The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-12-21
PASTOR OF
ONE CHURCH
Is YEARS
First Presbyterian COngre.
CATION Preparing to
Homer DR.. Frazer.
PASTORATE SUCCESSF U |
PASTORATE SUCCESSFUL
Venerable Clergyman Has Done
Much TO Advance interests
of Historic Parish as
Well as Those of City
and State.

dUu OldlSs
Members of the congregation of the
First Presbyterian Church are planning
to celebrate the twenty-ffth anniver-
sary of the pastorate of the Rev. DIR.
David r. Frazer 1t will take place
probably some time during February,
as it was on the beginning of that
month quarter Of century ago that
the well-knoWn pastor assumed his
Newark work.
DR.. Frazer was called to the First
Church December 10, 1882, succeeding
Dr. Jonathan f. Stearns. He took up
the work a little more than a month
later, and has since been closely and
continually identified with religious and
educational matters i'm New Jersey. He
left the Classon Avenue Church CT
Brooklyn to come here, that being the
fourth of his charges, which began at
the First Church, Clifton, Staten Island,
and included churches in Buffalo and
Hudson. n. Y.
Long pastorates are the rule with
the First Church." said James p. Du-
senberry, who is one of. the leaders in
the movement to celebrate the anni-
versary. He is one of the two sur
vivors of the members of the sess >
that call DR.. Frazer. The othe.
Frederick . Baldwin.
DIR. Stearns, who preceded him, was
with the church thirty years. said
Mr., Dusenberry, rand there have beer
others who were ffiere logger. DIR
McWhorter who had charge in Rev
olutionary days. was pastor for forty
years.
I'VE cannot let the anniversary oil
DIR. Frazer's pastorate pass unnotieed
We owe it 10 ourselves as a congre-
cation. if not to him, to observe the
occasion. The church has been very
prosperous under his direction, its
membership has increased largely and
it's outside work, in the way of ex-
tension, has been manifold"
The First Presbyterian Church is a
very old organization, having been
founded before the town OF Newark
came into being. For a great many
years it was the town." the church
officers practically directing the af-
fairs of the community.
The original settlers came here from
Connecticut for the purpose of form
ing a Puritan church. and bought land
from the Indians They paid half OF
the price in rum. The prohibition SEN
timent had not then progressed beyond
Mohammedan communities, and every
body drank moderately. The town built
up about the church, and the two grew
together.
There is story often told now Of
how Trinity Episcopal Church was ar
offshoot OF the First Presbyterian. Il
appears that one of the old-time Puri.
tans hauled in a considerable harvest
Of hay one Sabbath day to save il
from rain. In their code of religious
conduct this was heinous sin. lie was
turned out, and forthwith organized q
branch of the established English faith
it is said, in revenge.
The First Church has had only three
edifices. The first was small los
affair the second an unpretentious
frame structure. and the third the
commodious building, Of Colonial de-
sign, now used The present edifce
was erected more than a century ago
and was at that time one Of the most
elaborate church buildings in the count
try,
"I have seen Newarks population
double during my pastorate," said DR.
Frazer in discussing his approaching
anniversary. "When ] came here II
was about 10000, and is now SOC, 900
There has been equal il not greater
growth in the religious and moral SEN
timent of the community. The churches
lprobably WELD greater power for good
than they did then. Never has the First
Church had a stronger foothold than II
has now. We have built and sustained
three other churches during the past
few years. It is our aim to spend Il
per cent. of our total income on church
extension.
Dr. Frazer is the fourth oldest mem.
Der of the Newark Presbytery. Those
antedating him are the Rev Theodore
Baldwin. of Broussa. Turkey; the Rev
Julius II. Wolff ana the Rev. Isalaf
b. Hopwood, Of Calvary Church.
DR.. Frazer has been for many years
identified with the direction of Prince.
ton University, the Unioa Theological
Seminary and the German Theological
Seminary in Bloomfield. He has beer
president Of the latter for several years
and has directed, in that capacity, the
training of more than a hundred young
minister's He has also been recording
secretary of the Board of Church FIX
tension which has headquarters In
New York He has been president oi
the board of trustees of the Job Haines
Home for Aged People since its founda-
tion. He has occupied every Office OF
the Newark Presbytery and has been
moderator Of the New Jersey synod
Dir. FRAZER takes pride in the fact
that his first ballot was cast in favor
OF Abraham Llncoln's election to the
4 Presidency.
Murray Bros. new place Will open today ADV