Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-12-04
FAREWELL SERVICES.
At Cumberland Street Methodist
Episcopal Church.
a Memorable Day in tho History of That
Church Memorial and Historical Ser
mon by DIR. johnson Many Testimonies
Given.

tory or OLD Cumberland street Metho-
dist church that will go down the ages
as one of the most eventful in it's ca
reer.
For several years past the congre-
cation that stately worshipped in
this church have been discussing the
feasibility of securing better quarters
for church than the present building,
but no definite move in the matter was
made until early in the present year
when Mr.. Frank busch made n gener-
Gus offer to the congregation of a new
site on the corner of Cumberland and
Freemason streets, opposite Christ
Episcopal church. A meeting Of the
official body was held shortly after and
the gift accepted. Following this first
movement for n new church the pastor,
Rev. DIR. H. Z. Johnson. provided
erecting the new edifice, and soon
thereafter plans and specifications for
the new building were drawn and ac-
cepted by the official body.
On the 18th of May last the first
steps toward the building of the new
church were taken by public ground
breaking in the presence of a large
gathering OF the people, when n service
appropriate to the occasion was held
and addresses were made by Rev. S.
c. Hatcher Of Queen Street Methodist
church; Rev. j. Ernest Thacker, of the
Second Presbyterian church, and
Bishop John c. CRANBERRY, OF the NJ. e.
Church. South. This was followed by
continuous work on the new church
under the general supervision of DR..
johnson. The lecture room and Sun
day school is about complete and the
auditorium will be finished and ready
for dedication early in January, 1901.
In view of this DR.. Johnson purposed
in his mind several weeks ago to have
farewell service In the old edifice
In commemoration of the great and
glorious work done by the old mother
church for the cause of Christ and the
advancement of His Kingdom during
the past one hundred years
Sunday was set apart as the time and
the services, both morning and night,
were fitting conclusion of the old
church's eventful and memorable his
tory.
AT the IL a. m. service the building
was filled with an audience composed
of the Methodsts from Norfolk, Ports
mouth, Berkeley and vicinity. who are
now members of the old church, and
others who were members in former
years.
After the preliminary exercises DR..
Johnson selected as his text Haggai 9,
mon In which he stated that the world
was full of monuments as q memorial
OF great deeds and great occasions.
and the occasion for which we have
assembled today is a memorial of d.
vine help and BETTING old Cumber-
land Street church.
He said: THE history of this church
embraces necessarily the history of
Methodism in Norfolk from the time of
Its introduction into the city until the
organization of CRANKY Street charge
In 1850. Prior to that time Cumberland
Street was the only Methodist church
in the place. and represented the ONLY
congregation the Methodsts had In
Norfolk from 1872 to the date above
mentioned. covering q period OF seven
ty-eight years.
METHODISM INTRODUCED HERE
BY ROBERT WILLIAMS.
at was forty-three years after the
rise of Methodism in England and six
years after it's introduction into Ameri-
ca at New York city before any Metho-
dist preacher appeared on southern
SOIL. although at that time the south
contained one-half the entire popula-
ton of the country, and Virginia 81
much larger proportion than any of the
colonies. but there were only ten Wes-
ieyan missionaries or itinerant preach
ers on the entire American continent.
ROBERT Williams, who is justly styl-
ed the pioneer and apostle of Method
Ism In Virginia and the south, was the
frst to cross the Potomac, as he was
also the first of the Wesleyans who left
the British Isles to become mission
aries In the new world.
Mr.. Williams, was not. as most mr.
counts represent, lay evangelist sim
ply and did not come to this country
as some writer's assert. in pursuit of
business. According to the best author.
"ies' ne was an accredited itinerant
minister, belonging to the Irish confer
ehce' ana sailed for America with the
approval and under the authority of
Mr.. Wesley for the purpose-as his
subsequent history proves-of preach.
ing the Gospel and building up the
kingdom of Christ.
Notwithstanding he was the first Me-
thodist preacher who came 10 VIRGINIA
ana Tor the time his active ministry
ias'eu' more successful than any other,
inc information furnished In regard TO
"iiii Is qnlte limited He left no account
VI niinscl' no memoirs or written rec
ords OF any kind whatever. not even
SO much as Il letter. lie is mentioned
by three or four of hls conte,nuoraries
but they give few particulars Of his
NE or labors. Neither the house in
which he spent his last DAVIS nor tho
mace where he was buried. can now
be identified. From all accounts he
appears 10 have been neither learned
nor brilliant but a plain. artless in
Ietatigaoie preacher of the gospel
deeply pious. intensely Jealous some
what austere, and more or less eccen-
'ric III his manners and speech.
FIRST METHODIST SERMON
Rev. Robert Williams first sa,,non
in Norfolk was delivered on ~, a.t.,at
here. in 1872, from the steps Of the III
tie court house which stood where the
present edifice now stands. His nreach.
ing. appears to have aroused both
curiosity and opposition in the com.
munity. Doubtless the doctrines he