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May 5, 1909. THE PRESBYTERIA
Contributed
THE JOHN G. HALL MEMORIAL CHURCH,
CARDENAS, CUBA.
Cuba's heritage from Spanish rule is the block-houses
which dot the landscape, the great fortresses, such as
Morro and Cabanas at Habana, and the Roman Catholic
church. Small wonder that we hear of wars and
rumors of war until the people had thrown off the
galling yoke.
After the smoke of the struggle precipitated by that
affair of the Maine had cleared away, there appeared in
Cardenas a man who claimed to come on a mission of
peace and with love for the Cubans in his heart. He
opened a Sabbath school and held religious services at
stated periods. Immediately he was opposed and maligned
by the Romanists. His motives were impugned
and insinuations of a grave character were given currency
by his enemies. But in the spirit of the Master
"he opened not his mouth." Along the coast we see, at
times, some great rock that.juts out into the sea. The
storm hurls the waves against its face and lashes them
into fury, but when the storm abates and the waters
are cpueted, there is no sign of the tempest save an
added luster on the face of the rock. So it was with
this man of God. His life and his services were a
sufficient refutation of the false charges of his enemies.
Little by little, with the message of salvation upon his
lips, he lived and loved his way into the hearts of the
people, and when he died, many who had censured
now mourned his loss.
That man was the sainted Jno. G. Hall, who, at the
request of the Foreign Missions Committee, established
the work of the Southern Presbyterian Church
in Cuba.
ine seed sown by him and his worthy coadjutors,
and nourished by their faithful successors, have taken
root and are now bursting into the flower and fruitage.
A most significant evidence of this fact is found in the
circumstances leading up to and accompanying the
dedication, on the night of April 2, of the new Presbyterian
church here In Cardenas, fittingly called "The
Jno. G. Hall Memorial Church."
It is not the purpose of this letter to detail the
progress of the work from its beginning, though it
would be interesting history. Suffice it to say that
from the start the congregation began to plan and
pray for a church building, and about four years ago, a
goodly number of believers having been gathered in.
under the leadership of Rev. R. L. Wharton the plans
and prayers began to take shape. A lot, well located
near the heart of the city, was bought and paid for.
Steadily though slowly, the work of accumulating
funds for a building went on. Matters were brought
to a crisis last summer by the ejection of the congregation
from the chapel which had been in use for
several years, it having fallen into the hands of a Catholic
priest. It seemed a providential indication that the
time had come to build. Aided by friends and churches
in the States, notably the First church of Durham, N.
C., enough money was secured to begin. A few days
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before Christmas, the first dirt was broken; on the
first day of February the corner-stone was laid. There
has been fine weather and practically no backsets, the
building having been finished within a few days of
contract time.
The self-sacrificing giving on the part of the congregation
is a notable feature of the struggle to obtain a
church home. We are made to marvel, in some instances,
at the liberality. It is not simply a building
given by the Americans, but, in the truest sense, an
expression of self-sacrificing love by the members them
selves to their God.
The time set for the inauguration of the temple was
Friday, April 2, at 7:30 p. m. Every thing was in
readiness. Most heartily did the congregation sing the
opening song. "The Morning Light is Breaking." Rev.
H. B. Someillan, of Guanabacoa, a minister of the
Northern Presbyterian Church, preached the sermon.
It was a powerful Gospel message from Gal. 6: 14, "But
God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ." In the course of his remarks
he paid a fine tribute to the memory of the founder
of the mission whose name the church bears.
Rev. R T. Whartfin nn?r r\( fUo '-?1 - --?
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Cardenas, made a short statement, formally dedicating
the Jno. G. Hall Memorial church to the worship of
Almighty God. The dedicatory prayer was offered by
Rev. J. T. Hall, of Remedios. When the pastor requested
the congregation to stand and sing "Praise
God from whom all blessings flow" there was a response
that was unmistakable in its sincerity. Following
the benediction there were greetings, and felicitations,
and congratulations so abundant and so hearty
that our hearts were made to rejoice the more;
Of our own mission, there were present with us
Rev. J. T. Hall, of Remedios; Rev. H. F. Beaty, of
Placetas; Miss Edith Houston, of Caibarien, and Mrs.
T. G. Hall, 1-he widow of T?<?\r T CI T-T=>11 fnr
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the church is named. It was a great joy to the congregation
to have Mrs. Hall present, and certainly her
own heart must have been made to rejoice to see the
fruits of her own and her husband's labors.
But what about the congregation? There were four
hundred and thirty chairs in the building; these were
all occupied, and a number had to stand. Outside at
the windows the crowds gathered, some remaining
throughout the entire service, others going away because
unable to get in the building. A most remarkable
congregation it was, and the order and attention
were equally remarkable. There were numbers present
who had never attended a Protestant service before.
There fs one significant conclusion to be drawn from
the facts above stated, and it is this: Slowly, but
surely, the prejudice against Protestantism is giving
way in Cardenas, and Protestantism is being recog
nized as a beneficent force. May we buttress this conclusion
with a few individual instances?
Several years ago a woman joined our church here.
Her two daughters interposed such bitter opposition
that the mother refrained from church attendance.
Those two daughters were present at the dedication.
A man holding a public position of prominence, and
who probably had never attended a Protestant service