Salt Lake Telegram | 1949-10-29 | Page 7 | Churches Plan to Observe Merger Rites

Churches Plan To Observe Merger Riles By STAN BOWMAN Salt Lake's two Cqngregg-tional Cqngregg-tional cfiurchea Phillips, ettab-liahed ettab-liahed In 188T and First, established estab-lished In 1865 will hold official merger services Sunday at 11 aum. in First church, 4th Beat and 1st South. The combined church afterward after-ward will meet In First Congregational Congre-gational church, with the Phillip's Phil-lip's church building maintained only until it can be sold, board of trustees members said. Sunday's Service Sunday's service will include . the telling of each church's history his-tory by lay members. Rev. George J. Weber, minister, First Congregational church, will be In charge and Dr. J. Frank Robinson, Rob-inson, preacher at Phillips church two years, will deliver the sermon. Phillips Congregations! was originally a "new weat" school, powaorcd by the 43oei gre gatteeioa- -faith prior to the daya of the public school. It was known as Pilgrim school and was located In the downtown area. In about 1885, members used an adobe - building at the present location, where the church was organised in 1887. Regular Minister Rev. John E. Hurlbut was the first regular minister. Under the leadership of Rev. P. A. Simp-kin, Simp-kin, the present Phillips church waa built in approximately 1903. First Congregational church held the first church services other than Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake valley. Members met for many yeara in the old Independence In-dependence hall, built by the church in 1865. The present church was dedicated dedi-cated Jan. 22, 1893. Rev. Weber haa been minister since 1938. When built, Phillips church waa on the outskirts of the city. Now, due to modem transportation, transporta-tion, the proximity of the two churches makes unification practical, prac-tical, church- of ficisls said.