The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-01-29

CHURCH MAS
DEDICATED
PROGRAM CARRIED
OUT AND THE LARGEST OFFER
ING IN ONE DAY FOR ANY
CHURCH WAS RECORDED.

The dedication of the First Chris.
tian church OF this city yesterday
marked an epoch in church history of |
the state. Every detail of the pub |
lished program was carried out with !
the exception that DR.. Sniyely was so
exhausted that he was unable to |
preach the night sermon, and Dr. |
Burns, the pastor of the church, sup
piled his place, and preached an elO- |
quent sermon.
To DR.. Burns is the major part of
the credit due for the present eondi. |
ton of the church When he arrived
in this city to take charge a large
debt was casting a cloud over the CON
gregation, and it looked almost hope,
less. DR.. Burns, with characteristic
energy, took the helm with the result
that the church is now dedicated, owes
not a penny to any man, and has near
| ly four thousand dollars in the church
I treasury
The church building was started in
/ 1913, waen the congregation had just
$4OO in the treasury. Today the prop
erty is worth at least $4,000, without
an incumbrance of any kind hanging
over it, Even the paving tax, which
is not yet due is paid and as recount
ed above, has snug sum in the bank.
When the present building was start.
/ ed, the members raised a few thou
sand dollars, and they were supplied
! by the church extension board with
enough TO erect the walls and put
roof over their head 1t was poorly
! equipped, however, and was not the
most inviting church edifice eighteen
months ago, when DR.. Burns arrived
/ in the city and took charge of affairs.
He Immediately went to work to raise
sufficient funds to pay off all pressing
obligations, to purchase furniture and
equip the building as it should be,
with the result that with one eXcep.
tion it is the best equipped church Of
that denomination in the state and
one that every member is proud of.
In doing this, DR.. Burns was compelled
to run the Indebtedness of the church
from $4,000 to $12,5OO, and then he
began the task Of removing this obli-
cation.
1t is a rule of the church that a
building shall not be dedicated so long
as a debt hovers over it. Knowing
this, Dr. Burns set a date for the dedi.
cation with a firm faith that his people
would make good, and they did, yes.
| terday. With a debt of but S12 500,
there was raised at yesterdays ser.
vice $l5,67O. This is reported to be
the biggest Offering ever received by
any congregation in one day in Okla.
homa. With all debts paid, the First
| Christian church of this city is over
four thousand dollars ito the good
When DR.. Burns took charge here he
desired to have a modern church-onc
that was inviting to his own members
and the general public lie took par.
ticular pains TO study church architec.
ture, desiring to give the best, with
the result that the First Christian
church Of this city, with one excep.
tion, is the most valuable church prop.
erty of that denomination in the state.
The church was crowded to capacity
all day Sunday DR.. Snively, the offc.
ial church dedicator Of Lewistown, ILL.,,
preached the morning sermon, assist.
ed by DR. Burns. The choir. under
the direction Of Mrs. Adams, rendered
an elaborate program that was pleas.
ing feature Of the service, and alto.
gether the day was one that will long
4~te remembered by the members of the
church here.
The First Christian church of this
city boasts the second largest congre.
cation in Oklahoma. This result has
been largely due to DR.. Burns, who
is extremely popular with every per.
son Of whatsoever religious faith. He
is genial and broad.gauged He be
lieves in giving the glad hand Due
to his methods the church has grown
to It's present proportions
Yesterday the ladies of the church
served nearly 1900 meals during the
day, and every morsel was up to the
high standard always maintained by
the aid society Of the church.
On the whole, the congregation OF
the First Christian church is to he
congratulated upon i,s progressive.
ness, and to that progressive spirit a
full need OF praise must be given to
the pastor who has instllled the gin
ger" that makes such spirit possible.
Aside from the regular program,
several people were called upon for
short talks, and without dissenting
responded As first stated, yesterday