The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-16
Less Than One Hundred Years Ago All Denominations Worshippsd in One Rude Little House on Site Now Occupied by Court Street Methodist Church.
BY MRS. L. W. WRIGHT.

chapter more replete with interest or better calculated to show the growth and advancement of w people than that of its religious life. That chap- ter in Montgomery history whish deals with the churches and the influence for good which they have shed abroad throughout the city and statc, is one of the most interesting in the history of Alabama's Capital City.
 The churches of Montgomery have been potent factor in the develop ment of the city. not alone the religious life. but for the influence that has been reflected upon the social and commercial life. Less than one hun dred years ago Montgomery was a village of only 500 people. There was no church and no place set apart in which to hold Divine worship Today Greater Montgomerv claims s0.ooo in- habitants; there are twenty-five churches. of all denominations, a splen- didiy equipped Young women's Chris tian Association; handsome Young Mems Christian Association building in course of constructioh: the Alabama Bible Society owning its own building on Dexter Avsnue. and doing "a sple-did work tn supplying Bibles to people for the actual cost of pubHca- lion and in many cases. for even less, and many societies of men and women doing the class of work recognized Ry. the world over as being in the special province of the churches
 FIRST CHURCH IN 1923.
 Tn 1923 little church not larger than many rooms in homes of ante belIun days was built on the site where the Court Street Methodist ! now stands. as a union church for all denominations, The little church met inc demands of that time. filled the need and served the purpose. Only few years elapsed. howevers before it became evident that the congregation was gaining strength and the Attls building wac net adsauats. but auFtng those five or six years in whch the Seonle of Montgorsfy nf ar cnossat- nAtlnna worshiped tc aear Alan was Ihid for fhH good and eraat things that have foiloweas the corner stone lof progress an suceeAa ct aont-
 
 NzafiAn and as c commercial power. was laid in the hearts of those pioneer citizSns as they gathsred there from Sunday to sunday to serve. each de- nomination in it's own way, tue ;saHls Godt-the one Lord and sayior. .ha
 From that small beginning 'in the days of small things. there has grown wonderful things. Where the uttie pnlon church stood there now stands aImagnificent a edIfice which cost its c6nsregation nearly S1OO,o0O. From : the three denominations, Methoolst' Baptist and Presbyterian, that wor- ahipped together in the little union church, there has sprung six Metho- dist churches. six Baptist churches ana three Presbyterian churches.
 There is said to be 5000 members of the Methodist church In Montgomery with probably as many members of the Raptfst church and half as many mem hers of the Presbyterian church. And the history of the three church de- nominations which worshiped in the first little church in Montgomery is only X nnrt of the great whole.
 The Episcopal church of Montgomery of which there are two handsome chureheg with fiourishinE suburban mission. st Peter's Catholic church. with a membership of about 1.500 and sa nroperty valued at about $65.0O0; two churches of the demonmination of the Church of Christ, a flourishing con gregation of the Cumberland PrespY- ferian Faith, and on eof the oldest churches in Montgomery A Methodist Protestant Chureh. is retaphohrdlu Protestant church is another part or
 Aiding the churches of Montgomery in the work of uplifting her people spiritually, morally and soclaIy are are the two powerful organizations or the Young Women's Christian Association and the YnuuE Mems Christian As sociation. Both of these organizations have handsome homes equipped with sll necessary facilities for dong the best work along the lines of special work in which as associations. they engage. The buildings and equipment of the two associations represent eN- penditures of more than S7s,00O.
 Temple Beth Or, the beautiful house of worship of the Hebrew people of Montgomery is one of the most costly buildings for divine worship in Mont gomery.
 THE SALVATION ARMY.
 Besides the work of the churches ano the several Christian organizations there Is in Montgomery another phase of work of the truest. broadest char. acter--a Christian work that is done by a class of workers. who. realizing the peculiar needs of class of people which could never be reached through the ordinary channels of the churches or even the Christian Associations oi the young men and the young women stoops in it's especial endeavor, to the lowest phase of humanity and in the stepping, conquers The local post of the ISalvation Army in Montgomery has been established only few months vet in that short time the need of tho special line of work done by. the phil anthropic body has been demonstrated in the amount of work which has been done already in Montgomery.
 So. during the seventy-five years which has elapsed since the beginning nf tbe religious history of Montgomery as the city has developed socially and oonmercially the deep sense of the i'm nortance of her needs along moral and religious lines has been demonstrated in inc building by her citizens of the twenty-1ve churches, the various Chris uan organizations and the formation oi The several Christian Associations for Sbe propaeatiou and the extension of tbe work of the Master on earth: by khe expenditure of many hundreds oi thousands of dollars in buildings for Di- vine worship and for carrying the Cos pei to foreign lands, complying with he command of the Master. Repent