The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-06-17

The third anniversary OF the pastor
ate OF Rev. Dr. Robert +. Y. Pierce.
pastor of the Penn Avenue Baptist
church. was celebrated yesterday. as
were also the Chiidren's day exercises
of the Sunday school. In the evening
the annual flower service was conduct
ed, so that all in all it was Il red-letter
day in the history OF the church.
The anniversary service and the
Children's day exercises were combined
in the morning. when the church was
crowded with members of the sunday
school. their parents ana their friends
TIL. music was all rendered by the
members OF the school. whose young
voices had been splendidly trained by
Prof. Haydn Evans, the musical direr-
tor OF the church Unique among the
selections rendered was the chanting
o: the Lords prayer.
The principal features of the pro-
gramme were an address by Luther
Keller. superintendent Of the sunday
school. who told Of "The Relation of
the Church to the Sunday School and
an anniversary address by Or. Pierce.
who chose for his theme "Thc Harvest
OF Years" lie reviewed the work
which had been accomplished during
his pastorate and expressed himself as
being sanguine of even better things
in the future.
RECITATIONS GIVEN.
The assistant superintendent. Edwin
$. Williams. led a responsive Scripture
reading. and recitations were given by
Miss Aida Atkinson. Miss Lulu Rice.
Miss Grace Harris. Miss Helen Hill, of
the regular Sunday school. and by
Ruth Keller. Margaret Thomas, May
Riddlennan and IVA Bonno. of the pri-
mary department.
a Bible object lesson. entitled "The
Temple Builders especially arranged
for the service by Dr.. Pierce, was given
by the following young ladies of the
primary department: Julia Hay, Flor
enre Drew, Erie Ehcr. Emma Frey.
Louisa Raught. Matilda l.enz. Bertha
Woodhouse. Laura Highield, Mildred
Capwell Ethel Burns. Vivian Moore,
Minnie Smith, Bessie Dorsey, Myrtle
Burns. Lillian Bates. Jennie Dorsey,
Edith Peet, Elsie COsgrove and Emma
Rodney.
The annual flower service was con-
Quoted at night Nearly everyone who
attended brought a bouquet of flowers
of some sort and left them with "A COM
mittee at the door. who presented each
person with a rose. The flowers re-
naming will be distributed among the
sick in the several hospitals today.
Dr. Pierce. who is an ardent lover of
flowers. preached Il beautiful sermon.
taking for his text the words OF Solo
mon. '''rhe flowers appear on earth
The flowers. he said are frequently
mentioned in the Bible. but generally
always for the purpose Of teaching the
frailty of man. who. like the flowers.
withers away into 4 life of sin ana
dies.
The man who loves flowers. he said.
no matter how coarse or brutal he may
appear to be. has always a tender spot
in his heart. If IA sinner loves flowers.
there is hope for his salvation, he said.
He picked up Il real rose and an arti-
fetal one and showed how hard it is
to tell the difference. except by the
sense of smell.
AN ILII' STRATION
In concluding his sermon. he drew
pictures of a number of flowers on a
large sheet of paper and connecting
them with "telesraph wircs,' as he
called them, he formed them into notes
on three bars of music, forming the
first words of the hymn, Praise God,
from Whom All Blessings Flow"
The splendid choir, under the leader
ship of Prof Evans. was in fine form
and rendered, among other selections,
the Gloria. from MOZartS celebrated
Twelfth mass.
During Rev. DR.. Pierces service as
pastor of the Penn Avenue Baptist
church there have been 2lS persons
added To the church. ll9 of whom We're
added by baptism. This makes the
present total membership of the church
SOB, which makes it one of the largest
congregations in the city. The menu
hership of the sunday school proper is
49l. with AN average attendance of 347.
DR.. Pierce has conducted seventy
two funerals and solemnzed sixty
eight weddings during his paStOrate.
Since he assumed charge, $l5.030.l2 has
.t..I f.,,..