The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-04-02
A BADLY MIXED CHURCH.
COLORED BRETHREN WITH GREf1
FINANCIAL TROUBLES.

\ Pastor -uinR for Ills Sniarv-A Hint that q
Policy shop has Captured some Of the 30
cictv Fuuds-Tricks of the Opposition.
Ten or more years AGO the oolorod rosh
dents " the Sixteenth and Nineteenth Wards ot
wnHamsburgh established a Baptist Church.
and huilt small bricK edlHce in Montros
avenue. AZ usual the principal ornament wa
a mortgage. the interest ON which proved ~
nrs. stumbling block Of the congregation. I've
or three years Of seeming prosperity we're en-
joyed by the society and then a foreclosure q
the mortgage left them homeless. but through
the courtesy Of Col. ROehr we're allowed the uss
OF floor in the 4nzcfger building on the sans
block. which they afterwards hired and occupies
for year. Financial troubles overtakIng then
again they removed to small hail In HAIRLESS
avenue, near Gwinnette street, and here thu
suspicions of some of the CONGREGATION aru
found form In words. "Whars all dat ar monei
gone to :" was frequently asked. dat or tel
hundred dollahs what was ovah and allow
dat ar fohclosha." No satisfaction betni
obtained from the trustees, part OF the conere
cation seeded. and under the leadership oi
Brother Francis, a licensed preacher, wop
shipped in a basement In Gwinnette street. Ii
the spring Of 1870 the parent society moved u
the s,nsll frame building In Ralph avenue. neal
In ane, 1915. the church extended q csn y
the Rev. John ". W. Matthews, and he accept
give his services as pastor Tor t15 month. HI
| fulfilled mis- part Of the contract w to Jan. ~
| ana as he received no nay In that time he he
sued the church for $50.
FossiLIzED CHURCH.
Mr.. Matthews says that he accepted the call h
become the pastor" hopinc with the hcip OF thl
Lord against the " ighty to raise II from n 0eat
level to a living DeIpendlcular;;. when ,o9t
| found several things that were unsattsfacLorH
| The whole people mad necome fossiiizcd. cal
for a week OF PRAYER, earnest, telling prayer foi
| an outpOuriug OF grace only brought forth
| two members, and tue meetings closed
Of Christian charity then sought cw
the cause Of the apathy and found that " aIoss
| IRON the temporal Interests involved. The
monthly subscriptions were small, the oolleo-
tons smaller. the Board OF Trustees were the
! foreclosure Of the mortgage, and from that dag
| they hao never made financial report TO the
church-not single word could be got frou
! any Of them. The business was not carried On
| systematically, and determined Int radical
change was necessary, and got into hot water a.
| once. , eanwnile time rolled and my nrxl
| months salary became due. but no money did
receive. Coleman Royal. the irsasurer, coui4
TO mako o little memorandum In bis book
every sunday, out no one has been allowed 70
| see that book. | therefore announced from the
pulpit that as no reports could he received from
the Board of trustees should call meeting of
boar d, and this was done In septic Der, &C ord
lng to tue law. Three new trustees were elected
! In place OF tue Ola Ipdfu OF I'VE, tntlr names
being Peter Morse, Thomas W. Johnson. and
Alfred Storms. The old board were Henry VIII
Mead, aud Henry LAWS lheY were so indi9
nant at their defeat, and made use Of such
strong language that ! thought better not q
cary a change IN the deacons at that time, SO
allowed Williams and Coleman to retain thaa
dignity, though became sorry aiterward. fm
Coleman Royal was arrested tor PLAYING policy
10 New street, and wss locked up In the Tomb
all OF one nignt last October.
WHERE mas IT GOMEZ
"Do YOU imagine, Mr. Matthews. that any u
the church funds went That wayr
"Well, 1t would lot be Christian like for me ~
say SO, Tut Royal is very poor, and has nothing
IN bank. aud II it has not gone that way, where
Is lt-only he aud Henry Williams can tell
Williams is well on lie owns large brick ten.
ement IN Lormer street, lie had charge OF the
finances OF the church In ths same manner on
Montrose avenue. and then he aid give reports
occasionally, but since tho foreclosure he has
never done so, though he has Kept the aocountas
II any Kept. He mas shown bitter animu
against me since the election Of tue new board
and when asked him how often the old board
had met, he sad they could never be got to-
getner. l asked hiln who had been chairman, he
replied that he mad. Then, said !, you can turn
over the books to the new board. he said tnht
that there we're no books, papers, or funds and
II there had been any, they would not turn them
IN to The new board.
After the election OF the new board could
not get my salary. We tined to get uD fAirs and
festivals. and raised some money that way. but
found that II the commit tee belonged 70 the
young people tue money was turned In; II not.
IL was not turned In At all. at least not TIL AZ
ter [ left. I'm January the sta.c OF feeling ran
SO high that, "a Que method Of restoring peaoa.
! announced from the pulpit that as could not
get any OF tue pay due me, could not afford TO
remain vita them anS longer, and therefore re-
signed. When 1 had left them the new buard %
trtstees tried To get me the so due me. but And
ing they coIld not, after atlng that lad beeu
badly treated, RESIGNED IN a BODY, ana the next
week at private meeting tue old trustees were
rec ect d; and have deemed II my duty to my
self, though 1t may seem uncnristIAnlike, " sue
them for my salary"
VERY SUSPICIOUS.
"Ihave never been allowed TO see any OF tho
books or papers OF the cnuGch exc. ut those Of
the new board, and was South when the sale
was effected, but have heard thAt the ovet-
plus was QUE thousand dollars from the sale
OF tue Monirosc avenue church. endeavored
to bring the matter up in tue church meeting,
but Henry Will ms would get Indignant aud
always introduce some other business which ais
friends would help along"
" How do You expect 10 collect your fVOf
" Ihc organ belonging To tue char, h, WuCh Is
now In the mouse VI one q tue sisters can ne
levied on. Tue organ was paid Tor 10y put lac
subscription aud ny festival, So that II Is tue
properly OF the society. Notwithstanding tha
fact mat Henry Williams and Alfred - 'rnla
Carried IL tneir Oacks e. this sisters hpus- 80
that when they want music they say tAe, 20
down 20 play on SISTER IS OI..u, tAuuEb
they hnJW Il Is not hers