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Methodist Then and Now
[Welland Telegraph, 11 January 1901]
Mr. Jacob Crow, familiarly known in the Methodist church as Father Crow, spoke last Sabbath morning at the close of the sermon. He is a very remarkable man for his years, being 90 years old on the 12th of August last. It is very seldom indeed that we meet any one who carries his years so easily and so well. Mr. Crow has been a Methodist for many years and has seen the church of his choice and love grow from very humble beginnings to its present strength. He knew of the first Methodist church built in Toronto in 1818, a frame structure 40 feet square, costing about $250. At the present time there are in Toronto 32 Methodist churches, valued at over one million dollars, with a membership of about 13,000, and nearly 17,000 teachers, officers and scholars in the Sunday schools.
The number of ministers and probationers in the Dominion is 2,032, with a membership of 284,902, and 267, 654 S.S scholars.
The value of the churches alone, to say nothing of the parsonages and furniture, is upwards of 11 million.
The yearly income of the Missionary Society for the Dominion is now more than a quarter of a million dollars, and in less than 2 years since the inception of the 20th Century Fund movement nearly one million dollars has been raised for it. All this has been compassed within the life of Mr. Crow.
Those members who may not have been present on Sabbath morning will no doubt be encouraged by these facts and figures. Well might we say, “What hath God wrought!” Is it not also encouraging to the workers in connection with the other Christian churches. We have entered upon a New Year and a new century; let us have increased zeal so that when the Bridegroom cometh we may have our lamps trimmed and burning and oil in our vessels.
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