WESLEY'S CHAPEL

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 4, 5 July 1927, Page 17

WESLEY'S CHAPEL

"CATHEDRAL OF METHODISM"

RESTORED AND ENDOWED

(From "The 1 Post's" Representative.) LONDON, 4th May.

Sir Kingsley Wood, M.P., gave a luncheon at the Hotel Cecil to mark the completion of tho:Wesley's Chapel renovation and endowment efforts for which,:jointly with' Mir. H.Dawson, he has acted as treasurer. Since 1920 a total.of £23,749 has been: raised for the funds, aud the whole of the historic premises in City road have been put into excellent condition.

. Sir. Klngsley Wood proposed the toast of the health of the Eev. George H. M'Neal, superintendent minister of the chapel. He said, that they were able to record that John Wesley's chapel, the historic cathedral of Methodism, regarded by some 30^000,000 Methodists in all parts of the world, as a sacred place,:was now completely restored and provided with adequate endowment. Its condition had for a long time been a reproach and unworthy of the largest Protestant body, in "the world. The chapel had been restored with care and regard to its original conception by its great-builder, who, when he opened it, ■described it as "perfectly neat, but not fine." They could amend that to-day because Wesley's Chapel now was in many respects a very beautiful building. Many of its old features still remained. ' The pulpit from which Wesley .preached and the original Communion rail were two of the things they all liked, to see when they went to the chapel. John Wesley's tomb had been gut in a fit condition, worthy of a man whose greatness grew with the years. (Hear, hear.) Other historic graves had also been restored. Wesley's house had been thoroughly renovated and refurnished arid many thousands of people were able to visit it.

MONEY FEOM ALL OVER THE WORLD. He was gad to say that,the money had been raised from all over the world. They had a specially generous gift from Mr. Andrus, of New York, but he thought one of the most gratifying features had been the multitude of very small sums that had been received. They had received' the . support and sympathy of other churches as well as their own.-;- ; AH: who had been associated with' the- chapel did not regard it as a famous museum,, but rather as a living ; church. 1 ■ (Cheers.) It did not live onlyin; the-past, but was a centre to-day of :WesleyanMethtidism, full of life and influence. r Dr. Scott Lidgett, who supported the toast, said that no cathedral was more closely connected with the vital Chris-' tian interests of mankind ' than was Wesley's Chapel. Among those who were present at the luncheon were:-rSir Graham Wood, Sir William Seager,. Sir W. Hart Sudgen, M.P., Dr. Dirisdale Toung, the Eev: Owen S. Watkins, Mr. Charles Boot, Mr. C. G. Ammony.M.P.i and "Gipsy"' Smith. . •/■■■ -.•-. ■-, ■■:■