The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-04-02

NEW GRACE REFORMED CHURCH, WASH
INGTON.
the intention being to put up a fine
structure on the main portion of the
| ground when it could be afforded. In
due season that time came. and the
| new Grace church. now nearly COM
| pleted, will be dedicated within the
| coming month.
This gratifying result has been large
~ accomplished through the jealous
efforts of the pastor, Rev. DR.. John N.
Schick, though the project Of building
a new church was advanced before his
passionate began. 1t is pertinent also
to state that the proposition was adopt
ed long before President Roosevelt Sc
lected the church as his place Of wor
ship, although his advent doubtless
helped along the project very material
~.
The movement for a new church was
begun in 1899. Dr.. Schick became the
pastor in 1900 and at once threw him.
self into the work Of increasing the
building fund. twenty-five per cent
of it was raised before President Roose
velt's inaugura ton, but when he be-
came a member Of the church interest
in the proposed new building was
awakened throughout the church at
large, and many outside contributions
We're received. When completed, the
church will have cost about $4,000.
The new Grace church will have a
feature entirely new in church archi-
lecture in that the decorations on the
face of the structure will tell the his
tory Of the Protestant reformation Of
the sixteenth century. This idea origi-
mated with DR.. Schick and was further
developed and completed by the archi-
tect, Paul J. Pelz.
On either side Of the central entrance
doors are the shields of Zurich and
Geneva, the places in which Uric
Zwingli, the first proclaimer of the re-
form in Switzerland. and John Calvin.
the master mind of the same reforma-
ton, prosecuted their labors. In the ga
BILE at the top is the shield of Frederick
III, the patron under whose auspices
the Heidelberg Catechism was prepar-
ed. 1t is represented as supported by
a female figure, symbolizing the fact
that In the beginning of the denomina-
tons work in America it was support
Reformed church in Holland. The two
supports Of the label molding are heads
of the Swiss knight and the Swiss
burgher from whom this German Re
formed church sprang, and in the tym-
panum Of the two side entrances is a
representation of a lily growing under
thorns, to represent the martyr charac-
ter of the reform party in the Protes-
tant reformation of the sixteenth cen
tury.
This symbol has been used in all the
churches of this denomination to COM
memorate the fact of the martyr char
acter and the sufferings endured by the
Reformed churches in their beginnings
and to express the confidence of the
followers of this faith in the triumph
of Gods truth and life in spite of inim-
ical environment and painful oppres-
sion. On the front of the edifice ap-
pears also the inscription "Grace Re-
formed Church.
The need of a new and large place of
worship for the growing congregation
of Grace church has for some time
been urgent. The little chapel has
long been unable to accommodate more
than alf of those who seek admission
each Sunday. When it was built, there
was no thought in the minds of the
projectors that one day it's humble
roof would shelter the head of the re-
public. It has a seating capacity of
only IT'S, and the membership alone is
200 One-third of the seating space is
devoted to visitors, and every Sunday
from 200 to 300 are turned away The
pews in the new church will be free, as
they are in the little chapel, but one
will be reserved for the president and
his friends. SAMUEL HUBBARD.