Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1915-07-21
DEDICATORY SERVICE.
Harmony Church Dedicated.
Large Attendance. Inspiring
Sermon by Bishop Kilgo.
Feast Served. .

Equidistant from Johnston, Tren-
ton and Edgefeld, in the heart of
one of the most prosperous and
most progressive rural communities
in the state, stands Harmony church.
The Advertiser congratulates the
members of this church upon their
splendid achievement in the erection
of a beautiful and commodious
house of worship, which is modern
in every detail and in every respect
adapted to the work of the church
and Sunday school. The building is
constructed of brick at a cost about
sl2,O and has a seating capacity
of from 600 to 500. Probably no
where else in tho State can there be
found such a handsome church
building in a rural community.
Two Former Buildings.
Harmony church was instituted or
founded about 1914 and the original
building was used until 1869, when
it became inadequate and was sold
to the colored people who moved it
away and from it erected the pres
ent Simmons Ridge church, three
miles north OF Edge6eld. In 1869 a
large and more comfortable build
ing was erected. The first sermon in
the new church was preached Au-
gust s, 1869, by Rev. J. T. Kilgo,
the father of Bishop Kilgo. The
church was formally dedicated Sep
tember l9. 1869, the dedicatory ser.
mon being preached by Rev. w. s.
Black, D. D. The present building,
the third to be erected by the Har-
mony flock upon this spot, was COM
Epleted early in 1914. The first SER
mon in the new building being
preached by Rev. G. G. Hutchinson
in March, 1914. 1t is the custom of
the Methodists not to dedicate a
house Of worship until all indebted
ness is. paid and for that reason the
formal dedication was postponed.
Having paid all indebtedness upon
the building, the dedicatory service,
was held last Sunday.
Sremon by Bishop John c. Kilgo.
Before the appointed hour arrived
for the service to begin, the build
ing was filled to its utmost capacity,
the normal seating capacity having
been increased by the addition of
about 200 chairs. Probably as many
persons had to remain outside as
were provided for in the building.
Seated upon the rostuum were Bish-
op John G. Kilgo, his brother,
Presiding Elder J. w. Kilgo, Rev.
j. r. Walker, Rev. B. ]. Guess and
the present pastor of Harmony. Rev.
J. H. Thacker. Rev. Mr.. Guess
served Harmony as pastor about
eight years ago.
As most of the people present
knew Bishop Kilgo, either person.
ally or by reputation, to be an in.
tellectual giant and man of great
spiritual power, one who has but
few peers in the ministry of any faith
or creed, they expected a powerful
discourse, one altogether out of the
usual order, and in this the y were
not disappointed. He began by Civ
ing his conception of the Deity as
taught in the Bible and throughout
the entire discourse emphasized the
importance of teaching eternal
truth rather than the things that
are temporary and feeting. Bishop
Kilgo said God is not an inherent
quality but when He comes He
comes from the outside and from
above. He is not on a horizontal
plane as would be competitive
force. He comes from the heights
above and we ale commanded to
look, to look up, and it is this pri-
NAL or fundamental fact alone that
distinguishes our religion from the
religions that men have set up from
human events and human history.
Bishop Kilgo referred to the reli-
gion of the Greeks which was found
eu on human ideals, without any
eternal sovereignty, without any an
chorage in faith. The Bishop said
men are disposed to look for God
on the dead-level of material things
and as result some have brought
forth a scientific theology. But
hessaid, he wants no God that can
be chemically analyzed or marked
off by an engineer into territorial
sections. By such reasoning you get
nowhere. God placed himself in the
eternal heights far above men. He
said every description of God,
-