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>TH F - !■ "'■ ,n “" (*- , B9ary) JnHl| wm IkT IW /■* II WL V}(i( Jl "■SIEIgTY IN the statO> ; VOLUJIE ONE. NO. TWENTY-NINE. Tie PONCE He LEON By REV. JUNIUS W. MILLARD, D. D. cLMORY UHW’ iU " N view of the fact that the new build ing of the Ponce de Leon Avenue Bap tist Church is soon to be opened, I have been asked by the management of The Golden Age to give an account of the organization of the church and the new new building it is soon to occupy. This I do most willingly, for with the true Atlanta spirit, I not only think that I Atlanta is the greatest city in this part of the world, but I also think that the Ponce de Leon Ave nue Baptist Church is the greatest in Atlanta, and that our new building is one of the prettiest and most convenient to be found anywhere. It is needless to say that I have a most ex alted opinion of Atlanta and this church, for this is the only city and the only church I would have left Baltimore to come to. In my opinion the organization of the Ponce de Leon Avenue church is the most important event among Southern Baptists since the organization of the Eutaw Place church in Baltimore thirty-five years ago. Indeed, they were both started in much the same way. Each began its life with a superb membership; not so large but, as it were, picked. It was the personnel of the membership among other things, that appealed to me so strongly to come to At lanta. The leader of the little band was ex-Governor Northen and everybody in Georgia knows what that means. With him were associated some of thebest spirit? Ju this But the strongest appeal was the opportunity afforded by the new church for real spiritual work. The church of which I was pastor in Baltimore had perhaps reached its full growth and all our efforts were exerted toward keeping it where it already w T as. I wanted an arena, not a nest. It w r as the opportunity in North Atlanta for real aggressive work that appealed so strongly to the gen tlemen who initiated the movement that resulted in the new church. There are some twelve or fifteen Baptist churches on the other side of the railroad, perhaps more; while on this side there are not more than two or three. In the lead of these three was the great First Church which had for years had it in mind to organize a branch in this rapidly growing section of Atlanta. Each year a committee had been appointed to consider the ad visability of such a movement, but nothing was done until the summer of 1904 when a committee, with Mr. J. W. Wills as chairman, recommended the es tablishing of a new church. The church was organ ized October 9th with 115 members. With characteristic zeal a committee with Mr. Geo. M. Brown as chairman, was immediately ap- ATLANTA, GA., SEPTEMBER 6, 1906. pointed for the building of a house of worship. Their work is almost ended, for on the sixteenth of this month we move into the main auditorium of as beautiful a building as can be found in At lanta. It is of semi-classical desgn, built of buff pressed brick, wth six Corinthian columns in front, and a copper dome that is almost an exact replica of the famous dome of St. Sophia in Constantino ple, wtih the excepton that ours has a lantern on top and that at Constantinople has not. While the building is stately without and handsome within, its chief feature is its convenience for our work. Special consideration of every feature of the ‘■■a. . • ■ The Ponce "De Leon 'Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia. church’s activity was had in making the plans, so that we have separate Sunday school rooms, pas tor’s study, social rooms, committee rooms, lavato ries and even a kitchen. One feature that is quite unique is the electric wiring throughout the build ing, not for electro lights but for communication by bells, and “buzzers.” The Sunday school superin tendent can communicate with every class room separately, with the pastor up in his study, or with the sexton, in the basement. The pastor, in his study, can, in his turn, communicate with all parts of the building and while seated on the platform can summon an usher from the vestibule, and even after going into the Baptistry can communicate by speaking tube with the organist in the choir gallery above. In all this we think this church is entrely in a class by itself. The Lighting. I think the lighting of the church also, is worthy of special mention; this has been so arranged that the effect is a diffused light rather than a concen trated brilliancy. This is produced by a num ber of incandescent lamps placed in the arches of the room and even a larger number concealed be hind the cornice of the dome. In no sin- gle case will any one seated in the pews look directly toward the light itself. We are exceedingly fortunate in being able to properly furnish the church at the very beginning with handsome stained glass win dows. Mr. Fred Cooledge gave to the church a large window for the main posi tion on the left of the auditorium and the church supplied the others to correspond with this one. These windows have been much admired and have already been copied in other cities. Unfortunately the organ will not be in place by the opening day. The contract has been let and the instru ment will be installed by December Ist. It is to be a three manual organ with thir ty stops, the peer of any organ in this city, and indeed, in the South. Naturally one may wonder as to the cost of the church and furnishings. I think that we have secured magnificent results for the amount invested. Our total plant including lot, and organ, will cost in the neighborhood of sixty thousand dollars. This has been made possible by judicious management on the part of the committee. I am very proud of this result in view of the fact that the congregation is neither large nor wealthy. Our total membership is now a little over two hundred and there is not one among them who is anything like a millionaire. As long as I am speaking of money, may I add also that during this year, characterized by building, our church has made no mean record in the mat ter of general benevolence? We have led every church in Atlanta in gifts to for eign missions; every church in Georgia in state missions and are tenth in the entire state for all missions combined. Os course I am not making odious comparisons, but I may be excused for hav ing a pardonable x achievements of such a noble people. For, indeed, they are a noble peo ple; willing, anxious and able. The opening of the church is to be characterized by a most attractive program lasting two weeks TWO DOLLARS A YEAR. FIVE NTS A COPY.