The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-02
THE FIRST ARMENIAN
PROTESTANT CHURCH
(Continued From Page One.l

Oh eAlfduIQlIldly lIHpOl ldllCS " pul
city, our nation, yea, to the nations OF
the earth. 1t is of Importance to our
city, for it marks its material and
numerical growth, also the cosmopolt-
tan character of its population.
THE events of this day are of import
ance to our nation, for this is the first
Armenian Protestant house of worship
in this land. There are other Armenian
church organizations and other church
buildings will ultimately be erected,
but this has the honor and distinction
of being the first for a Protestant con-
gregation.
THE occasion is also of international
interest, for the old world and the new
world will henceforth be nearer to-
gether. A new link has been forged in
the chain that binds our hearts in
Christian love. Europe seems to us
nearer, the sorrows and trials Of her
people more personal today than ever
before.
''All who name the name of Christ,
who love the kingdom of our lord and
savior and who pray for the progress
of that kingdom on earth, are because
of the events this day brought nearer
together.
Like a mighty army,
Moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading
Where the saints have trod;
We are not divided;
All one body We
One in hope and doctrine,
One in charity"
THE pleasant task has been laid
upon me by this council, my brother
of extending to you the hand of Chris
tan fellowship. First of all, then, it
seems appropriate that | should well
n hn M he If
tan ministry Every calling in life
has its trials, it's dfsappointments, its
discouragements.. No one who has
| had experience in the Christian minis
try would claim that it was exempt
from this rule, but the vast majority,
We believe, would agree that it's oppor
tunities and joys far outweigh its trials
and discouragements Think what it
means to have companionship with the
best thought, the best books and the
noblest workers in the world. Think
what it means to be a co-worker with
God, to put ones life into touch with
the Eternal and to build against that
which is immortal. Think what it
means to give sympathy to those who
need 1t most and above all, Of the in
eXpreSsible joy of helping a man to
begin a new and nobler life and of
leading a soul out of darkness into
light-this is the privilege of every
minister of God.
Then we are glad to welcome you,
my brother, to the Christian ministry,
because you have already been tested
and proven you have been weighed in
the balance of a close public scrutiny
and have not been found wanting.
Though your ordination to the Christian
ministry has but just taken place, you
are no novice to the work or a stranger
to this community For five years you
have gone in and out among us. You
have won the esteem of the COM
munity. You are honored and respect
ed by the best people Of our city. You
have won the confidence of our min
istry, regardless of denomination; and,
| above ali, you have won the love of
your own people, Right Loyalty they
| have gathered about you They have
responded heartily to your every call.
| You have labored to the deepening of
| spiritual life among your church mem
! bers and to the winning of many to
| Jesus Christ All this has been done
| in a quiet, dignified. courteous, Chris
| tian spirit, which has, as we said, won
| the confidence and esteem of our entire
| city.
I'VE also welcome you to the Chris
| tan ministry because you stand as a
! living witness to the value of foreign
| missions. As never before in the his
tory of modern foreign missionary
work, earnest thoughtful people have
been asking, do foreign missions
pay?" The fearful massacre in your
native country, the more recent atroci-
ties in China and the still more recent
treatment Of our missionary, Miss
Stone, in Turkey, has led to these ques
tions. But as we stand face to face
today with you, are reminded of the
Christian life you have lived among
us and then recall the fact that you
are what you are because of Christian
missions, and that in your native land
there are literally hundreds and thou
sands of like spirits who so love their
| Lord and Master Jesus Christ, that if
need be, they would be willing to bear
witness to that love to the extent of
| life itself, as many of your country
men have done. we are convinced, if
we need convincing; we are confirmed,
| if we need confirmation-tha foreign
missions pay.
1T may seem a little late, though 1t
| is not inappropriate to welcome you in
| the second place to America, to the
| state Of Massachusetts and to the city
| of Worcester. America the best country
| in the world; Massachusetts, the best
| state in that country; Worcester, the
| best city in that state-the Heart of
| the Commonwealth. We do not for
1 ,
| a people in search of religious liberty
| We do not forget how our fathers were
! driven by persecution from their homes
| across the sea; how they came to this
| country, endured the hardships Of a
| new land, the hostilities of the natives
and the ravages Of hunger, that they
might be free to worship God accord
| ing to the dictates of their own con-
sciences. We do not forget how the
old Bay State has ever lifted her voice
| in favor Of the oppressed and down
/ trodden The words of Adams and
| Webster. Sumner and Garrison still
! live to influence and mould the thought
| and life Of our commonwealth.
In the light of such a history it is
| not surprising that when oppression
| outrage and murder fell upon yoUc
people in their native land, many OF
| them should turn their faces toward
| America, the home Of the oppressed
! and the land Of liberty. 1t is not sur
! prising either that many Of them
should come to Massachusetts and to
/ Worcester, the city Of homes, Of
| schools, of churches and of industries.
| We are, therefore. glad to welcome
! you today, not only because of what
| you are, but also because of that for
I which you stand-a Christian, Cod
! fearing people, who have been true to
| their convictions even at the cost of
| life itself.
In the third place. we welcome you
, to our Congregational fold and to the
| fellowship of our Congregational min
| istry Congregationalism has ever
| stood for Christian liberty, Christian
| education and Christian missions. We
! are reminded that the first American
Foreign Missionary Society was child
of the Congregational church, born I'M
der the shadow Of a Congregational
college. We are reminded that the
! leading educational institution Of
ono 90 IN