The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-06-02
CHURCH ANNIVERSARY.
Montclair Congregationalists
Celebrate Thirty Years
Work.

Exercises commemorative of the found
ing of the First Congregational Church
of Montclair, thirty years ago, will be-
gin tomorrow and will continue for sew
eral days.
The First Congregational Church of
Montclair. in many respects. is one of
the strongest Protestant churches in New
Jersey. 1t has an ediffce valued at $780,,
900, and the auditorium seats 1.400. Its
membership is nearly 1000, and it main
tains a hourishing mission chapel. Its
pastor is the Rev. DIR. Amory H. Brad
ford, who has been with the church from
its foundation, this having been his first
pastorate. The assistant pastor, who has
charge of the schools and educational
work, is the Rev. Louis f. Berrey.
On Sunday morning the anniversary
sermon will be preacher by the pastor,
and in the evening there will be sermon
by Rev. DR.. Newell Dwight Hills, pastor
of Plymouth Church, Brooklyn. On Mon
day afternoon, from to $50 o'clock,
there will be a tea and organ recital.
The whole building will be open, and the
interior of the organ may be inspected
DR.. and Mrs Bradford will be assisted in
receiving by Rev. and Mrs. Berey. Rev
and Mrs Bliss. of Upper Montclair; Rev
and Mrs. Brown, of Glen Ridge; Rev. and
Mrs. Paske, of Verona. and DR.. B. f.
Bradford of Cedar Grove.
On Monday night there will be social
reunion, at which Starr j. Murphy Will
preside. The subject will be ''The Relig-
ious Outlook" The topics and the speak
ers will be as follows: GAS Seen by a
Presbyterian Rev. DR.. James M. Lud-
low, of the Mum Avenue Presbyterian
Church, East Orange; "As Seen by an
Episcopalian,' Rev. F. B. Carter, OF
Montc1air; GAS Seen by Methodist,
Rev. DR.. ]. Y. Dobbins, of Montclair;
"As Seen by a Congregationalist," Rev
DR.. f. w. Baldwin, of Trinity Congrega-
tional Church, East Orange; "The Relig-
ious Outlook in Montclair," Rev. Orville
Reed and Rev. H. S. Bliss. During the
evening ]. H. Mckinley will sing.
Wednesday night the subject will be;
.sold Times and Old Friends" The ad-
dresses will be as follows:- 'Montclair as
1t Was When the Church Was Started,
r. NJ. Boyd; what Led to the Starting or
the Church. Julius H. Pratt; "Other
Churches in Montclair," William b.
| Holmes; 1.-THE First Place of Meeting, "
I. Calvin Shafer; 1.-THE Church Expand
| ing Franklin w. Dorman; "Our Fellow
workers Who Are With Us No More" T.
H. Bouden.
| Thirty years ago tomorrow the first
| public services of the church were held
| in a small three-stery frame building on
! Bloomfield avenue. near the centre of the
town. At the top of the building was a
+, hall, reached by two fights of narrow
| stairs The hall was the home of the
| church for tree years. TIE first service
was conducted by the Rev. DR.. Leonard
| Bacon, of New Haven, Conn, and three
children were baptized.
The following Sunday the present pas
| tor the Rev. Afnory H. Bradford, then
I a student in Andover Theological Semi
nary. preached Soon after he received
call to the pastorate, which he ac-
cepted
| DR.. Bradford in the last few years has
received calls to other churches, not only
| in this country but in England He was
mentioned as the possible successor of
Henry Ward Beecher and later of DIR. Ly-
man Abbott, but he has preferred to stay
| in Montclair. He will spend his vacation
| in Europe this summer, starting the lat
ter part of the month. and will preach
! in many prominent churches before re-
turning late in September.
The present officers of the church are as
| follows:-Trustees, John R. Howard pres
ident, and E. A. Temple, Charles H. John
son, George H. Mills, w. I. L. Adams, G.
| H. Olcott; clerk, Thomas H. Bouden;
clerk of church society, c. M. Marvin;
deacons Joseph Van Week, William R.
Holmes, w. fB. Rowland, H. W. Law, w.
]. Hunt, George H. Russell, Elliot Mar
! shall, Charles H. Baker, E. F. Myers, G.
H. olcott, ]. D. Hageman and w. H.
Dunning.