One hundred years ago on September 9, 1826, the first issue of The Christian Advocate was published in New York, and the September 9, 1926, issue is a Centennial Number which contains some mighty interesting reading and illustrations. It gives among many other interesting things, a glimpse of the city of New York 100 years ago, when its limits were not much larger than Lumberton’s present limits a statistical summary of the Christian churches in America in the early 19th century; historical notes on certain interchanges between the Methodists and presidents of the United States, notably Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt and Coolidge—and Coolidge’s signature, by the way, which is given, is something impossible to make out if you were not told what it was; and a Centennial Exposition of American Methodism.
Among the many interesting things in this number, in which one might browse for days with profit, is a picturesque account of the manners and religious customs of the people called Methodists in public worship a century ago.
The Discipline at that time contained the following question and answer: “Is there any exception to the rule, ‘Let the men and women sit apart’? There is no exception. Let them sit apart in all our churches.” And they did that same, no matter at what inconvenience. The middle aisle, or a partition half way between the two aisles, was a dividing line over which neither sex dared trespass. If in the course of the service a man ignorantly or otherwise seated himself on the women’s side, the sexton or one of the trustees would go to him even in the middle of the sermon and ask him to go to his proper place. The women’s side frequently would be crowded while there were vacant seats among the men—so we see the women beat the men going to church then, even as now—but the rule mu tnot be relaxed. Husband and wife could walk together to the church, but then had to separate, enter at different doors, get seats perhaps in distant parts of the house, and be seriously annoyed in finding each other at the close of the services, especially in the evening.
There were three sermons on Sunday, at 10:30 a.m. at 3 p.m., and at 6:30 or 7 or 7:30 p.m., according to the time of the year. Sunday school met at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. As the sermons usually lasted three-quarters of an hour or longer, usually longer, it will be sean that Sunday was a fairly busy day.
Modern Methodists and folks of other denominations who find it hard to get up n time for Sunday school at 9:30 and creak and groan over two short preaching services, oftentimes finding excuse for missing one service, might have had some real cause for complaint if they had lived in those “good old days.” They took their worship seriously in those days. But it hasn’t been any hundred years, nor half that many, since the practice was abandoned in some churches of the brethren and the sisters occupying separate parts of the church.
From page 4 of the Robesonian, Lumberton, N.C., Monday, Sept. 27, 1926
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn84026483/1926-09-27/ed-1/seq-4/
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