The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-11-24
Congregation Of Second Church
Has New Edifce,
SERMON BY THE REV. DR. WEBB
Three Times Have Wooden Structures
Been Injured by Winds, But Con-
gregation Now Has a Brick
Building Costing $500.

Hef Oh 1entn avenue ana IWelItn street,
was dedicated yesterday afternoon at
! o'clock with impressive services.
The church was practically finished in
July, but on account of circumstances
the dedication services had been post
poned several times.
The dedication sermon yesterday af-
ternoon was delivered by the Rev. r. A.
Webb of GAINESVILLE, Tenn. a scholarly
divine. His sermon was listened to with
close attention by the large congregation
present at the formal dedication of the
church.
The services were conducted by the
pastor of the church. the Rev. u. d.
Moony, who toward the close of the SER
vice stated that a floating debt of $11oo
was over the church, in addition to a
bonded Indebtedness A collection was
taken up and the amount raised was 500.
Services Open.
The service opened with the hymn,
"All Hail the Power of Jesus Name
at the conclusion of which the Rev. DR..
Curry led in prayer. Miss Bailey rem
dered a beautiful solo, "Open the Doors
OF the Iemple.
The choir sang an appropriate selection
and the ministers present read passages
of scripture.
A statement of the history of the
church was made The church is the out
growth of a mission started in 1882 by
the First Presbyterian church, Three
times the frame structures 1t has occu-
Mod fIxv
damaged by wind Fortunately in each
instance an insurance policy partially
covered the loss For the past three
years the Rev. u d. Moony has been
pastor, and when the cyclone of 1901
swept the church building away the
members of the congregation began an
earnest effort to erect a handsome
church. The lot was purchased and the
foundation of the structure begun. Now
the church presents a handsome appear
ance in it's finished condition. The foun-
dation is of brown stone, and the super
structure of brick. The building cost
900, and is modern and convenient in
every detail and arrangement.
DR., Webb's Sermon.
1--WE love to sit beside the beginning of
that which has grown great. Pathos and
romance, inspiration and lesson, linger in
the air out of which has gone a trans
forming power.
1.-THE use of an empire--the discovery of
its territory-the planting of its first set
tlements-the adventures of its pioneers
the subjugation of its forests, streams
and soils-the overthrow of its enemies
H.. e
mitigation of its eonstitution-its strug-
giles and final triumps-these make lus-
cious pages Of a country's history.
Biography too delights to trace the
lineage of its hero back to humble paren-
tage-back to ; some mountain-bound
cabin, where 1t frames boyhood with
hardships, and paints the victory which
was finally wrenched from clinched con-
ditions.
But let us sit this morning beside the
beginnings of the Christian church-that
kingdom which rose under the hand of
Christ out of meagerness into mighti-
ness, from conditions the most cramped
to proportions which are now the most
ample and benelcent.
mark, in the context, tells the story
of the organization; then he tells us what
the friends of our Lord thought about the
enterprise; then what his enemies thought
himself entertained
"a great multitude followed him. :
And he ordained twelve. *And his
friends said; He is beside himself. And
the scribes said: He hath Beclzebub.
And he said: Behold my mother and my
brethren
The Organization.
1.-THE fame of Jesus had spread abroad.
Great crowds gathered on the shores at
Capernaum. They were there from Cali
lee and the western Mediterranean, from
the south, out of Jerusalem and Jdumea;
from the northern cities of Tyro and
Sidon; from the east country, beyond
Jordan; a great multitude from every
point of the compass. His friends were
there, with beating hearts and expectant
faces, as they saw their great leader and
admired friend about to launch his gigan-
tic enterprise. His enemies were there
the religious leaders of the people-nerv-
Gus, excited, inspecting this great move
ment which threatened to sweep them
from their thrones of power into the
background of oblivion.
1.-The hour is ripe for the organization
of his church. Jesus has the ear of the
multitude. They are eager for his pat
ronage Their hearts throb under the
prospect of position and emolument.
Every eye Is upon him. Every lear is
alert Every face is radiant. The crowd
had come for miles to see and hear the
great prophet whose fame illumined the
whole vault of heaven; and he holds them
ll-bound-abjectly subject to his will
"Straightway, Jesus, the center of all
this gathering the master of all this
multitude, withdrew himself to a hilltop
behind Capernaum. There he called out
and up to himself small number Of the
great throng. Whether his clear voice
rang out to the multitude on the beach,
or whether he sent some swift-footed
messenger, or whether he employed the
still small voice of the spirit we are
not told The fact is he summoned a
handful out of the'vast throng. and from
their number he ordained twelve
"Myriads on the sea-front; but only
twelve were chosen Multitudes to be had
for the asking; but only twelve ordained!
ut is foolish to find significance In the
number Our Lord understood himself
Where men would have enlisted adj
herents by the hundreds, he limited him
self to twelvei He wanted leaders for
the Christian enterprise leaders are al
ways a select few. He wanted a cabi-
net of advisors: the multiplication of
counsellors is the height of unwisdom. He
wanted personal and sympathetic friends:
there Is much wreckage on the shores of
this world because men have not been
restrictive and discriminating in their
companions and intimates.
"Our Lord contented himself with
twelve. Half of this number began and
ended in obscurity; concerning them gar
rulous tradition reports not one of their
sayings, not one Of their deeds: six Of the