The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-03-10
CHURCHMEN MEET
Congregationalists Of North
Jersey Will Hold Their
Annual Conference.

Fifty ministers and one hundred lay
delegates are to take part in the spring
meeting Of the N6rtilern New Jersey Con
gregaticnal isoaferenee at the Bs.lesIiie
Avenue Congregational Church. this cisS.
"Wednesday. March z. The Rev. John J..
Scudder. of the First Church, Jersey City,
is moderator Of the conference. the Reg.
Dwight E. Marvin, Of Asbury Park, vice
moderator. and ths Rev. g. G. Collins. o.
Newark, scr be and treasurer
The morning session will be open at ID
o'clock and the Rev. John II. Dahlgren,
or the Swedish Church. Dover. viii leaA
the devofions, after which he business
session wiz begin and comnittees be APP
pointed. An address IS then to be maOe
on ''The Second Service; It's Importance,
its Improvement by the Rev DR..
Anory H. Bradford, Of the First Church,
Montelalr who Is moderator Of the
National Council Of the Congregational
Church of the United States. the highes-
position of honor in the Congregational
body A discussion follows the address,
and it will be opened by the Rev. J. Owen
Jones. OF Bound Brook other clergymea
speaking on the subject also.
The Rev. Howard S. Bliss. of the First
then make an address on THE Syrian
Protestant College" and he is to have
with him photographs of the college DR..
Bliss has accepted the presidency of the
Syrian Protestant College at Beirut,
Syria. and will go to his new field of
labor next summer or fall. After his ad-
dress the conference will take recess.
and a collation. will be served in the
church parlors.
TIE afternoon session opens at 2.l5
O'Clock, and. after the reading of reports
of committees. The Rev Dr. James
Vance, pastor OF the North Reformed
Church, Newark will made an address On
"The Sabbath of the Future DR.. Vance
is an eloquent and scholarly pulpit orator
and his subject is a specially interesting
one at the present time The discussion
on the address viii be opened by the Eev
A W Vernon, of East Orange Their
Anthony Comstock, of New York, viii
mako an addres son Gambling Versus
Public Morality There is no man in this
country more competent to speak on this
subjectl than Mr.. Comstock, who has for
years fought gambling and all forms Of
vice and immortality At the close Of his
address the conference will wind up It's
business session and adjourn.
There are thirty-six churches in the
Northern New Jersey Congr regational Con-
ference, with a total membership of 7.o0'
souls. and in the Sunday schools there
are 500 children. The churches centribut-
ed last year a total of 600 and the
value of the. church properties aggregates
several Million Many of the church
buildings are large. handsome and costly
edifces. one recently completed in Upper
Monclair costing $4,000. There are fre
churches IN Orange, Jersey City, Pla1n-
field. East Orange and other places. TIE
First Church in Jersey City has J, ,0s7 mem
bers and the Sunday school is very
large one. The ministers in the confer
ence are learned theologians and eloquent
preachers
The Belleville Avenue Church was or
ganized thirty-three years ago, has now
about 800 members on the roll and 225
church property is valued at $4,000 There
were forty-three new members received
last var, and within the last two years
the debt was reduced from $4,000 10 $500.
The church building is of store and brick,
and the interior arrangements are excel
lent. Among its pastors have been the
Rev DR.. George Hepworth. editor OF the
New York Herald the Rev. DR.. Ray
Palmer. the famous hymn writer: the
Rev. DR.. S. L. Loomis, now pastor Of the
Union Congregational Church. Of Boston,
and the Rev. Or. William Hayes Ward
editor of the Independent, is a member of
the church and of the conference also.
The Rev DR. William A. Rec. the
present pastor Of the church. is native
Of Tennessee. was educated for the minis
try at the Auburn Theological Seminary.
New York State, and for seven years he
was secretary of the American Tract So
eiety. He resigned that position TO be-
come pastor of the BeileviIle Avenue
Church, FIVE years ago. The church has
prospered during his pastorate. and he IS
popular with his congregation and The
clergymen of all other churches in this
city Last year q part of the debt was
wiped out, and after paving all the cur
rent expenses a good balance was left in
the treasury.
At the close OF the morning session Of
the conference the Congregational Union
of New Jersey viii hold a meeting in the
church.