The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-12-15
CENTENARY HAS
ITS CENTENNIAL
Methodist Church HIS Been :
Separate Congregation for
One Hundred Years
SERVICE TO MARK EVENT
Has Occupied Present Home
Since I842-First Home on
Marshall Street.

Centenary Methodist Church. one OF
the strongest congregations of the de-
nomination in Richmond. and one OF
the leading charges in the Virginia
Methodist Conference. will to-day OBJ
serve it's centennial anniversary. The
J church was founded 100 years ago. as
Shockoe Methodist Church. by a small
number OF persons. who withdrew from
: Trinity Church. the oldest Methodist
congregation in the city.
The services in celebration OF the
anniversary viii be simple. There Will
: be special music, and Rev. W. j.
| Young. D. ID, who enjoys, with Rev
| X. y. Sledd. the distinction OF being
the only minister to serve the charge
a full four years and later be returned
for another stay. Will preach ser.
mon on a Hundred Years Of
Church's Life"
From a small beginning the con-
gregation has grown until II now has
a total membership of S92. only the
, Union Station among all Methodist
churches in Richmond has d larger
number on its rolls
First Known as shOckOe Church.
The congregation frst occupied
tween Fourth and Fifth Streets. which
was begun in 1911 and occupied the
> following year, the exact date not be-
ing known. The house then built stu!
stands although il is now scarcely
, recognizable. having been altered in
order TO make IL suitable for mercan-
! tile purposes
While the date on which the congre-
cation first began TO worship in the
-nockOe Methodist Church Is uncer-
tain. II is definitely known that the
edifice was dedicated by Rev. Thomas
Logan Douglas. The denomination had
not then divided along sectional lines,
and Shockoe Church was an integral
part Of the unified organization
Centenary Church ON Grace street.
As the wear 1889 approached, Netho-
dists in both England ana America
I began prcpa ations for celebrating the
centenary Of Wesley's separation from
the Anglican Church. The observation
in America TOOK the form OF cam
paign to raise large sums Of money
for church purposes, the funds so Sc
cured being left 10 the dIsposai Oh 10.
cal CONGREGATIONS Part Of the money
raised in Richmond by Trinity Church
and Shockoe Church. which sun re-
NAMED the only two Methodist CON
gregations in the city, was appHeu
TO the erection of a new nome Io'
shockoe Church. The result was 'he
present nouse of worship on "roce
! street. between Fourth and Fltth. JUS.
two blocks south from the orig iaa'
\ site. 49,
! THE new church was dedicated in the
vear 1872 but since il was undertaken
Arst in 1899 and stood as a centenflai
memorial. IL was decided to change the
name from Shockoe Church TO Cenle-
rarv Rev. Edward Wordsworth
preached the de6icatory sermon ana
Rev. George W. Motley was the mrs.
pastor. When the congregation moVeu
to the new church, the old one was
sold for the sum OF S2'-Ve-
! building Of Is4c still Retained.
! number of alterations and I'M
| ,-nysrnenYs have given the building
| erected IN 1s4. seating capacity Oh
about 900 persons. In 1894 an aooi-
! ito, Was made 70 the rear. in order 10
n.r-ni- the installation of new pipe
organ. and an earlier addition n@'
! 49, made TO the front of the buiio-
! ing -,
/ since 1912 three churches have peeh
I formed in Richmond as ofshoo's IRON,
| Centenary Church. They are LauTe'
street Methodist Church nrs' OF
\ ;xad As oregon Chapel: Park Place
I Methodist CnuFch. W -.
| S,arev chanel and the Highland Park
| Methodist Church
Rev. w. J. Young. who is now serN ,
I ing the second year Of his seconu
( nastorate at Centenary Church. came
I 10 il frst in 1903. He stayed the iu',
! four years allowed. and was reh'o'eu
1 in 1907. only 10 return in 1911
Thomas II. Lambeth. the grand
! father OF Rev. Graham II Lambeth
now editor OF the Baltimore and Kloh-
! uond Christian Advocate. was one "a
the six original trustees OF 'he
80. church edifce. The others were
picbard Whitfield William Evans.
William Willis. John ]. Binford and