The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1922-10-03

with the Vine street church the men,
bers Of other congregations Of Mt.
Vernon and neighboring places.
1t is estimated that SOC or more
visitors were served at the noon hour
in the dining room. These were from
practically every town and congre.
cation in Knox county, and not few
also from adjacent counties. Several
were here from Columbus.
The great congregation present at
tile fellowship service gave evidence
Of the kindly interest and fraternal
concern of sister churches in the vic
tory of the Vine street church. No
longer are the churches divided by
religious rancor and jealousy, but the
membership regard themselves rath-
er as units and members of regiments
and divisions of the army OF the Lord,
under one Leader.
The afternoon service was given to
opportunity for expression OF felici-
tation and friendly interest by the
pastors of sister churches and by
the spokesmen OF committees and so.
cieties of the Vine street church.
These all were quite happy and ex-
ccllently woNled, bringing in a deli
cate way the friendly feeling the
speakers and their churches enter
tain for the Vine st. people.
Among those speaking were the
Revs. A. d. Mink, w. II. Shields, DON
aid Wonders, David Pike, d. c. Co.
burn and s. ]. Cleeland. In behalf
of church organizations were Judge
Lewis B.Houck and j. A. Schaelfer
for the finance committee, John Ack.
erman for the Christian Endeavor So
ciety, Mrs. George McNabb for the
missionary society. The Ladies' Aid
society we'll might have had spokes-
woman, bat their modesty would not
permit them even to refer TO the part
they had taken in achieving this
splendid end
The Rev. ]. A. Long Of Wilmington,
former pastor of the church, under
whose charge the edifice was erected,
also spoke. At this time what he had
to say was of an informal and un.
studied character. He gave himself
to "reminiscences and anecdote recall
ing and accounting many things in
connection with the building cam
paign which at the beginning seemed
to Il be an exceedingly difficult, IL not
wholly impossible, ambition. He gave
rein also to his vein Of humor, many
times having his hearers in laughter
at his recital Of something which at
the time may have seemed serious
enough, but which now has only a
comical and mirth-provoking aspect.
/ Victory Service
At the evening service was sound
ed the note OF victory. Quite proper
| ly, this duty was given to the former
pastor, Rev. J. A. Long, who had been
present at all the services of the day.
That Faith Is the Victory was the
theme of the message he brought.
Taking his text from I. John, he pic
tured the conditions OF the time in
which John lived and OF which he
wrote. The small, weak bands Of
Christians were wholly surrounded
by great masses Of heathens. There
was brutality, excesses OF every kind,
extravaganza. dire poverty, and ex-
treme misery. In the midst Of this,
John wrote Of the overcoming life.
This reference led the spaker to re-
call how the Mt. Vernon church,
through the faith OF its people. has
overcome in the midst Of discourage
ments.
/ Against the conditions prevailing in
/ the time of John the apostle, the min
lister contrasted conditions as the
Christian finds them today. The per.
secution we are subject to, he said
is compromise. Continually we are
being urged or compelled to surren
der something through compromise
There is a great multitude Of perfect
lily good people, distracted by the cv
. eiyday affairs OF life. spending sc
much time in making a living thai
they have otime to make life.
. The spirit OF naturalization Is an
other prosecuting element. The worlt
, that challenges the Christian toda!
/, is a cultured society offering all sort
!. of inducements to lull into indiher
u ence in the campaign for the kingdom
l. of God.
The closing words OF the sermol
were an admonition not to be satisfie
with what has been done, but to cor
tinue to 60 forward.
The final feature OF the evenir
service was the destruction OF tn
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