New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-10
TRIPLE CELEBRATION.
Greene Auenue Baptist Church Be
rims Special Services Mag 1.

With week OF services beginning on Sunday.
May l. the Greene Avenue Baptist Church wiz
have q triple celebration. 1t will mark the htueth
anniversary OF the foundation Of the church. the
tenth anniversary OF the pastorate or the ReV'
Cornelius Woelfkin. and will also be In celeorauoh
OF the removal OF the entire mortgage DEBT. Two
years ago a SIS 900 debt was a heavy burden on
the society. At that time effort was mace 10
raisa the debt and many subscriptions were made.
These have all been paid In. and with additional
gifts that being made the trustees ex-
pect TO DO able cancel the mortgage and burn
Il the celebration
What is now known as the Greene Avenue bap-
fist Church was organized April & 1854 and
was incorporated under the name OF the First
Baptist Church OF Bushwick. in what was the
village OF Bushwick. A building, put up by an
Episcopalian congregation in Bushwick-ave.. was
purchased for s6o0 and used for twelve
years. The first pastor the Rev. Silas Ilsley.
who succeeded after year by tho Rev. J. W.
Daniels. The original membership OF twenty-five
increased rapidly. and in May. 1866. new building
was put UP twelve lots in Willoughby- ave. be-
tween Stuyvesant-ave and Broadway. Before the
new church dedicated IN January. 1867. the
name OF the society had been changed to the
Gethsemane Baptist Church. In the period be-
tween the date and the resignation OF Mr. Daniels
the following had mnistered the church:
The Rev William II. Pendleton 1875: the Rev.
]. b. Morse Is5s-'6O; the Rev. George b. BolweIl.
April TO November. $780, the Rev. Matthew c.
Kempsey. 1ssi-62. and the Rev. Beriah N. Leach
1Se4-T0.
Mr.. Leach followed by the Rev. Abraham
d. Gillette, who stayed two years II 1872 the
Rev. A Stewart Walsh became pastor. and his
psstorate for Ave years. which was much
since been In the real estate business and has
a result Of his iabors the Congregation increased
so rapidly that two wings were added to the
In May, 1878. the Rev. DR.. A. H. Birmingham
the Society changed its name again. THIS time
i became the Willoughby Avenue Baptist Church.
Mr.. Birmingham stayed only a year. did his
successor. the Rev. George 7. stansbury.
The Rev Robert Robert b SO, montgomery who became
than any OF his predecessors. He died in 1898
ceedlngly. In 1ss4 the wiiIoushby1aVei building
was sold to the German Presbyterian Friedens
worship in a large hall. at Broadway and VIII
loughby-ave., known as Warner Institute Prop
stGyvesant and Lewis AYES for $500 and neW
church building was started. The basement wai
completes In lSSs ana was occupied for several
ure The odd place OF worship came to be known
the BaPst Should b was defdsd t that the
church proper was put up. This was accomplished
IN In and on ths n f SUNDAY IN Jah1g , ISL
completed building was dedicated amid much
cumbrancs on the property which is now valued
at 200: II is this mSrtsase which is to be
In the decade Of the Rev. Cornelius woeIflxin's
service pastor the church has continued to
se Is BGse hsa still f2hers Ot
creased its strength strategically The membership
school has a membership OF 800. Some years ago
q gallery built in the main auditorium, giving
The Chapel seats 500. Now that the debt is wiped
out Mr.. Woelfkin intends TO bend his energies
toward the building Of "a modern mo- sunday school
OF the church.
been Completed but It is hoped that many OF
the former pastors will be present