Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-11-22
ST. Marks N. I.
TO CELEBRATE
Semi-C Centennial Service To
Start Sunday and Continue
One Week

TOTTENvILLE, Nov. %. - The
fiftieth anniversary celebration OF
St. Marks Methodist Episcop i
church Pleasant Plains will be OBJ
served with special services all next
week at the church beginning this
Sunday. Rev. T. G.. Spencer, dis
trict superintendent of the Eliza
beth District of the Newark confet-
ence will be the speaker at the
morning service on Sunday and Ri.
Rev. Bishop Luther b. Wilson, of
New York will be the speaker for
! the closing day on Sunday Decem-
)ber 3.
An elaborate program has been
arranged for the week in which for
mer pastors will be present to take
part. Rev. Albert Van Dusen, a re-
tired minister of the Newark con
ference the first pastor of the
church fifty years g will be here
for the service Sunday and speak in
the afternoon at 3 o'clock.
The program for the week fol-
lows: Sunday, Q a. m, service, Grant
Colfax fuller. speaker; 1890 a. m.
Rev. T. G. Spencer. district super
intendent; 8 p. m. Rev. Albert Van
Dusen; $3.50 p. m, w. B. Mimic;
1880 p. M, Grant Colfax fuller.
Monday, former pastors night;
Tuesday night lecture by Rev. New
ell Dwight Hills, subject: state of
Our Country" Wednesday, Al uplift
service; Thursday, music i enter
tainment; Friday, Home Coming
service, address by Rev. F. ]. HUI
b~ch, OF Newark, a former district
superintendent! Sunday, December
3, $3.50 a. m, Rev. J. II. Clifford, OF
the Bowery Y. M. c. A., Manhattan ,
will speak; 1880 a.. m, serm. 1, Ri.
Rev. Bishop Luther B. Wilson, D. D.,
L.. L. D.; 8 p. M, Rev. Jacob A.
Cole, of Arlington, N. j., formerlJ CT
Tottenville, speaker; $50 p. M, Miss
Agnes Witch; and 1880 p. m, pag-
cant, '@The Coming Of the May
flower" The Gloria Trumpeters
will assist in the opening Of the
semi-centennial.
st. Marks church has an interest
ing history and while the present
structure has stood for fifty y LIS
the foundations for the society was
laid as early as 1887 when a revival
held at Bethel church Tottenville
uI--3r Rev. milford took place.
\Bethe1 was then a part of the Wood
yrow charge. This revival had a
great influence upon Pleasant Plains
which resulted in the formation of a
class under the leadership OF
Thomas Butler. The class mel reg
ularly at the home of Nicholas La
Forge an old resident.
In 1841 another revival was held
at Woodrow under the ~pastorate of
Rev. Wesley Robinson, which re-
suited in another class being formed
in the upper part of the village for
the benefit of these new converts
and members connected with the
Woodrow congregation. William
Nance was assigned to this class,
which met in The old Joseph Bedell
home until the separation of Bethel
and Woodrow charges in 1912. The
first preaching service was conduct
ed in the old school house in 1884
vices were held regularly maintain
ed under the various pastors of
v. vodrow.
During the ministery of Abram
M. Palmer in 1861 a desire was
manifested by the worshippers in
the old school house for a more
comfortable place of worship. A
fund for this purpose was started
anu when the sum of $1,000 had
been secured the site on which the
present church edifice and parsons
ege are located were bought. 1t was
not until the pastorate Of the Rev.
jeremiah Cousins that the church
was built at a total cost of $500.
In 1872 the charge began its indie
pendent life, the congregation ovei :
ruling the decisions of the quarterly
conference to remain united with
Woodrow charge and the Rev. AL
bert Van Dusen was appointed the
first pastor fifty years ago. Rev.
mt. Van Dusens pastorate extended
from 1873 to 1876 and some six
years ago he was assigned to Wood
row church from where he was re-
tired two years ago.