodist
Church. In August, 1858, committees were
formed to build churches in South Bergen
and Communipaw and these branches are
now known as Emory Church and Laf-
ayette Church. On March 81, 1850, nifty
two members retired from the mother
church and founded Hedding Church. All
these branches still exist and, while
strong numerically and financially, none
have been so fruitful as the mother
church, nor can any boast, as the mother
church now does, of being absolutely free
from debt.
Trinity Church has never been remark
able for the number of its members. Dur
ing the last thirty years it rose as high
as three hundred and above only from
1880 to 1884 For thirteen Of the thirty
it was less than two hundred.
The number of Sunday-school scholars
reported has averaged but little higher
than the number of members.
The greatest revivals in the history of
the church, as indicated by the number
of probationers, occurred in 1873, 1877, 1879,
1882 and 1888, 1888 and 1894. In 1855, the
church was reseated at an expense of
81. 800. and a .Jardine organ was intro
duced. In 1867 debt of $1,000 was can
celled and in 1881 the entire church was
renovated at an expense of $1,000 At
various times repairs and improvements
have been made which have cost from
$500 to $1,000, and in 1895 the parsonage,
which had been rented for number OF
years. during which more desirable resi-
dences were leased, was rebuilt at an out
lay of $500, and occupied by the pas
tor.
Several propositions were made IN the
early sixties to sell out the entire prop
erty and build a new church elsewhere,
and on one occasion a committee was
ordered to secure lots at Gregory ana
Henderson streets for this purpose, and
the movement failed only because it was
found impossible to sell the old location
to advantage.
The congregation has contributed to out
side objects usually classed as benevo-
lences, during the last thirty years, over
s3S, 1000, which sum includes, however,
$4,000 given by the congregation to
Hackettstown Collegiate Institute, and
$1,000 TO the Preachers Aid Society of
the Newark Conference by the family of
Hosea F. Clark. whose liberality and hard
work appear in all the later history of
the church. About 500 has been recently
raised for renovation and repairs and. in
order to celebrate her SEVENTEEN ami
versary with due proprjety Trinity Church
cleared off all her Indebtedness before the
opening service including a $1,000 mort
gage which has been standing thirty
years.
HORSE FOLLOWED HIS MASTER