The San Francisco call., 1905-01-09
RECALLS WORK
OF FIFTY YEARS
Rev. w. A. Brewer Gives
Historical Sermon at St.
Johns Church Jubilee
EUIOGIZES DIR. AKERLY
Communion Service Is Held
in Memory of Former Rec
tor of the Pioneer Parish
Oakland Office San Francisco Cali,


1016 Broadway. Jan. s.
Fifty years ago to-day st. Johns
Episcopal Church of Oakland was or
ganized, the opening service being con-
Quoted by the Rev. e. w. Syle in q
small room over a store on Broadway
near Fourth street. To-day the mem
bers of the mother church" Of Ala
media County gathered to celebrate the
golden jubilee OF the establishment OF
the first Episcopal house of worship on
the eastern shore of San francisco
Bay.
At an early hour this morning cor
porate communion was celebrated, and
many former members Of st. John
who have moved away from the parish
attended the service. Particularly was
this service a memorial to the Rev.
Benjamin AkerIy-"Father' Akerly, as
he was lovingly called by the older
members-who for forty years was rec
tor of st. Johns. The communion SER
vice was conducted by the Rev. Edward
f. Gee, rector of st. Johns Church, as
sisted by the Rev. H. B. MongeS. AT
the close Of the communion service the
Rev. Charles 7. Walkley, rector of St
Pauls Church, addressed the congre-
cation, giving testimonial of appre-
citation of the great work of DR.. Akerly
The principal service Of the jubilee
celebration was held at IL a. M, when
Tours communion office was sung by a
full chorus choir. Communion was cell
ebrated by the Rev. E. F. Gee, assisted
by the Rev. S. j. Lee as epistoler and
the Rev. David Mcclure as gospeler
DR.. Mcclure preached the dedicatory
sermon at the opening of the present
church, which was erected after the
destruction Of the old church by fire in
1885, On this occasion the sermon was
memorial to Father Akerly. At the
close of the communion service to-day
the Rev. William A. Brewer, registrar
of the diocese, preached the jubilee SER
mon.
RECALLS EARLY DAYS.
Taking as his text the prayer of Solo
mon at the dedication of the temple,
Dr. Brewer spoke briefly of this the
supreme moment in the life of the
mightiest of Israel's Kings, after which
he said:
this congregation is gathered to-day. just fifty
years after the founding of st. Johns parish.
to recall the memories Of the days of old. We
bring to mind the early days Of the parish. of
this diocese and of this State. And In the
history of our church on the Pacific Coast. ST.
Johns parish is indeed a pioneer. OF all the
California parishes only three precede IT.
Trinity Of San Francisco. organized on July
on April 2s 1850, and St. Johns OF stockton.
organized on August 70, 1850 Fourth on this
roll of honor comes St. Johns Of Oakland, or
And now comes the natural question, 'who
read the church service for the first time un-
land?' When I tell you that it was Bishop
Kip our thoughts will recall with deep affec-
tion the stately form and noble features of the
Bishop % KID says: ION Wednesday, Novem- srrl-
ber IS. 1854 went to Oakland for the pur-
pose Of making % arrsnsements % for the essa6- tab
take, notice had not been given for service
on that evening. and could only take meas
Of the church residing in that place.
Later on we read in the Journal "On De-
cember II again visited Oakland where a
commodious room had been arranged for di-
vine service. My object was to hold the first
service in this place, which I did reading
prayers and preaching morning and after
noon
Immediately after Bishop Kips first service
the Rev. F. w. Syls began regular services
in Oakland. his first service being held on
Sunday morning, January g. 1855. Beele' IS
store Broadway, between Third and Fourth
ON the second Sunday in the following
month the first communion celebrated
with eleven communicates.
The first vestrymen of st. Johns Church
were z. A. Sewerkrop. senior warden: DIR.
Matthew Carter Junior warden and clerk; DR..
Robert worthington, Captain John Schander
and Andrew Williams. the first Mayor Of Oak
land.
DIR. Benjamin Akeriy. who for forty years
was rector of this parish. assumed charge Of
St Johns Church on March 1, 1858. after the
return of Mr.. Syie to China, where he was a
missionary in Hongkong.
St Johns church ''Oid st. Johns that all
Oaklanders knew we'll. was built in 1859.
and on March 1, 1860, the building was con-
secrated by Bishop Kip.
THE ALMA MATER.