The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1913-05-02
ST. JOHNS A.
M. E. CHURCH
HOLDS GREAT RALLEY WIND UP
JUBILEE WITH FINANCIAL SUCCESS
Over $1,000 coIIected-oId Members
Of the Church Few and Far Be-
tween-onIy Five of the Found
ers can be Located in this
City.

City.
The Golden Jubilee of st. John A.
M. e. Church wound up Monday
night with beautiful doll contest.
A large gathering of the members
were on hand to join in the glorious
celebration Of the fiftieth anniversa-
Try Of the celebrated church. Previous
to the contest the officers and pastor
met and counted up the reports OF
the rally, which totaled something
over $1,000. This amount was raised
by the splendid organizations out
lined by DR.. Porter 1t was carried
out in a very unique form and
stamped him as a successful financier.
At the services Sunday morning the
several captains were sent out among
the people to collect the donations
from the members and friends, which
was a departure from the old way
of taking up rally collections. They
went about their duties as quietly
as if they were having a social chat.
When they had all finished they re-
turned to their seats and a public Of
fering was lifted. In spite of the
inclement weather large crowd was
out and the keenest interest was
manifested. At every service Sun
day the same spirit was in evidence.
Mention must be made of the splen-
did music that was rendered by the
Ichoir at these services. This church
has a choir of young people that
cannot be excelled. Special mention
is due to be made of the solo work
of Miss Mamie Rhodes, who sang on
this occasion. She brought tears tc
the eyes of many in the audience
The morning sermon was preached
by Rev. W. H. Shelby, presiding ell
lder Of the Central Tennessee Circuit
In the afternoon several of the Wis
iting pastors made short talks ant
with their congregations added mucl
to the spiritual and financial life O
the meeting.
DR.. Porter announced during thu
morning service that If it were pos
sible to get the living members of thu
number who founded the church to
.gether, on Monday night he woult
give them a banquet Of which tn,
church would be proud 1t was no
possible to get them out as they ar,
very feeble. A fact was brought ou
Sunday morning that is not generally
known. There are only a few of tn,
original members that can be fount
in this city. So far, only two of tn,
charter members can be found. The,
are Mrs. Nancy James, on Blanl
street, and Mrs Mary Randolph, OF
State street, who is so years old. l
was thought that Father Grundy wa
one Of the charter members, but h
says himself that he was not. H
came in, however, shortly after tn
organization.
Rev. Felix Mays is another one o
the old members of the church bu
was not member when 1t was or
ganized. There may be others some
/, where, and maybe in this city, bu
: the pastor and officers have been ur
able to locate them so far.
In a recent issue of the Globe tn
hohCo VI CNCly pctSlOI were SlVeI
: but the dates of the years of thei
, pastorage could not be ascertainet
Some Of the most noted men in tn
African Methodist Church have pas
7 tored this charge, and there are liN
ing today two bishops and one Ger
eral officer who were once at thi
= church. They are Bishop Shaffer, c
Chicago, and Bishop Tyree, of Nasl
vile, and DR.. s. L. Howard, who wa
: elected Secretary Of the Evangelist
= Bureau of the A. M. r. Church las
May. He was at that time pastorin
S st. John. DR.. G. w. Porter, the pre-
: ent pastor, enjoys the happy distint
e tion of being the pastor at this tim
Of the fiftieth anniversary.
The history of this church is on
that the people of Nashville al
proud of. They have aided in Il
k struggles and have assisted the men
s bers in accomplishing a great goo,
0 The whole city of Nashville and stat
of Tennessee, for that matter, reioic
r with them; for they love this churc
!, and are all glad of It's prosperity.
= Dr. Porter, Sunday morning, hel
!, in his hand bundle Of fifty letter
I received from all parts of Che stat
. and from over the country expires
: ing to him their congratulations an
:, a hope that the Jubilee would be
y success from every nOint of view