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. Second Section Second Section ATHENS, GA-, SUNDAY M ORNING, DECEMBER 19, 1915. The New $50,000 First Christian Church is the Last Word in Modern, Splendid Place of Worship ton County, Pa., formed “The Chris tian Association of Washington,” and in September of the same year issued a remarkable Declaration and Ad dress, deploring the tendencies of party spirit and hurtful division among Christians and the 'enforce ment of human interpretations of God’s Word in place to the pure doc trine of Christ. The principles of this address were cordially indorsed by Alexander Campbell, and in the following year (1810) he began publicly to urge them. The first organization was (Written for the Banner.) Ii^the new social era in' our mod em civilization, 6ome organization must become the educative influence toward rlgher civic ideals. What or ganization can better accomplish this task in any community than the church? There is developing rapidly in many churches a desire to serve the community at the point of need— .wherever and whatever that may be, by providing a centre for social and recreational activity as well as pre paring to minister to the spiritual side of man’s nature- according to our usual methods. Fdr Athens, the challenge has been accepted and ef fectively meft by the First Christian church in its new church or commu nity house, which has . been planned and designed to meet all the varied requirements of such an institution. A building that shall stand “always open-doored to every breath from heaven,” one that will fully care for when desired to the same extent. This building is arranged to accom modate all except the two lower-ele mentary departments of a completely graded departmental school, with the necessary adjuncts.' The opening of the great doors—effected in a mo ment—secures a complete combina tion of the two auditoriums; the pul pit and superintendent’s platform uniting; places the speaker central of the combined audience of 1500 seat ed in a semi-circle and without in creasing the distance of any one from the speaker, every person can 6ee and hear perfectly. The open baptistry is so located that it may 'be used in connection with either auditorium or both when in combination. (Directly .back of the pulpit and ovey the baptistry is the organ loft arranged for an adequate pipe organ, connecting with and play ed from a console located in the choir loft, the organ case forming the reredos and enclosure and trim about t re fumed oak and the woodwork throughout th building is stained to match. The massive ends are quar ter sawed, while the backs are of plain oak. Tne pews were bought of the Budde & Weiss Co., of, Jack- son, Tenn., who have seated some of the finest churches in the country in the past few years. The Sunday school rooms and the Sunday school auditorium are seated with chairs. This building stands uiique among ,the many community houses of the country, in that it provides perfectly for the various activities undertaken by the modem church without sacri ficing any interests. To efficiently minister to these many requirements, one would expect a complicated and expensive building. Yet this is a model of completeness, convenience, simplicity and economy in its every arrangement and appointment. The exterior design is a simple, dignified adaptation of the Renais sance style to modern conditions. Handsome New Church to Have Five Services Today- Dr. Yeuell of Chicago to Preach Dedicatory Sermon.—Foimer Minis ter, Rev. W. A. Chastain, to be Present.-Interesting Pro gram Arranged.-Description of The Magnificient New Building.-Something of the Present Minister, Rev. S. R. Giubb. Mahoning Baptist Association. In 1823 Mr. Campbell began publishing “The Christian Baptist,” and his teachings soon attracted universal at tention. Opposition was aroused and his views were denounced as hetero dox, but large numbers accepted them. Many new churches were or ganized under his labors and those of Welter Scott, and the Baptists be gan to declare non-fellowship, with those who pleaded for the Bibie alone, thus forcing these brethren to organ ize themselves into separate commu nities. This was in 1827, and from this Ume may be dated the rise of the people known as Disciples of Christ, In 1831 the followers of Barton W. Stone in Kentucky, and of Alexander Campbell in Virginia and Pensylvania united. For the next thirty-five years Mr. Campbell was the foremost figure in the movement. >. During this period the foundation of the future work of the Churches of Christ were firmly laid. These were in the printing press, the local con gregation, evangelism, and the col lege. The country was sown with tracts and papers, chief of which was “The Millennial Harbinger,” founded and edited by Mr. Campbell. This was the begining of the Chris tian church press. Evangelists went everywhere preaching the Gospel. The world has never seen a more power ful, brilliant, dramatic, or effective evangelism than the pioneering done by these early Disciples in the great new; West where the seeds of the na tion were being planted in the soil of ^earth's greatest continent. In addl- tin.i ' rt. 1.i... (S.llni.. ' _ f n — -3 i ■— ^ - THE NEW FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Fifty Thousand Dcjlar Place of Worship to be Dedicated Today With Notable Exercises. vision when finished 'for every activ ity of the church as well as the so cial and recreational service of the community. The church building being dedicat ed for the First Christian church of Athens consists of an auditorium of the popular pulpit-in-the-corner type, bowled floor, amphitheatrical seating, and provided with a three seat horse shoe galery having a seating in pews for about 600. At the back of the auditorium on two sides are located two large parlors (below and | four large class rooms and a study above on the gallery floor; these six large rooms all open into the auditorium, reinforcing the same when desired, by adding about 100 seatings. Ample ingress and egress is pro vided by three entrance vestibules, lo cated at the three back corners of the auditorium, with ample and well distributed stairways to the upper rooms and gallery. Directly connecting with the audi torium at one side, is a modern, down- to-date Bible school room, consisting of a large rotunda, surrounded on three sides by about twenty class rooms in two tiers, with connecting balcony; all provided with ample and Independent entrance and exit stair ways, etc., convenient and accommo dating a school of 500 alone; this reinforces the auditorium the baptistry. The basement extends under the entire building, and (being lighted two sides and depress ed lot on two, gives practically all of the advantages of a story above In the basement are located . The broad, ample entrance steps leading up from the corner to a wide inviting porch, located between the two similar facades which front either street, consistently binds the two fronts of the building together and with the well proportioned dome surmounting the intersection of roof in happy combination of the color in the materials used, gives one a favor able impression of the building from the very first. And while the Sun day school building has a separate en trance of a different but harmonious character, there is a consistency and blending of design and detail of the whole that suggests a unity of pur pose, avoiding the unfortunate and deplorable effect of- a discordant group of buildings so often the re sult of similar combinations. 'For the design of this beautiful and complete building the community is under obligations to Mr. George W. Kramer of New York. For forty odd years he has specialized in this particular class of buildings. He is the originator of what is known as the “Akron Plan” of church build ings which has become so popular that three-quarters of all non-liturgi- cal churches in the United States are today based on some form of the Kramer plans. The. local committee which has had the construction of this church in and expresses its ab solute confidence iin Mr. Kramers ability and judgment. He as proved REV. HERBERT YEUELL, D. D. Chicago Divine Who Will Preach the Dedicatory Sermon Today for the New First Christian Church, This City. ground. rooms for the Beginners’ and Primary Departments of the Sunday school, an ample mothers’ room, etc., with a hall that connects directly with fqur 1 main entrances. Under the Bible ♦ + + ♦ * ❖. -I- ❖ ❖ ❖ Program of the Day. ♦> Bible school, 10 o’clock a. m. ❖ Dedication, 11:16 o’clock, a. 4- Minister. For Jehovah God is a sun and a shield: Jehovah will give grace and glory; No good thing will he withhold trom them that walk uprightly. All. O Jehovah of hosts Blessed is the man that trusterth in thee. Anthem—“Clap Your Hands”—Ga briel. Announcements. Sermon by Dr. Herbert Yeuell.' Offering. Dedicatory Exercises, The Minis ter. Reading of eighty-fourth Psalm by Minister and Congregation. PSALM 84. Minister. How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Jehovah of hosts! Congregation. My soul longetb, yea, even fainteth for the courts of Jehovah; My heart and my fiesh cry out unto the living God. Chorus. Yet, the sparrow hath found her a house, And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, Even thine altars, * Congratulatory services, 3:30 ❖ * o’clock, p. m. 4* * Christian Endeavor meting, 7, ❖ o’clock, p .m. * * Preaching, by Dr. Yeuell, 8 *F * o’clock, p. m. The handsome new First Christian church will be dedicated today—the last service being the Bible school in the old church this morning at ten o’clock, and then The congregation moves into new quarters. The new building hasi been com pleted—a building on which the low est contract bid was for more than 950,000—a monument to the loyalty and devotion of one of the finest con gregations in the South, a building modern and handsome and adapted loathe latest demands on a church edi fice. There will be no fewer than five services for the church today. These services are noted in the epitomized program of the day at the first of this article. The complete program of the exer cises of these services is here given as prepared by the minister and the committee of arrangements for the day—and there is appended a history of the denomination, a history of the local church, a sketch of the minister, and a pretty complete description of the new building. * To any or all of the services of the day a cordial invitation has been ex tended to the people of Athens. O Jehovah of hosts, My King and my God. Minister. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: They will still be praising thee. Congregation. Blessed is the man whose strengths in thee; In whose heart are the highways to Zion. Chorus. • * Passing through the valley of Weep ing they make it a place of springs; Yea, the early rain covereth it with blessings. Minister. They go from strength to strength; Everyone of them appeareth before 'God in Zion. All. ^ O Jehovah, God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of Jacob. Minister. Behold, O God our shield And look upon the face of thine anointed. Chorus. For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. V A*. I had rather be a doorkeeper In the house of my God Than to dwell in the tents of wick edness. further Scripture and Prayer. Benediction Hymn No. 199. Communion Service. Solo—‘My Redeemer and My God” —Prof. Jackson. Congratulatory Service, Brief Talks by; Visiting Ministers and others. Hymn No. 196 Benediction. (Written for the Banner.) V In the early part of the Nineteenth nr Cenutry, in different parts of the Uni- w ted States teachers arose simultacne- s ously among religious bodies who pleaded tor the Bible alone without c human addition in the form of creeds 1< or formulas of faith and for the union c of Christians of every name upon the f basis of the apostle’ teaching. James c O’Kelly, Dr. Chester Bullard and oth- a era In Virginia and North Carolina; ii Barton W. Stone with other men of p great intellect and soul in Kentucky; ii Walter Scott in Ohio, and Thomas o and Alexander Campbell In West Vir- r ginia—ministers of different denomi- a nations, unknown to each other—lift- t de up their voices against division in r the body of Christ. t In August, 1809, Thomas Campbell, s a Presbyterian minister in Washing-1 Evening, Seven O’clock. Christian 'Endeavor Prayer Meeting —(Herman Baker, president. Eight O’clock. Prelude-Orchestra-“Evening /Star” —Tanhausser. Hymn No. 674. Invocation. (Anthem—“The Earth Is the Lord’s" —Wilson. Scripture Lesson and Prayer. Hymn No. 10. Announcements. Sermon, Dr. Herbert Yeuell. Offering. Music—Orchestra—Funeral —Chopin. Hymn No. 141. (Benediction. Postlude—Orchestra THE FULL PROGRAM. Morning, Ten O'clock. Bible school, in the old church building. Eleven Fifteen O’clock. (Prelude—Orchestra—Fairy ales— March oxology, (Congregation standing.) (vocation. ymn No. 204. ‘ cripture Leson and Prayer—W. A.