Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-05-27
To HOLD
CELEBRATION OF
ITS Anniversary
Union M. E. Was Dedicated 81
Years Ag0-FOunded Four
Years Earlier.

Tomorrow, Sunday, will be the six
ty-first anniversary of the dedication
of the Union Street NJ. E. Church in
the Ironbound district. of which the
Rev. Frederick Chauneey Mooney is
the pastor, and in eommemoration of
the event the pastor, the Sabbath
school and the congregation at all
services will provide an appropriate
program of an informal yet most i'm
pressive character. The choir will also
be heard in special numbers. The
congregation, in fact, was organized
on January s, 1S47, sixty-f1ve years ago,
and the flock worshiped in a small
81, 900 chapel prior to the erection of
the present square-faced commodious
edifice, now familiar to local church.
men and located at Union and Green
streets, which was dedicated on May
20, 1850, just sixty-one years ago.
The present congregation, which still
possesses many of the old members,
who w~orshiped within its walls for over
a ~half-century, feel justly proud of the
historical past of the venerable church.
which is one of the cherished land
marks of M%ethodism in this section of
the State. DR.. Mooney. the present
pastor, succeeded the Rev. Hedding
Bishop Leech, three years ago, and
during his incumbeney MANY new
members have affiliated with the
church, and he has proven a most in
valuable pastoral leader. Another noted
divine well known to local c~hurchmen,
who has served as pastor of the flock,
has been the Rev. Fred Glare Baldwin.
now at the Calvary M. e. Church, in
East Orange. The Oldest active MEM
Der of the congregation is John N.
Leary, who Joined the church in 1854.
and who has officiated on the board OF
trusteese for over a quarter of a cen
tury.
The history in brief of the church
has been n of progress, both spirit
ually and financially. On January 6,
1S47, several women and men who had
been converted at a series of revival
services held in the Franklin Street M.
e. Church. decided to organize a new
parish, The first Sabbath school serv-
Ices were held In a carpenter shop,
and later a chapel was erected on the
present church site, which had been ac-
quired by the small congregation.
In 1S49, during the pastorate Of the
Rev. H. M. Brown, the present build
ing was promoted and on May go, 1850,
during the term of the Rev. ]. B. Dob
bins, the church was formally dedi-
Gated with appropriate ceremony.
During the past sixty-one years
twenty-seven pastors have served the
church, as follows: The Revs. DR..
Brown, ]. B. Dobbins, r. vanhorne,
F.. A. Morrell, George Winsor, ]. NJ.
Freeman, c. A. Lippincott, Newton
Heston, w. Tunison. Thomas H. Smith,
John Atkinson, David Alaters, j. w.
Seran, Alexander H. Tuttle, r.. B. Col
Inns, Thomas Smith, w. S. Galloway,
Alexander Craig, Fred Glare Baldwin.
Nathaniel Brooks, John w. Ryder.
John H. Egbert. Joseph A. owens,
Hedding Bishop Leech and the present
pastor. DIR. Mooney. Many of them are
now deceased, but they have left as
a heritage a record of faithfulness and
conscientious service that is worthy of
emulation. Among them was the Rev.
Joseph A. Owens, who, while pastor of
the Summerfield M. E. Church, in this
city, two years ago. succumbed to an
attack of grip. Despite the chang
ing constituency among the population,
in the Tronbound section, the Union
Street Church has grown in religious
influence and membership, and while
other denominations have been dis
carding their old downtown church
homes for more desirable and fash
ionable uptown sites in the growing
residential sections, the members of the
Union Street M. e. Church have chung
faithfully to their first love- so to
speak, with a tenacity that has won
assured success and the admiration of
churchmen of all UNCONVENTIONAL
creeds. The congregation is a most
representative one and the members
are scattered throughout nearly every
section of the city.