The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1872-06-12
Church Business.

l do not pretend to have any fine spur
theories about it, or any professional knowl
edge of its forms; but | do know that al
business is and must be subject to business
laws. know that the business of a church
is dependent for its successful management
upon the same conditions as the business Of
a bank or counting room. know that what
will bankrupt a mercantile copartnershir
will Just as surely ruin an ecclesiastical one.
1 went down toyr This morning to do a
little shopping, and spent an hour trying to
make one dollar do what I should have had
two to do with. This errand resulted, Of
course, as l. knew it would, in my being
forced to ask credit in gace where ! paid
at least ten per cent. over the cash price.
Bu. what meant to say q the morning was.
that found the most ss merchent
e .est sss
Of pens and pencils, aad put themselves TO
the greatest expense in all business ma
Chinery.
Now, do you know that some of these
men are actually members of our church;
and though the pew rentals and annual sub
scriptions are fairly in excess of estimated
expenses, yet last year the church ran "be-
hind" nearly two hundred dollars? Of course
that may not seem very large to you in the
city, but it is a good deal to US. And the
same men who are daily laying up money
from their trade, wonder, and wOnder and
WONDER at each yearly exhibit-hOw it is
that the church is always "getting into
debit
l know just how it is. 1t is because the
church business is carried on in direct con-
travention of every rule upon which all busi-
ness success is founded.
1t was only last Monday morning that |
heard my husband and his two ministerial
brethren in this town comparing notes. There
are only three ministers in our village, and
they usually get together Mondays for
good talk. They met in my husbands study
this week., and, as the day was chilly, he
told me to bring in my sewing, where there
was fire. They began their talk about the
texts and sermons of ths de- before, but
were soon discussing 81 matters
&c +bo;r oovoral con, Rant;st
minister beoan # bi hand how
bo MO. no;d
"Wbv" he re, in ad.
vonco y bo oddoa
go yes T kp, 81
know that il our
church severa
ooros,can
/ tooa
husbands me 5
smooth the lat
it is full time tha en-,
with business al Amon
sense, should be i. matter of
business involving thousand
dollars year at / So 1 said,
what was Just the the four
years which we had So ace, there
had not been one passed /. Il showing a
deficit at its close. And as to being paid
monthly in advance, that was done for just
the first three months after coming here.
Now we receive it just as it happens, few
dollars at time, seldom until asked for by
one of us in person; to day the salary is
three full months behind-hand.
Then our Baptist brother stated his case.
The deacOns had promised him two years
before that his salary should be paid quar-
terly, but not in advance. 1t would, how
ever, be prompt, and if not collected by the
day, the balance should be borrowed and
made up to him. In two years that promise
had been kept once, or rather kept once
within fortnight. On the last quarter, now
two months overdue, one-half had been paid,
but that half was three weeks late, and the
other half was not heard from yet. His ex-
penses had been unusually heavy-for he
had been obliged to entertain visitors from
the city most of the summer-and now, as
he affirmed, he was ashamed to meet single
tradesman with whom he had any dealings
whatever, for he owed every one of them.
Then our Methodist brother told us that the
stewards had given him promises ''plenty as
blackSerries in August" and with two ex-
oeptions had never keD promise. When