The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-07-25
Important Meeting In Broad
Street Church Last Night
Shaeps Plans
Three Churches
To Be Combined
Broad Street, Clay Street and
Centenary to Be Replaced by
Institutional Church at Cost
Of 100000

A 100000 institutional church
plant for Richmond that will rival
any church outfit in the United States.
the consolidation of the cations
Of Broad-Street. Centenary. and Clay
Street Methodist churches. and a new
Methodist church for the West End.
are the concrete results that are to
follow the meeting last night in
Broad-Street church Of the Richmond
church extension board of the Metho-
dist church. South.
These great steps for he advance
ment Of the cause of Methodism in
the capital city have been under dis
cussiou for a long time. and were put
into shape at meeting of the Of
fetal boards of the churches involved.
that was held several weeks ago ana
reported exclusively In The Nirginsan
OF the following morning.
The meeting last night heard the
report OF a committee that has been
preparing It's recommendations for
some time, and the subject matter OF
the report is as follows
Two New Churches,
FIrst--That Broad Street Clay
Street and Centenary churches unite
and that in place Of the three large
institutional church in the downtown
DISCREET be built
Secnts--That n new church De To-
Gated and built in the West End far
enough removed from Monument ave-
nue. church so as not to interfere with
that church.
Third~That 100000 one-half Of
which Is represented by the present
properties sc the three churches, be
raised TO build ana equip the pro-
posed church.
These recommendations viii Dc re-
ferred to the respective quarterly con-
ference of the three churches. and by
them referred to their respective con-
eregations for tiral action
The report as hus made was offered
by DR.. r. Men Simpson. presiding
elder of the Richmond district, after
John c. Freeman had been elected
chairman OF the meeting
A motion was offered by w. A.
Christian. s. f. Bishop and others. pro-
viding for the elimination of Broad
Street from the consideration This
motion was lost
Considerable discussion attended tho
adoption OF the report. and II Is under
stood that the chief opposition TO the
proposal was made by members Of the
Broad Street congregation
Location Not Certain.
It is. OF course. not certain where
the new church building Will be To-
Gated but 1t is proba BILE that the
grounds OF either Broad or Centenary
will be utilixed, as no other location
can be obtained In the down town
region at any reasonable price.
The action Comes after many years OF
agitation. IL having been recognized
that the needs gof the downtown con-
gregations were not being met There
are few who have doubted the need
Of the change. and the final reeommen-
dation OF action Is expected TO meet
with approval by all the churches i'm
volved 1t is not thought there will
be any serious hitch in the ratifca-
ton Of the action of the conference
last night
This movement means that Richmond
Will get perhaps the greatest institu-
tional church In the South, as there
Is offered an unlimited field for the
development Of the project
The official boards OF the churches
viii be charged with raising ss00. 900 in
addition to the properties of the
churches now valued at 100000 each.