The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1915-05-20
THE NEW CHURCH
IS DEDICATED
A&EEElN
MEMORABLE DAY FOR osKA.
LoosA OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
a6EEAsS
FIFTY ADDED TO MEMBERSHIP
Former Pastors Take Part in Ser
vices and clersymen Of City Elk
tend congratuiations-ttistory
and Description of Church.

Oskaloosa's handsome new house
OF worship, the home of the First
CongI egational church, High avenue
east and Fourth street, was fit
tingly dedicated Sunday, May 10, with
appropriate services before a large
congregation. Four separate pro
grams or services marked the day.
the Bible school at 9:45 o'clock a. M,
under the direction of Superintend-
ent c. A. Williams; the church ser
vice at 1915 o'clock, at which the
formal dedication of the new editice
took place; Fellowship meeting and
Communion at $3.50 o'clock p. m, at
which churches of the city were rep,
resented by the Ministerial Associa-
ton, and the formal evening service
and sermon at 500 o'clock. All
services were largely attended, the
new house being filled almost to ca
pacity and the days program was a
great and an inspiring success. The
Congregationalists OF, Oskaloosa have
entered upon new period of growth
and prosperity and with the new thir.
ty thousand dollar temple located on
one of the most advantageous and
beautiful of sites, the organization
must go forward to greater useful.
ness and accomplishment.
Dedication of the new building was
made the occasion for the presence
OF a number of ministers of the church
and former pastors of the Oskaloosa
organization. Rev. j. h. Snowden
came from his home in Cedar Falls.
and Rev. J. b. Adkins of Montour,
both former pastors here, were pres
ent for the days celebration. Rev.
p. A. Johnson of Grinnell was master
of ceremonies of the day. Rev. B.
town, and the venerable Doctor Doug
las OF Grinnell also responded. A
number of the resident ministers
participated in the afternoon pro-
gram.
Many New Members.
+ Sunday was a memorable day for
the good people of the Congregation
al church. All services were OF a
superior character, marked by dig
nifty, by sincerity and beauty that
was impressed upon all members and
visitors. One of the features of the
day was the acquisition of about fifty
new members for the organization.
The church is taking on strength
from the beginning of its occupancy
of the new home. In the reception
of new members the special Ceremon-
les were particularly impressive.
Appropriate music was provided by
the orchestra under direction of G. l..
Farmhouse who also contributed to
the musical program with cornet
numbers and there were special eff
forts at all services by the choir.
Miss Leora Price contributed a solo
at the afternoon program. The pre-
lude to the morning service, Joy To
the World" composition for orches-
ira by Farmhouse, seemed to have
special significance for this occasion.
Order of the services of dedicatory
Sunday were arranged with rare
Judgment. Rev. Johnson of Grinnell
opened the dedicatory service with
an appropriate prayer. Responsive
reading was led by Rev. Adkins OF
Montour and Scripture lesson by
Rev. Martin of Marshalltown. DR..
J. L. Snowden of Cedar Falls touched
many hearts with a prayer that
spoke of other days. II. S. Howard
gave an informal statement of the
financial condition of the church and
the building enterprise. Ceremonies
attending the reception of new mem
bers were impressively conducted by
Rev. Johnson.
The morning sermon was brief but
excellent. II was a discourse upon
Standards of Christianity" and it
fitted nicely into the days program.
1t was not lengthy and the minister
was blessed with the faculty of max.
ing his words measure up to the ex-
pectations of his congregation. Par
ticularly impressive was the formal
act OF dedication by minister and
church membership and the dedica-
tory prayer by Doctor Douglas. Bene-
dietion was pronounced by Rev. Ad
kins.
Fellowship Meeting.
Another special and interesting
feature of the day was the Fellowship
meeting and Communion held during
the afternoon at which pastors of the
city were represented through their
Ministerial association.
Rev. Charles s. Farley of the
Christian church read the Scripture
lesson and was followed by prayer
by. Rev. w. H. Perdew of the Central
Methodist church. Greetings, on the
part of the. Ministerial association,
were extended in formal way
through Rev, Alexander ,McFerran OF
the First Presbyterian church, who
had. a message weighted with good
things and sound advice. Doctor
Snowden, on the part of the church,
made response Rev. J. E. Snowden,
be II known, served the local Congre-
gational pulpit for term of seven.
teen years, coming to the city in
1871. His mind turned back to that
old day and he told of interesting
times and things in a way that held
the closest attention. His address
was OF happy character and its good
humor was contagious. But thrust
ing aside the lighter things he spoke
in a vein Of seriousness that moved
every one who heard him. Special
service, at the conclus-
lon of the afternoons program, was I
conducted by Rev. Snowden and |
Rev. douglas. Benediction by Rev.