The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-02-14
BOTH ANNI,z.tSARY :
OF GRACE CHURCH
Rev. A. |. Whitaker Delivers
Address to Large Audience
CHURCH ESTABLISHED IN 1882
AND HAS GOOD GROWTH UP
TO PRESENT T1ME-INTEH-
ESTING BITS OF HISTORY; ITs
LII T. DURING THE PASR
EIGHTY YEARS


Wednesday, Feb. :, was the
eightieth anniversary OF the Grace
/ Episcopal church of this place and
/ the event was celebrated by a special
service on Sunday, Feb. II. The
| church had it's origin at a meeting
| held on Feb Z, 1882, at the house
/ of Charles Forbes. At that meeting
an organization was effected and the
first vestrymen were elected. The
first pastor of the church was Rev.
James II. Tying, OF Newburyport,
Mass, who accepted the call on
March 29, 1892. The lot now oc-
Cupied by the church was notated By
the Delaware and Hudson Canal Co.
| The first church building was erected
on this site and opened in Septem-
ber, 1884. At a meeting of the yes
try held on February 25, 1853,
movement was begun toward the
erection Of a new church as the
prosperity and growth of the congre-
cation demanded it, and the result
was the erection OF the present beau
tiful stone edifice. The ground was
broken on June 3, 1853, and the
cornerstone was laid by Bishop
Alonzo Potter on June 23 of the
same year. The new church was
completed on August 2, 1854, and
was cOnsecrated by the same bishop.
Up to this time there was no rectory
and on July l, 1874, it was resolved
to have one erected, and in Febru-
airy in the year 1876 the present
stone building was completed for the
use of the pastor at q cost of S13,-
500. The growth of the church has
been rapid and it now enjoys a good
popularity. The present pastor, Rev.
a. l.. Whitaker, preached sermon
commemorating the occasion and
touches of the progress of the church
up to the present time, the trials
and battles fought and of the great
reward. In his address on Sunday
he spoke in part as follows, and took
for his text part of the One Hun
dred and Tenth Psalm, Thy Peo-
pie Shall Be willing in the Day of
Thy Power:
This psalm is Just what we want
! for our thought to-day. There is a
triumphant swing of victory about it,
There is an enthusiasm for the cause
of the Almighty which is contagious
and invigOrating. 1t is the song OF
/ battle for the right, of devotion to
just cause, OF loyalty to their king
and leader. In the first lines of the
| psalm we see the people gathering
/ in mighty army on fire to fight Je-
| hovah's battles; in the latter portion
! our eyes feast upon the triumph OF
! JehOvah's army. But the very
heart OF the inspiration Of the psalm
/ is in these lines, Thy People Shall
! be Willing in the Day OF Thy Pow
! er." We think of the past and it's
noble legacies to those OF to-day. Our
gratitude to he men and women
-F t.
press. The spirit OF the men and
women of the olden times comes
down to the men and women of the
present as a source OF strength. But
never can we safely rely on the
strength Of the past. 1t is only as
they are shown to us to-day that they
may vouchsafe victory in the battles
OF to-day. And so to-day ID
is my purpose TO look up the past an
nails OF this parish. Five years ago
that was well done. That inspiration
has not, ! trust, so soon died out
1t did us good to feel that we be-
longed to a congregation which was
not a thing OF yesterday, but for
seyenty-five years in the early his
tory OF the town where we are living
had done a work that was a good
work and strong. To-day there 10
the knowledge OF eighty years OF
that living growth. 1t was about
eighty years ago that the first yes
try was organized in the home OF
Charles Forbes. The men of that
yestry were in earnest about inau-
guratng a work which should be a
strong influence in their town for
good. And they succeeded All
honor to those eight men for their
labors and the success OF their la
bors. ! might speak of some OF the
noble Clergymen who have served
this parish in the past, of Richard B..
Duane, who had the unstinted az
feCtions of his people; OF Dalrympls
and Abrams, whose deaths occurred
while in charge of this parish and
lends pathetic interest to their
names; OF Swentzel, Lewis, Hall,
Ware, to whom the parish owes so
much, who held the affections OF the
men and women who are here to-day.
But ! wish to-day to speak rather OF
the EIGHT men who founded the par
ish eighty years ago. 1t was a lay
mems movement. Almost always il
is the clergyman with the mission
ary instinct strong within his breast,
who carries the church to n new
plane. But here il was the people.
The people were willing. There was
no need of a summons or repulse or
even exhortion. The people were
willing. They took the first step
We in turn have received
from their hands these buildings;
and ours is the task and the duty OF
making them stand for the worship
Of God for which they were reared.
Nav we not say that ours is a three
fold task, to maintain these build
ings in is good condition as we have
found them; to improve them and
when necessary to add to them; and
thirdly and most important OF all,
to make them stand for a vigorous
prosecution OF the work for the cause
NJ Thr{ct -