The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-10-02
new FAITH CURE CHURCH
Sanctuary Dedicated Yester-
day at Informal
Services.

It was a day Of rejoicing yesterday
among the members of the Church OF the
First Born and Mount Zion Sanctuary,
The handsome new church, at Bramhall
and Ocean avenues. opposite st. Patrick's
stately edifce was dedicated. This is the
mother church of the Faith Curists OF
this vicinity.
The scenes enacted at the recent con-
vocation at the New York Bay shore, at
the foot of Chapel avenue, were repeated.
There were shouts Of praise from every
member in the church and the gathering
was worked up to a high tension during
all the services. There were hundreds of
testimonials, many similar to those given
at the camp meeting services and some
Of the cures protested to have been
wrought by some converts, bordered on
the miraculous.
As Sister Antoinette Jackson explained,
none knew how these seemingly incurable
ailments were cured except that the afflict-
ed ones gave themselves up to the faith
and professed earnest belief. The only
new testimony was that Of Sister Jack
son. She, for the first time. related how
she came to organize the church work.
after having suffered for year with spinal
and brain trouble. After her miraculous
cure, she said she became inspired and
began the work she is now so deeply in
terested in.
There was no formal programme Of the
dedicatory services, the Faith Curists be-
ing opposed to everything savoring Of
Formally in church. Everything must be
spontaneous, they say. The first service
in the new structure began at eleven
O'Clock, under the direction of Pastor
Martin Hancox. His preparatory sermon
to the large gathering had as a text,
Luke 2, 81. He touched on various sacri-
fees that were made to the Lord in the
early days of the world and then gave a
short history of the Church of the First
Born in the county.
Sister ackso led the dedieatory ser
vices at half-past two. Standing room
was all there was left after that hour.
These services were simple. Almost an
hour was taken up by a song service.
This was followed by the testimonials
from converts. Those who told of Won
derful cures and reliefs from long stand
ing Affections some time ago, repeated
these stories again yesterday with the
same fervor and earnestness.
Sister Jackson handled the services In
an excellent manner. Sh showed much
executive ability and tact. For almost an
hour converts related graphic accounts
of their former sufferings, and told how
e~ffectual had been their cures when Sis
ter jackson Amounted them and they had
been led forth to baptism in the waters
of the bay.
The evening service At haIf-past seven
was also simple in form.
The sanctuary, now thoroughly com
plete, IS indeed a handsome building.
Though not elaborate in design, it has
an air of comfort about it tina is inviting.
The architecture is Gothic. The walls are
Of grany sand brick and are topped by a
small tower, which rests just above the
main entrance. Sister Jackson planned
the architectural work. and the plans
were prepared in detail by an expert.
Most of the work on this building was
performed by converts. All the windows
are of stained glass. plain in design.
The idea of simplicity has been carried
out on the interior as well as exterior.
Nothing approaching e~laborateness has
been permitted. Oak wood work consti-
tutes the entire exterior. A gallery which
extends around three walls. furnishes a
large seating capacity in addition to the
spacious auditorium
Sister Jackson organized he church
under the title of Mount Zion Sanctuary,
September, 1882. Records of the church
state that the work and the name Of the
| organization were given to Sister jack
son by divine revelation July, 1883, at
Name Rranah