The Hearse Ride...

(City Methodist, Gary Indiana).

HOW OUR CHURCH BEGAN

The development of Gary started in the early 1900's. During October 1906, the early settlers organized the first Methodist Church of Gary which later became known as City Methodist Church. Our church was the first Protestant church to be organized in Gary. At first the church services were held in Odd Fellows Hall at 6th and Broadway. As the membership grew, it was necessary to move to other locations and finally a church was built at 7th and Adams.

As the years passed and the membership continued to grow, Dr. William Seaman, pastor of City Methodist Church, saw the need for larger quarters. An opportunity presented itself at the 1919 Methodist Centenary, held in New York, where Dr. Ralph Diffendorfer, secretary to the Centenary Movement, interested Judge Gary of the U. S. Steel Corporation to help build our present church. The U. S. Steel Corporation took an active interest in building the church and gave 50% of the building cost of $650,000.

Due to rising prices, the $650,000 was not sufficient to build the building as originally planned with the result that reductions had to be made here and there. The lack of complete stained glass windows throughout the sanctuary is an example of some of the economies put into practice. While some mistakes are always expected in building, perhaps the most noticeable one is the mammoth pillars in the pew lines in the sanctuary. This error was due to the plot of the land on which the church is built being smaller than originally thought. This necessitated making the church smaller than originally planned.

The corner stone of the church was laid in 1925 by our pastor, Dr. Seaman. The building is constructed of Indiana Bedford Limestone and consists of a commercial wing; sanctuary seating 950 people including the choirs; Seaman Hall seats 997 people; Fellowship Room seats 200; numerous Church School rooms; large dining room and kitchen; a gymnasium; and a Mission Room filled with articles from foreign lands.

In the sanctuary, our four manual Skinner organ is one of the outstanding organs in Indiana. The fine hand-carved work above the altar was done by a brother of Anton Lang who played the part of Christus in the Passion Play in Europe for years. Judge Gary personally paid for the fine wood work. It was Dr. Seaman's wish that his body be creamated after death and his ashes placed in the sanctuary. His wishes were fulfilled and you may find an engraved copper plate marking the spot in the chancel.**

**(The Abandoned City Methodist Church) Gary, Indiana
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What is Faith?!?

Does anyone know, truly?!?

Faith is an invisible force within us, that believes ancient stories about a God who made earth.

Later sent his Son, to redeem us from our worldly sins, ... believing that this unseen FORCE has some power over our lives.

Repenting for misdeeds we know we have done, (like it matters) to the non-faithful, it doesn't.

Still loving those people who spew HATE like a second language, and trying to be their friends.

Believing all the while that doing such deeds will ensure at most an inch into HEAVEN. ...and at least, build up our humanity.