Evening star., 1944-05-20
BY CASPAR NAMES.

The grandeur of early American
architecture appears in the Ma
tional City Christian Church build
ing looming over Thomas Circle at
Fourteenth street and Massachu-
sets avenue NV.
Designed by John Russell Pope,
the edif1ce imparts sense of per-
manence in the columns at the en-
trance, the tower stretching sky
ward, the Hall of Welcome" foyer,
the spacious auditorium and the
semicircular chancel. A sculptured
wood reproduction of Leonardo de
Vinci's The Last Supper" stands
behind the communion table. On
a frieze above the chancel panels
are the words, This Do in Remem-
brance of Me"
The pew President James A. Gar
field used at the then Christian
Church at 1903 Vermont avenue
NV. is in the foyer. 1t was on a
Sunday morning in 1881 when
Charles j. Guiteau, who short
time later shot Garfield at the rail-
road station, climbed a ladder out
side the church building intending
to shoot the President. But Gar
fields mother was sitting next to
him, and the would-be assassin de-
scended without firing. Guiteau
had attended services at the church
several times that spring, the last
time making plans for the attack.
Incidents and personalities have
made history in the years since
six men met in December, 1843, at
the home of DR.. James T. Barclay
to organize the first Disciples of
Christ Church in the District. 1t
was during the rs years the con-
gregation met in homes and halls
that Gen. Garfield, then a Repre-
sentative in Congress, became a
member.
In 1859 the congregation moved
into its first permanent home on NJ
street between Ninth and Tenth
streets NV. Six years later DR.
Frederick D. Power became pastor
remaining until his death in 1911
A builder with a vision of the fu.
ture, he was the driving force for q
new structure to replace the build
ing sold in 1881. The new edifice
was dedicated in 1883. 1t was first
called the Garfield Memoria
Church, but eventually became
known as the Vermont Avenue
Christian Church.
DR.. Power, who said IT preach tc
a procession in Washington, was
succeeded by DR.. Earle Wilfley, who
retired in 1881 as pastor emeritus
A man of fine presence, good voice
and perfect diction, he carried hi.
early training as a Shakespearear
actor into the pulpit with impress.
sive results. On the Sunday nearest
Shakespeare's birthday he alway.
gave a reading from the dramatist'!
works, and once year he took the
lead in a play produced by the
Shakespeare Society of Washington
DR.. Wilfley played an important
part in the steps leading to tht
international convention, meeting ir
Memphis in 1925, voting to buile
the present National Brotherhood
Church in Washington. Defeating
the structure four years later, DR.
Wilf1ey inspirationally declared
Christ must be exalted here and ir
a way to make men see Him"
Another pastor of unusual gifts,
DR.. Raphael H. Miller, came in 1888
In the face of an economic depres-
sion he set his genius for raising
funds to the task of putting the
church on a sound financial foot
ing.
The church today has more than
1900 members. It's minister. the
Rev. DR.. J. Warren Hastings. has
made it "a church for people awav
from home" as we'll as for those of
Washington.
A native of Baltimore, he became
pastor in August, 1912. Serving in