The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-01-12
For THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
The Churches of Lexington Presbytery.

There were on the roll of Lexington Presbytery
last Spring, when the statistical report was pre-
pared and forwarded to the General Assembly, the
names of forty-four churches. OF these twenty
nine had had settled pastors during the year. Ten
had had stated supplies, or domestic missionaries,
and five were without aoy stated ministry. have
been studying the report as printed in the Assem-
bly's Minutes of 1875, and have compared the
churches with each other 10 three respects. pro-
pose in this and another article to present the re-
suits of inquiries. Very few of our people
ever see the Minutes Of the Assembly, and have no
idea as to the relative standing of the different
churches in their most important aspects. Few
indeed of our ministers ever take the trouble of
making these comparisons and often very wrong
estimates of the relative standing of the churches
are entertained. Because church has large
membership is no good reason why it should be
placed high on the roll. 1t has no right to such
position unless it can show by its report, that
cording to its membership it has done its proper
tionate share of the work of the Church. [ sup.
pose that no one could state merely from his gen.
eral knowledge, the relative standing Of even the
more prominent churches To leave out OF view
the smaller churches would be most unjust for
oftentimes some of them stand first, and it is not
only right that they should have their true position
acknowledged-it is good both for them and for
the others which do not appear SO well. have DO
doubt that some churches will be surprised to dis
cover what their relative standing is, and will be
gratifed or chagrined on finding it above or below
what they supposed it 6be.
| Al 4 - l.
rived at the results given, have made no allowance
for difference Of situation, or for any peculiar cir
cumstances in individual churches, but have sup
posed that in reference to worldly prosperity and
ability all have been about upon an equality. The
comparison by membership is | think the fairest
that can be made. The average ability Of the mem
bers of the various churches in the Presbytery, is
suppose very nearly the same so that taking any
one-especially of the country churches-as stan
dard it would not be too much to claim that every
other could come up to il ard give as much per
member to the various obi cts of Church work
If, for example, Warm Spring church having ca
MEMBERS gave to all jects of benevolence $l06,
or 81 65 per member, last year Cooks Creek
church could have done the same, and with her 100
members could have given to all benevolent objects
1913, instead of the 1914 she did give. Or if Shem-
eriah church with her 40 members gave to strictly
congregational purposes $500 or $l2 O4 per men,
Der. her neighbor Hebron with her l02 members
could have done the same, and raised 81 22S in
stead of the 1878 she did raise.
proceed thus to give in this article the relative
standing of the various churches in the Presbytery
in two respects, lst. as to membership and 3D. as
to contributions to the various objects Of benevo-
ence. The first column gives the membership of
each church and shows their relative standing in
that respect at glance. The second column gives
the average contribution per member to all benev-
oent objects. The third column states the relative
standing of the churches 10 reference to the benev-
client work of the Church.