Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-08-19
Service at the Old Church.

Service at the Old Church.
A congregation Of over one hundred
from Randolph, Bethel and Royalton as
sembled in the Old Church between Beth
81 and Randolph at II O'Clock Sunday
morning for the service held in comu,em-
grafton OF the seth anniversary OF its con-
secration.
Christ church, the Oldest Episcopal
church in this section OF the state. was
organized July "a, 1884, by Paul Kinstry,
Ephraim Derrick, Amasa Green, Willard
Smith, Bylye L. Cotton, Joseph wicking-
ham, Benjamin Smith, DR.. joseph A.
Gallup, Simeon Chase and Hon. dudley
Chase-the latter at one time a memNer Of
Congress. The edifice was built the sum-
mer and fall Of 1923, at q cost OF g, $50,
Colonel Warren OF Rochester being the
chief builder, and it is almost the exact
counterpart Of Christ church, fFredericks-
burg. Va, OF which President George
Washington was devout communicate.
The church was consecrated June %.
1924, by Bishop Gris~old OF the Eastern
diocese, and its first rector was the Rev.
James Sabine, native OF England, who
came from Boston in 1881, died 10 1S45
and now sleeps in the quiet churchyard
I in the shadow OF the walls where oft his
] gregation long since dead and gone.
On this anniversary occasion. the serv-
ice was read by Rev. w. B. Reynolds.
rector Of the later Christ church, Bethel,
and Rev. A. G. Gilmore, rector OF Grace
church, Randolph Center. and st. Johns
church, Randolph. The preacher was
Rev. Robert G. Wilson OF Soochow,
China, son of Christ church reared in
Bethel. who has been for seven years 9
missionary in the Shanghai district, to
which be expects to return in years
time. He took for his text, stThy will be
I DONE" the doing OF which sends men
from home and kindred TO China and the
other far-sway missionary fields that ali
the world may know the will Of God and
be taught to do it.
In his district there are 500, 600 people
IA greater population than that OF Yer
mont-and they are crowded into an area
80 miles square. He has q little church.
tile-roofed and tile-fioored, and he has
named it Christ church, partly for the
home sound Of the name and his old asso-
Citations but more on account of the
meaning of the word Christ anointed,
anointed with the power Of God.
In his work the missionary attempts to
convert whole families to the end that
nuHD1uuH anu WIVES snail NOT De uUEVen-
" yoked togethe with unbelieyers to the
retardment aud possible cessation Of their
growth in Christianity, and a lapse into
heathendom for parents and children.
In China, as-in America, human nature is
the same, and whether be has slant eyes
or straight, wears q fighting cut or hair
in queue, man is prone to leave undone
those things which he ought to do, and
to do those things which he ought not to
do. The Chinaman will use opium, he
will gamble, but still he is touched By the
new religion and he is moved by the DOW
err of God. No stately cathedral has been
raised in the Shanghai district, but the
heart Of the Christian convert has been
made purer temple for the living God
The men are easier to reach than the
women, for the reason that the latter are
kept in seciusion, are different in thong BIT
and speech and are less ready to forsake
the worship Of idols and ancestors. The
women have different vocabulary from
that heard On the street and, consequent
~, understand the missionary less readily
and are less readily understood by him.
Yet the women must be reached; for even
in China their influence in the household
I is not to be despised. In the Soochow
church three-fourths of the congregation
aAS ihCHy NAo Az AlA& rAk Al 0dEAHC1S VI
bow down to wood and stone.
Miss Cornelia Stickney OF Royalton was
the organist at the Old Church Sunday
and the hearty congregational singing
was led by Miss May Savage, Miss Bessie
Silverthorne, Mrs. Flora Chase, Prin.
James Walker and Guy Wilson of Bethel.
81 heard the voice of Jesus say was
sung as a solo BY Principal Walker, sup
ported by the congregation.
The collection taken went to the Epis-
copaI mission in Hardwick.