Article March 16, 1907 Issue

AMONG THE CHURCHES

The edifice of Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist, of Chicago, 4840 Madison Avenue, was dedicated Sunday, Feb. 24. The three services which were held, at 10.45 in the morning, 3.30 in the afternoon, and 7.30 in the evening, were exactly alike, and at these services there was no departure from the usual simple form, except that just before the singing of the second hymn a letter written to Mrs. Eddy by a committee from the Boards of Directors and Trustees was read, and in place of making the usual announcements, the First Reader, Mr. John Stuart Coonley, gave a short church history and dedicatory address. The simplicity and sweetness of the service was remarked by many. At the three services there was a total attendance of more than three thousand persons. This church was organized Jan. 9, 1903, with 273 members, and held its first service in a rented hall Sunday, Jan. 11 of the same year. On July 28, 1904, ground was broken for the edifice just dedicated, the corner-stone was laid Oct. 8, 1904, and the first service was held in the completed building Aug. 20, 1905, at which time the membership was 494 and has since increased to 618. The Sunday School in connection with the church was opened Jan. 11, 1903, with an enrolment of 49 children, which has increased to 229 at the present date.—Correspondence.

There was a remarkable meeting in the lecture room of the Rochdale Public Hall on Saturday afternoon, "to hear testimony of healing and other benefits derived from Christian Science," the system founded by Mrs. Eddy of Concord, N. H., U. S. A. It will probably be news to most of our readers that a Christian Science Society has existed in Rochdale for three years. Services are held at the Public Hall every Sunday, and the members have a Reading Room in Baillie Street. Testimony meetings are held twice monthly. A great deal of interest centered in Saturday's meeting, and the lecture room was densely crowded. It was a representative gathering, in which members of all classes were present, from fashionably dressed ladies to humble working-class folk. The company was, however, far from being confined to Rochdale people. Visitors came in fairly large numbers from Manchester, Liverpool, and other places. The meeting began with the singing of Mrs. Eddy's hymn, "Shepherd, show me how to go;" followed by the reading of passages of Scripture and extracts from the Christian Science text-book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." The reading was followed by a period of silent prayer, after which the Lord's Prayer was repeated audibly. Then came something like an hour devoted to testimonies.

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