The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-07-23
CROWDS AT
GOSPEL TENT
MEETINGS
Services on Street Corners,
AISO--EarneStneSS Among
EyangeIistic Workers.

'God bless these gospel tent meetings
and the services at open air meetings at
street corners. We send out wagons every
night and hold these open-air services.
Do not be surprised that we are joyful and
emotional. If men with saloons NJ here,
when full OF Jersey appleiack or Newark
beer. are inspired to sing and be joyful.
how much more should we be happy when
fitted with Christ's spirit?
Christ had 10 home. was a wanderer.
He spoke in the omen air to the people,
liz ed in the open airs to reach the people.
One may preach and pray in a church,
but IT is in the open air. under Gods
blue skv. where Nature Is seen at her best
in summer. that the soul receives best
the gospel of the Lord. When we die we
are buried in the field where the winds
OF heaven blow over our graves. Yes. an
open air religious service Is inspiring.
The Rev. Bradford Williams. VINO mas
made a success IN New York of open
air gospel services, was the speaker. He
was conducting one last night in a large
tent on high vacant ground at the south
west corner of Bergen and Rose streets.
The services were In a tent, and were
held under the auspices of the Newark
Evangelical Committee.
He md the Rev. Charles e. Granger,
pastor of Central Presbyterian Church,
0lON0 aNa1 1iOlA iAAt tEiA 1t ~ 0AON1~
with young men and women singers to
Bergen street and Avon avenue, where
there was preaching by the ministers and
lay preacher n hymn singing by the
choir. This was repeated In Waverly ave-
nue., and there was a fair crowd of men,
women and children at each place.
Bergen street. near the tent, is lined on
both sides with three-story flats. nice
frame houses. and they are tenanted prin-
cipally by German families. A reporter
Tor the EVENING STAR talked with sew
eral of the men about the tent services,
which have been held for fifteen nights
and afternoons. They said the women
and children visited the tent to hear the
solo and chorus singing, but they did not
oare for the preaching.
I'VE like the singing and the organ and
piano music said a matronly woman.
'but we don't care for the prayers and the
preaching. The most of those who attend
the services are from Clinton Hill
churches, and the converts are not people
In this neighborhood."
At the tent a worker was turning on
the electric lights when the reporter ar
rived. There were chairs and benches
under the tent to seat over 900 persons.
On the stage were chairs for about eighty
people. There the choir, which numbers
about ~sixty-fve young men and women,
some nights sings hymns under the LEADER
ship of Professor Edward A. Prouty, or
ganist of Bethany Presbyterian Church.
Ihere is a large arc lamp near the top of
each of the poles holding up the tent In
the centre. Only one of these gave light
last night continuously. Half a dozen In
candescent lights on the stage were dark.
Half of the eighteen on the poles holding
up the outside rim of the tent gave out
light part of the night. A worker said the
electric apparatus was out of order. There
was a piano on the stage and a parlor
organ on the floor.
When the organist began playing a hymn
women and girls and boys entered the
tent and took seats, while many stood out
side. Ten young women and four men
went to the stage and a young man sat
at the piano. Before there was singing
the Rev. Mr.. Granger told the reporter
that the tent was crowded nearly every
night, and laht night fully 1000 persons
were gathered in and about the tent, while
the street corner services were very sue.
c%essful. He then turned the reporter over
to a worker from his church and went In
a wagon to street corner rallys.
This is a bad night for attendance
said the worker, ''for Monday lights the
working people up here stay at home. But
we had a big massmeeting yesterday after
noon, and one man confessed Christ. Al
night we had a great crowd, and a mother
and her two daughters were converted,
praise the Lord. About 13, 900 persons have
attended the tent meetings fifteen after
moons and nights. No, we have not had
200 converts, and 1t was not right to print
that in the papers. But we nave done
we'll"
The choir sang the hymns "Our Father
Leads Saved by His Grace and Love