The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-27
CHURCH IS
 DEDICATED Installation Services Are Very Impressive. BISHOP DELIVERS SERMON Large Amount Subscribed for Build
 ing Addition. Before Large Congregation Completely Filling the Forest Avenue Meth odist Church, New BaiIainE
 e Dedicated to Service
 of God.

ocioTe congregation completely filling both the auditorium and the reading room of the Forest Avenue Methodist Church, Bishop H. c. Nor rison of Birmingham, assisted by Pre- siding Elder M. H. Holt of the Mont gomery District, Rev. J. W. Shores, the oldest Methodist minister in the State, the building of the Forest Av- enue Methodist Church was yesterday morning dedicated to the service of God. The arrangements for the dedi- cation were made by Rev. R. R. Fl. lison, who has labored so successfully for the church.
 With the stewards and trustees of the church standing around the ros- trum, the beautifully solemn words as prescribed by the Methodist Church government were said and the church formally dedicated. In this part of the service every minister on the ros- trum took part.
 Not only was the church dedicated yesterday morning. but $1.500 was rais- ed by subscription for the addition to the church. and for the erection of a parsonage. Bishop Morrison at the conclusion of his excellent sermon so announced the intention of the church officers, and started raising money with subscriptions of $100. After obtaining z several subscriptions of this size. SIS
 
 the pastor, MT. Ellison. and the sec retary. M. D. Sweatt In very short time the whole amount was raised.
 For the occasion of the dedication a special program of music was rendered by full choir. The rendition of the special music as we'll as the hymns es- pecially chosen, was excellent Bishop Morrison preached the sermon before dedicating the building.
  from 2nd Corinthians, but his text from list Corinthians. ill., g. For we are la- borers together with God: ye are Gods husbandry, ye are Gods building" Up- on this text the bishop preached a magnificent sermon, emphasizing the point that man was but a co-laborer with God. That God gave everything. but except man do the work, the land would never be ploughed nor the har- vest gathered. except through the act i've labors of man.
 we have no less than a labor union with God" declared the Bishop. "a Di- vine-human reciprocity. Man works on earth and God in 1t. with the church established as a Divine train ing school for our immortal spirits in getting ready for the higher knowledge and the granier realities of the other life. God but created the universe and
  nership."
 God could have made us as He did the first pair-perfect physical matur- ity and perfect purity at the beginning, so that we would not have to go through childhood with all of it's ig- norance. 1t is here that question: Of character is involved. And I say it reverently: God could not have given us that. God gave us human nature with volition as the spinal chord of character. We must develop character.
 'when a child this character Is un- formed, and while a person may grow up to be successful with everythiue coming his way in an easy manner, it takes many trying things to produee the true Christian character. As Paul says, tribulations must be experienced before true character is formed.
 One hears great deal nowadays about the self-made man. All of us, declare to you. are self made crea- lures. One person has his facilities prepared for him and the other hasn't. but every man has to put forth indi- vidual effort to attain. A man may be born in such circumstances that schools tutors and the university are at his command for the getting of an education. but that man must put forth an individual effort to attain results. On the other hand a man may be born in circumstances which deny him the university; the old books with pine knot fresde light may be his means of acquiring, but the effort on the part of the individual must be put forth.
 The same is true of religion. You are just as religious as you wish to be. You may desire to be better man or woman. but something else claims your will and conquers the desire. In short you are but a specimen of your own work How satisfied you are of the job I don't know.
 "Other people claim that they don't mind dying, but say they dread the judgment to come. Now why should one dread the judgment? You are in A sense your own judge. Before the Almighty you are in sense your own judge. Your sins condemn you to your own consciousness. The judgment day is not to be feared 50 much as today. This very day you are making up your destiny to some extent
 'Now if God is in partnership with man what is his purpose? And why does He wish a partnership? Among mortals one person takes as his part ner A man who can bring him some thing, friends maybe, money perhaps. commercial standing with the commu- .nitv, something which will ,add to the