Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-23

, and earnest. evangelistic spirit to whose
faithful work the church owes much of
its spiritual life and success. Associated
in the temporal affairs of the church We: e
Jacob Gideon. ir., Anthony Preston, A. J..
Stansbury and Jonathan Phillips. elected
as the first board of trustees and under
whose wise oversight the first building
was erected and cared Tor.
III the second year of the Passionate Of
d.. Smith, the little church being pressed
for room, and as the result Of an urgent
appeal, a new brick building was erected
in 1871 on the west side of 9th street,
was occupied by the congregation until
the final removal OF the church In 1S1
to its present commodious site.
During the seventy one years of its &C.
cupancy Of its original ield the Fourth
Church had part i'm and witnessed tn.
changes which transformed tine city.
/. Within fifteen yeas after the dedication
of its first building. March 1. 1S2, TWEEN
ty-seven other churches We're planted In
the region where II was the pioneer Ii
was during this time that the country
passed through the excitements proceed
ing ami leading up to the civil war, and
in the great emergencies that came upoi.
the city in that time the church has borne
its part.
! In lS6. the congregation rendered the
church building to the government for
use as q hospital, DR.. Smith himself act
Ing as chaplain 20 the sick and wounded
soldiers there. During the eight months
in which the congregation was thus
without a home the kind hospitality Of
the Assembly's Church was enjoyed. The
rapid increase of business and the de-
creasing population in the section minis
tered to by the church required the seek
ing of a new location.
With the old faith the congregation
voted to remove more than three miles
to the present location, where the sub
stantial and beautiful English Gothic
building erected and has hQar raod
as a new center Of influence since 1870.
The church still holds its valuable prop
erty on 9th street and Grant place, and
in time proposes with the proceeds of the
Presbyterian Church and of the neigh
borhood in which it is located--upon its
fine corner at 18th and Fairm0nt streets.
The Fourth Church has been the mother
OF churches. Out of 1t have sprung the
assembly's and the eastern churches.
The Western Church grew out OF the
labors of David NJ. Wilson, and at Ber-
wyn is large and hourtsfing mission,
gathered and cared for by Mr. Frank l.
Middleton. elder of the Fourth Church.
Missionary work has been the strong
point of the church Six missionaries to
foreign lands and twenty-five ministers
to our own land have been her confribu-
ton Of her sons. and large gifts for the
work both at home and abroad have
marked the benevoience OF the years.
The church has had a unique history In
ttists toT TIE clSHty-use years Vi it6 iif0
1t has had but three pastors. DIR. Noble
served for seven years. DR.. Smith for
thirty-eight years and DR.. Kelly. who has
the longest passionate to his credit. il
now In the closing months of his fortieth
Year
DR.. Kelly is native Of Washington, a
son Of Mr.. Moses Kelly, who was for
many years chief clerk OF the Interior
Department and later cashier OF the Ma
tional Metropolitan Bank
DR.. Kelly IL a son OF the Fourth
Church, having grown UP under the min
istry OF DR.. Smith. with whom he was In
later years associated as co-pastor. He
has the unique distinction et.aaring as