Dedication at Bethel, Wisconsin
By Alonzo T. Jones
Sunday, May 24, the new meeting-house at Bethel, Wis., was dedicated. About three hundred and fifty people were comfortably seated in the new house, and enjoyed the services. There was a general meeting of the conference workers at Bethel, May 21-26, so about all the ministers and other conference workers were present at the dedication; and of General Conference workers there were present P. T. Magan and A. T. Jones. As the Woodland Academy is at Bethel, and as the school was still in session, the students of the school had the benefit of the services of evenings and Sabbath and Sunday; and also had the benefit of the visits, in the school exercises, of the conference and general workers. The educational work, as well as the other branches of our work, was considered in the meetings. Woodland Academy is a success, and is another excellent demonstration of the wisdom of getting our schools far away from the cities in country places where students and teachers can till the ground and engage in mechanical and other industries. The dedicatory sermon was preached by Elder A. T. Jones, and the prayer was offered by Elder Wm. Covert. For the average meeting-house, this house is the best arranged for room, convenience, ease of speaking, etc., that I have ever seen. It is built in the form of a Greek cross, the spaces 50 x 60 feet the longest way. It has two wide entrances, and an ante-room. It has also what I have never seen before in any of our average meeting-houses—a neat little room connected with the pulpit platform, in which are a mirror, washstand, bowl, pitcher, and water, and hooks for coat, hat, etc., for the use of the minister; a place where the minister before standing in the pulpit can arrange his toilet. Every minister can recollect many occasions when he has arrived at the place of meeting only after a long trip, with soiled hands, disarranged hair, and dusty face; and for lack of conveniences for washing was compelled to stand and speak and conduct services in the name of the Lord, in this uncomfortable and unbecoming condition. How refreshingly welcome at such times would have been just such a dainty little place as is this minister’s room in the Bethel meeting-house! May its number be mightily increased in the land! The house is well built, with a high basement, and is furnace heated. It cost, complete, $2,500. And the work was so economically done that a practical builder present, said that he would not want to take a contract to duplicate it for less than $3,200. The same plan can easily be adopted on a smaller scale. And I would recommend to all our churches that are contemplating building, that they communicate with Elder Wm. Covert, Bethel, Wis., with reference to the plan of this house that they have built at Bethel. I am sure that for economy of space, material, and expenditure, and for excellence of arrangement, this plan will be found well worthy of consideration by all. The meetings in connection with the dedication of the Bethel house of worship were a blessing to the church, to the school, and to all visitors present. The blessing attending this meeting was only a part of that which is attending the work throughout the whole State. At the general meeting there were presented calls for baptisms to be attended to in twenty-six separate localities in the conference. And the number of persons waiting for baptism in these places is about one hundred. And many of these in places where the ministers have not been especially working. From this meeting the ministers go to visit these localities and baptize these waiting ones before the tent work begins; as the tent season is late this year on account of wet and cold weather. In the conference this year there will be five tents operated, besides considerable work to be done in halls and schoolhouses in localities where there are now good interests, and from which there are urgent calls. Thus may it be in all conferences in the United States and the whole world.