Evening journal., 1900-10-06
BAPTIST CHURCH
MAKES GAINS
Reports Received at Della.
ware Avenue ChurCh'S
Business Meeting

The Delaware Avenue Baptist
Church held its annual business meet
ing Monday night October l. 1t was
meeting Of sustained and unusual
interest The pastor, the Rev. John
Shape, was in the chair, and W. f.
Pisrce acted as church clerk. Reports
were received from the clerk, the treas
urer Of the poor fund, the Y. p. s. c..
f., the Woman's Home and Foreign
Missionary Society, and the church
treasurer.
Messrs. Cline, Downs and Phillips
were appointed an Auditing Commit
tee, and Msssrs. Newton, Dalby and
Downs an Announcement Committee.
The clerks report showed a net in
crease OF SO for the year and a present
membership Of 561. The treasurer s
report revealed the fact that S6.072. So
had been raised for all purposes,
S66l.10 Of which was given for benevo-
lence; S37.s5 had been disbursed in aid
of the poor, by the treasurer of the
poor fund and the Woman's Home and
Foreign Missionary Society had raised
$l64 for missions during the year.
a vote Of thanks was extended to the
treasurer j. II. Westcott, for his care
ful and accurate attention to the fl
naRces Of the church. and a rising vote
Of thanks extended to J. G. Bennett for
his long and faithful service as dea-
con, a service extending over an unin-
terrupted period Of twenty-five years.
Mrs. Bennet was also included in this
vote, for upon her during all this
period has developed the duty Of bak-I
ing the bread which has been used at
the celebration OF the Lords supper.
and the arranging OF the wine and the
linen for the table.
Messrs. Harry Dalby and A. NJ Dris-
coll were elected deacons, and William
Newton, clerk, and Messrs. Emmons,
Brown, Smedley and Bennett, trustees,
the first three to serve for three years,
and the last to I'LL an unexpired term
ending October /, 1901.
A committee of six women, to be-
known as the Pastors Aid Committee,
was appointed for one year. They were
Mrs. Amanda BrattOn, Mrs. Jchn G..
Bonnet Mrs. Peter B. Ayars, Mrs.
Norman Bottger Mrs. Josephine Car
Isle and Mrs. James Brown.
The following was the annual letter
to the Delaware Baptist Union Asso-
citation, which meets this year on Oc-
tober and 10th in the Calvary Bap-I
tlst ChuJch, Fourth and French
streets:
To the Delaware Baptist Union AssO-
citation, the Delaware Avenue Bap-
tist Church Sends Greeting.
Dear Brethren: Our letter this year
covers a period Of twenty-ene months,
srom January 1899, to Octobsr, 1900.
Heretofore we have made report con-
ceniRg the work done in one common
lunar year, ending with December. Our
statistics will, therefore, seem larger
than usual this year, but this was un-
avoidable II we wished our letter to be
accurate and fresh.
We were without a pastor for sew
eral months until the Rev. John Shape
became our pastor, November 3, 1899
Pastor and people are united in agres-
sive successful work. All departments
OF the church active. Have organized
q PASTORS choir Farther Lights So
ciety, and an Ushers' Union. Baptis-
NAL waters have been frequently stir
red and new members have been re-
ceiyed at every communion service
save two-during the past year. Bible
school. Christian EndeayOr Society,
Ladies' Mite and Missionary Societies
all doing faithful work for the Master.
We have no debt, except a floating
debt Of about $3.50. and this we hope
entirely to liquidate by January 1, 1901.
We have not been untouched by the
grim monster During the year six Of
our members have Joined the church
triumphant David w. Williams, Mrs.
Mary e. Marshall, Miss Fannie Iredell
Mrs. Ellen N Tolmie, Henry Boons
and Mrs. Sarah j. Bennett. Our loss
is their eternal gain.
We are planning for revival meet
ings to begin next month, and Join
with you in earnest prayer for rich
blessing on all our churches.
Fraternally yours,
w. f. PIERCE, Church Clerk.
The report on church membership Is
as follows: Increase by baptism, 25; by
letter 30 by experience 8; by restora
sion. 6; decrease by death, Z; by let
inter. ~ by exclusion, 4; by erasure
5; present membership, 367.
The Bible school reports the mum
Der of officers and teachers. "a; schol
ars. $780, average attendance, l54; bap
tisms. IA: contributions, S635.57.
The total value of church property j
$4,000 and there has been disburse'
during the year for church current eX
penses, .s4.4O4 SIS: for building and i'm
provements. S417.e1: for Bible sehoo
expenses. s5S3.s for care Of ehurcl
poor. S3.7S5: for ministerial education
S69.45; for Bible and publication WORK
s437: for state missions, $50; 70
home missions, S17.77; for Woman
Home Missions, SO: for Woman's For
eign Missions. Sl54; for miscellaneou
benevolence, S153.55.
The persons appointed as messeI
gers to the association, and who wi
have the right of voting in the session
are the pastor. the Rev. John Shape
C. IT. Pierce, G. II. Cantwell, HaFr
Emmons, j. II. .Westcott, C. A. Clin
Peter B. Ayars, Miss Hattie Newli
and Mrs Amanda Bratton.