Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1909-03-11
THOROFARE.
New Church Dedicated.

o. 4
For the first time in its history
church bell, the gift of Mr.. ]. Wilmer
Leonard was rung in Thorofare, on
last Sunday morning to summon the
people to the dedication services of
the new church The pretty interior
with it's comfortable pews was soon
we'll filled and the Sunday school
room which can be thrown into the
main audience room by means of fold
ing or sliding doors was in demand.
| The windows, all of stained glass,
with symbolical pictures, tempered
the light and gave added beauty to
the whole effect. The arrangement
of the chancel. the sacred desk and
| the choir is admirable. The Rev. ].
Morgan Reed, D. D., district superin
| tendent, was in charge of the services
and stated that the day was his last
| Sunday in that official capacity The
sermon in the morning was preached
by the Rev. Charles M. Boswell, D.
D., of Philadelphia, from the text:
''They gave money also unto the ma
sons and to the carpenters" found in
Ezra, third chapter and seventh verse.
| His address was made up largely from
| incidents in his personal experience
| 40 ClIJ hloolOAclys Out II w oo AAtOA
esting throughout, and he never lost
sight of what was due the masons and
| the carpenters. At it's close Dr. Read
gave the people an opportunity to sub
scribe toward cancelling the remand
er of the Indebtedness on the church.
| He didn't insist upon their giving nor
press the matter greatly, but told
them the advantages of being out of
! debt and in pleasant fashion just
talked the money out of their pockets
with result that at the end of the day
the church had secured in pledges and
cash $5,23150, enough to put it en-
tirely out of debt in four years, pay
| the interest and give a respectable
contingent fund to cover possible lap
ses from death or other causes. The
entire cost of the church is something
over $4,000. During the morning ser
vice the Rev. Isaac l.. Fowler and Mr..
VIM. D. Rambo sang 'The Land of
| the Blest," a selection sung by them
at the dedication of the old church
fifty years ago. In the afternoon the
Rev. J. Morgan Read conducted the
| dedication service Just at the be-
ginning of the service the Junior Ep-
worth League marched into the
| CluI Cn anu past Il0 dltdI Edll, duu
were seated in the Sunday school
room. One of their number, a young
boy, carried banner bearing the
dates 1858 and 1909, and the motto
! 1.-THE Church is Marching On" After
the dedication service the Rev. Isaac
l.. Fowler and Mr.. VIM. d. Rambo
sang The Church is Marching On"
The sermon in the evening was preach
ed by the Rev. J. Morgan Read, D. D.,
from the text: Enough and to Spare"
He both amused and interested his
audience. The church was packed,
and ended with stirring appeal to
the unconverted, and an altar SER
vice followed the sermon. The choir
gave some beautiful selections during
the day, and those given in the even
ing were particularly fine, and we'll
rendered. The presentation of mem
orial windows given by the church
and the friends in honor of persons
still living was an impressive feature
of the day. The large window in the
front of the church, representing the
Good Shepherd, is inscribed to the
Rev. Isaac L. Fowler. The one be-
hind the sacred desk is a symbolical
figure carrying a lighted lantern, and
represents the church, / think, which
is giving light to the world. This is
inscribed to the Rev. J. Mercer Hunt,
pastor of the church. The one back
of the choir holds the head of the
Christ, and bears the name of Louis
K. Wilkins, who has been faithful
superintendent of the Sunday school
during twenty-three consecutive years
The presentation speeches were made
Nv ~ III h. o@.4
and the recipients of the gifts in APP
propriate speeches expressed their APP
probation, and grateful acceptance.
Altogether the day was perfect of it's
kind, and will long hold a place in
the annals of Thorofare experience.
Special meetings began in the
will continue indefinitely. The first
was in charge of the Rev. Isaac L.
Fowler, Thos. W.. Wyne, and VIM. d.
Rambo, who were members of the old
church fifty years ago. On Tuesday
night Mrs. J. Mercer Hunt conducted
the meeting and made the address.
On Thursday night the Rev. Geo. S.
Johnson is expected to preach, and on
next Sunday the Rev. VIM. II. Stone
will preach both morning and evening"
n lCFlFd1 10 IOpOu lOI Uut II Cclu
hardly equal the one of fifty years
ago which laid the foundation of the
M. E. Church organization here. That
began in September 1887 and con
/ tinued until conference week in March
and covered a vast extent of territory.
1t is said that there were over five hun
bred conversions, but that the number
didn't quite reach six hundred.
Mr.. Joseph S. Cox, from Phila., one
of the visitors here for the dedication
on last Sunday was the contractor and
builder of the church of fifty years
ago. and was largely instrumental in
bringing that wonderful revival about.
He and other of the old members
claim that when the old church start
ed the membership of it was twice as
large as the membership of the church
of to-day. X 90