The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-11-10

man, G. y. Williams, William
Hood, w. $. Brown, DIR. Perry,
Ex-Governor ID. ID. Conner and
others got In behind him, there
was erected ON the corner OF
sixth avenue and Nineteenth
street the present building which
for more than n quarter of a
century has been IA power not
only in the life of the Mctho-
dists of the community but I'm the
lives OF nil.
Its a strange thing that DR.. Rid
dick, who built the church, left with
out having preached in it. 1t was
dedicated by Bishop Keener the Sdn-
day before the conference of 1891.
Dr.. Coke Smith, afterwards bishop,
preached the evening service. But
later DR.. Riddiek was transferred
back to the North Alabama confer
ence from the California conference
and got to preach in the handsome
house OF worship, which had been
built years before under his wise
leadership.
My friendship with the pastors of
the First Methodist church began
with DIR. Riddick. Then came the
sanity DR.. j. e. Morris, one of the
most beloved and consecrated men
who ever served the church, and who
lives here today in his old age to
bless every one who comes within his
presence. and who is serving the
church he once pastored by giving
his time to visiting the needy and
the sick.
Then came DIR. George r. Stuart
work and made q host of friends. DR..
McFerrin who succeeded him was h
whole-souled Tennessean who made
his impress on the community, lit
was after him that DR.. Riddick served
his second time). Dr. j. A. Duncan's
pastorate brought to Birmingham a
man of scholarly habits and he left
behind him many admirers who en-
joyed his preaching and got pleasure
out of his society. Bishop Morrison
appointed DR.. l.. c. Branscomb, now
editor of the Alabama Christian Adj
vocate, the first conference man to
receive the appointment, and he made
good as a preacher, as a pastor, as u
religious force in the civic life of the
city. and is still making good as an
editor. DIR. j. w. Johnson, one of
the youngest ministers to get such
choice plum made a record of which
ne has a right to be proud. Io fol-
lowed DR.. Branscomb.
DIR. Stuart Takes Charge
Then came DR.. George r. Stewart,
but George Stuart as everybody
calls him cannot be handled In
paragraph, and therefore for lack of
space must Just mass for what he is
force for righteousness and loved
by the whole city. 1t was under his
leadership that the largest and best
equipped Sunday school annex in the
country was built at a cost of more
than s150.000. and taken together
with the handsome church makes one
of the finest religious plants in
America.
Associated with DIR. Stuart in the
pastorate is Rev. j. ID. Hunter. who
undertook a difficult job in holding
together a great congregation dur
ing the months when DR.. Stuart was
away on account of his health, and
he did it like a man. DIR. J. C. Nor
ris is visiting pastor. Harry Dem
man has charge of the work of the
young people. j. A. Vann is chair
man OF the board of stewards, and
Frank Dominick. is superintendent
of the Sunday school. But behind
pastor and assistants and officers
is band of consecrated men, women
and children who have put across
every demand made on the First
church and made 1t the tower Of
strength It is In southern Methodism