New-York tribune., 1908-12-21
CHURCH 100 YEARS OLD
THREE SERVICES HELD.
Throng at Celebration IN Fifth 4Ue-
nue Presbgteridn.

Ross Stevenson the pastor, spoke at all three ser
vices, preaching the anniversary sermon in the
morning. At the afternoon and evening services
Dr. Stevenson assisted by the Rev. Or. Edwin
T. Hallenbeck. the associate pastor. and by the
Rev. Albert L. Evans. the Rev. Hugh Prttchard
and the Rev. Paul r. Abbott
A feature OF the morning service was the bap-
tism OF Miss Ellen Harvey Trul the infant daugh-
ter of the Rev. George H. TruIl who was formerly
| assistant TO Dr. Stevenson but IS now Sunday
school secretary Of the Presbyterian Board OF For
eign Missions. Miss Irene Damon McGregor, in
fant daughter of R. ". e McGregor, member OF
the congregation. was also baptized.
DR.. Stevenson chose his text for the ami
versary sermon "A Witness Bearing Church be
ginning with the founding OF the church. in lSCs
he traced its history and activities down to the
present day. He said:
The Living Word called the Fifth Avenue Church
into existence just one hundred years ago. Ihere
were scarcely ninety thousand people all told IN tls
steam ferries and the only means Of transportation
was on horseback or BY stage coach, The mails
quent Intervals, and the postage varied according
miles There were two or three daily papers in the
city, larger number Of WeekIes. but no rehglous
| Though the Presbyterian Church had been in ex,
and nifty years there were at that time about three
hundred ministers in the whole ChurGR and i Ei;aI
churches in The city. though goodly number IN
benevolent gifts Of all these churches IN the presby
IeTy tsr tnat year alQul q5Js 20 sS - trentvsIx
members. Sechariah Lewis and William Cleveland
Fitch was named The first deacon. The Rev. Dr.
minister and whose first parishes had been in the
Dutch Church was the hrst pastor & ana sE[reu tI
these simple beginnings our church has grown.
Cedar street costing little more than 10000 the
second in Duane street the third at 18Th street ana
ton Eight ministers have served the church. and
the bsf one NJ & 5 a % a6r @ 9s I to 3 or s q
thirty-ope years The church has had sL1tg-egh t
been enrolled in the church approximately ten
ship, including those in the chapels, OF over two
Is ministers have come not only from across the
sea. but from North and South. from East ana
west. Originally its membership was drawn largely
The Federal GhFTch Bq two & Of R9F r s as wsGe @
cused OF having some sympathy with secession,
been strong in her life. Dutch. swiss German and
French names appear on me 9pll: 16 Chinese
though the predOminatILg influences have neen
Class of society, but has aimed to be fold Old con,
poor neet together: the Lord is the maker Of them
all There has been continuity 2t LIZ IRE "a SoT ~
stiil living H NJ Hail Of East Lyme, Conn Most
moved away. but there are sun in the church me
sIafiiGeI5esea Suchi2cIoss and p Netsie Colt
COMMUNION CELEBRATED.
Communion was celebrated at the afternoon
service at I o'clock and forty new members were
received into the church. IN the evening Dr.
Stevenson spoke on Our Indebtedness 70 Great
Religious Movements" taking as his text Others
have Iabored and ye entered Into their labor
John w. IS. The speaker referred TO the famous
revival Of 1851 pointed out that the originator
of this movement which swept over the whole
United States and resulted in more than one
million conversions was jeremiah Calvin Lanphier,
who for eight or nine years previous had been
member Of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church,
which was then at Fifth avenue and 18th street
The business mems prayer meetings, which were
such an important adjunct Of the 1s53 revival were
first started by Mr. Lanphter-
Ecclesiastical records show that few churches
can boast OF one hundred years OF life with
record Of only eight ministers The exact date or
the founding Of the church IN Cedar street was
December I9 1903. Dr. Romeyn, the first pastor.
who was active in the organization OF the Aneri-
can Bible Society in 1873 died in 1923 and was
succeeded by the Rev, Cyrus Mason, who resigned
in 1885 Dr. George Potts, OF Mississippi then as
s1ned the pastorate and the next year the church,
which had outgrown the Cedar street edihce, !
moved to a newly erected home in Duane street /
Dr. Potts was succeeded in 1914 by Dr.. James W /
Alexander who held the pastorate until his
death, IN 1889
Rv 1889 the church had grown so rapidly and the /
city had expanded so rapidly TO the northward
that It was deemed necessary 20 seek another new .
home further uptown. Fifth avenue and 18th /
street was picked as a suitable site. and a hand
some new church edifCe erected there on
the death Of DR.. Alexander, IN 1859, Dr. Nathan L /
Rice was called 10 the pastorate. and served until /
1867 when III health forced him TO retire.
DR. JOHH HALLS LONG PAsTORATE
Dr. John. Hall then called from Dublin. and .
he soon became one of the famous preachers of the
country. Dr. Halls pastorate lasted for thirty-one
years In 1919 the church building at Fifth avenue
and 18th street was taken down and moved 10 57th .
street and Seventh avenue where the Central Pres
bvtarian Church now stands. The present brown
stone church was then built at Fifth avenue and
65th street.
On +ba death Of DR. Hall in 1898. the Rev. Dr. F
George T. Purves professor in Princeton Theo-
logical Seminary was called to the pas'orate- he
died In 1902 and succeeded by the present pas
tor who was called from Mccormack Theological .
Seminary IN addition its regular ministers
many OF the worlds most famous pulpit orators
have addressed the members OF the church during
the last century. These include Jonathan Edwards.
who spoke 10 the Cedar street congregation In /
recent wears the Rev. DR.. C. Campb-u Morgan. OF
Westminster Chapel. London the Rev. Dr. Hugh
Black formerly Of Edinburgh; the Rev. Dr. ". J.
Dawson formerly of London, and the Rev. Dr. J.
Wilbur Chapman. the famous evangelist. have
frequently spoken from the churchs pulpit
The church. in addition to its home activities,
Supports many chapel5 and missions. One OF these
is. the Young Peoples Society. organized by James
Anderson Hawes and William Sloane, which sup
norrs a large mission and Al association house and
chanel at SD street and First avenue; fresh air
home at Branchport, y. :; the Alexander Chapel
IN King street the John Hall Memorial Chapel on
First avenue and the CAllese SUNDAY SCHOOL III
East 59th street
The church has always been noted FOR its uDer-
ality which is exceeded ty other church in the
city Beginning with a church property valued at
$50 600 and annual subscriptions to home and for
eIgn missions Of less than 500. the church to-day
owns property valued over $2,000OOo. and in the
last six wears the average annual contributions 10
home and foreign missions have been $S23916- Dur
ing the year OF general business depression the
the churchs various activities were
SS52 90.
During its hundred years Of existence the church
fhrrra 20