The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-04-30
TABERNACLE
CLOSED.
Notice That Preaching Ser
vices Would Be Discon-
tinued Read Last
Night.
FURNITURE MOVED TO THE HILL
Sunday School and Christian
Endeavor Will Meet as
Usual.


have been held for more than forty years,
was closed last evening indefinitely. Ihe
discontinuance of the preaching services
was anticipated, but tears arose in the
eyes of many of the old members when
the notice telling of the discontinuance OF
the services was read. Two pastors. the
Rev S. v. Robinson, who has preached
off and on since last fall, and the Rev
Edmund F. Crowen, both refused to read
the notice. In the middle of last nights
service, Trustee E. B. SpeTry ascended
the platform and read this notice.
There being no funds for. carrying on
the preaching service in the Tdberna-
Gle. the income therefrom being entire
iy inadequate for that purpose, IN pur-
suance of a motion unanimously car
ried at the regular quarterly meeting
OF the society of the First Congrega-
tional Church of Jersey City,, heid
March 2. 1900. the preaching service in
the Tabernacle will be discontinued on
and after May 6, 1900.
This congregation is cordially in
vited to unite with the Hill branch in
and at 700 o'clock P. NJ, on each
Suiday in the church building, corner
of Bergen and Boyd avenues
The meetings of the Tabernacle
Sunday school, the Society of Chris
tian Endeavor and the Friday night
prayer meeting will be continued as
usual.
COMMITTEE IN CHARGE.
There was a large attendance of old
members who gathered to hear the death
notice, as they termed it, read. After the
services many of the members gathered
in small groups and discussed the pitt
able condition of the old church. Many
predicted an early closing of the Sunday
school and discontinuance of the Friday
evening prayer meetings. No one seems
to be aware of the plans of the Trustees.
and those who are still connected with
the church do not believe that services
will be resumed in the fall. These mem
bers are of the opinion that the church
has ben closed permanently.
Thomas Whitaker, the sexton, leaves
this evening. No plans have been made.
for the opening of the church building
for Sunday school services.
The communion service and table and
all the music were taken away to the
HILL church. this morning. What dispest-
ition win be made of the several tablets
in the old building no one seems to
know.
AT the meeting of the Christian En-
deavor Society last evening, held previous
to the services, Mr.. Robert Noonan read
a letter from the Rev S. v. Robinson, in
which the latter referred to his refusal
10 read the notice of the closing of the
church. He asked to be remembered in
the kindest way to the young people of
the society, wishing them every success
in their work. He said he was not al
lowed to preach yesterday because of his
refusal to read the notice of discontinue
ance.
Some of the members until yesterday
attending the Tabernacle said that the
invitation to attend the preaching SER
vices on the Hill was hollow inasmuch
as the continuance of the Sunday-School
and Christian Endeavor was announced.
The Sunday-school begins promptly at
noon and no church service in the city
ends until then, so those of the members
who attend the Sunday-school cannot at
tend any morning service and particu-
larly the service in the Hill church,
which begins at eleven. The Christian
Endeavor meeting is held from 6:45 to
T.45. 1t will, therefore, be impossible for
the members of that society to attend
evening service unless they go late, as
most of the downtown services begin at
7:30. They cannot attend the Christian
Endeavor service and the service at the
Hill church because of the time consum-
ed in going from one to the other.
The officers and teachers of the SUM-
day-school intend keeping up the school,
but it is feared that the effort will be
unsuccessful because there is no church
7 There was no prayer meeting Friday
night. The doors were wide open and the
gas was burning full force.
According to the statement of the Rev.
John L. Scudder, the Tabernacle will be
opened for services in the fall Some of
the downtown members say that this will
be impossible. Those who have stood by
the church up to the last will probably
go to other churches and there will be
no one to attend when fall comes. There
are no funds on hand to resume the work,
as the above notice fully explains, and
with no congregation to draw from there
will be no funds in the fall.
The decline and fall of the Tabernacle
has been looked for since the consolida-
tion with the Hill church. 'The News
at that time predicted the closing of the
Tabernacle Opposition to the move was
offered at the time by members who fore
saw the sad ending. Slowly but steadily
the attendance has fallen off and the con-
gregation diminished.
Then came the attempts of the down.
town people to gain control of the prop
erty 70 ran Independent church. Very
bitter were the controversies that arose
over these attempts. The final blow came
last month, when the trustees delivered
their ultmatum. The declared that the
church would be run by a special COM
mittee appointed that night. This COM
mittee found the affairs in a deplorable
state Their efforts to arouse interest
were unsuccessful. The hill church found
that the Tabernacle was a big financial
drag and concluded to close it indefinitely
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