The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-17
BISHOP AT ST. STEPHENS.
Commemorative and Dedicatory Ser
vices Held Yesterday Afternoon.


vices Held Yesterday Afternoon.
In commemoration of the eleventh
anniversary of its rector. and for the
purpose of dedicating the improve
ments made in the church. Bishop Mel
son conducted special services at st.
Stephens Episcopal Church. colored,
yesterday afternoon at o'clock. Ev-
cry pew was filed.
Rev. Richard Bright read the serv-
ice, after which Bishop Nelson made
an address. His texe was the ninth
verse of the Ninty-sixth Psalm: 80
worship the Lord in the beauty of
holiness" Bishop Nelson said that it
was a mistake to suppose, as many did,
that bishops mission is to scold.
THE text is chosen" he said" in ref
erence to the recent improvements
made in the church, and come to con-
graduate you on this occasion of joy"
Bishop Nelson defined the real
meaning and value of church improve
ments, saying that they were, prima-
rily, in honor of God Almighty, not
that He stood in need of it, but be-
cause He needs that his people shall
recognize it, the erection of houses of
worship being a recognition ION our
part that we perceive his goodness and
kindness to us. The second reason as
signed for the value of church i'm
provements was that human nature
might be influenced by those external
forces which have influence upon the
ear, eye and mind, and bring them
nearer to God.
In giving a third reason, the Bishop
repeated his text. when 1 first Wis
tied this church. he said, "a dry goods
box, covered with some sort of red cot
ton cloth, served as a chancel 1 OBJ
serve that your rector. actuated by a
great love and devotion to duty, has
done everything in his power, with
great deal of self-sacrifice, to make
for you place where God may be wor-
shipped in the beauty of holiness.
In calling attention to the numerous
improvements the Bishop said that his
connection with the parish and that OF
Rev. Bright with st. Stephens had
been of about the same length. The
church had, he said, become indepen-
dent and self-supporting in 1892. Short
ly afterwards Rev. Bright established
the first kindergarten for colored chill
dren in the state of Georgia, with a
membership of nine pupils, which in
stitution now has a membership of 140.
After this, he said, followed the estab-
lishment of a parish for mission pur-
poses.
Bishop Nelson then briefly reviewed
the many improvements on the interior
and exterior of the church, the abolition
of rented pews and the adoption of the
free pew system. In abiding to the
observances of the holy communion,
the bishop told of an occasion when
in the Great Canon in Colorado, he
had surprised a large assemblage of
the clergy by producing a communion
vessel. There were, he said, several
bishops, a large number of priests and
many laymen present, who partook Of
the communion on that Sunday in the
Great Canon.
Bishop Nelson preached last night at
st. Augustine Mission, West Broad and
Bolton streets. A large audience greet
ed him.
Bishop Nelson left at night for At
lanta. From the present time until
the first of June he will be actively
engaged in his work, and expects in
that time to travel more than 10000
miles. He expressed himself as graft
fled at the healthy condition of the
colored churches of his diocese in Sa-
vannah, saying that there had been
marked improvement since his last Wis
it here.