The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-12-01
THE CHURCH DEBT RAISER.
EDHiRD kfHRfLLS WY or MIXING
THE BRETffitEH SUBSCRIBE
A MIN who rcr-undcs Urwarued Cour-ers-
tion- to Suddenly Pay what they O,vc-Hi-
Account Of his Peculiar Religious Worh,


"No, I have never before talked to n news
paper man, for do not desire TO como prom
inently before the public" said Mr.. Eiward
KimbaH to n reporter for THE Sun. Mr. Kim
ball is the man who has been teaching congrc-
CATIONS how to pay church debts. and whose
success In the Row. DIR. Rohnsons chur h. IN
this city. was described in 1rtB SUN last wock
He IL over ak fcct in height. with n full beard
and moustachc. which, as we'll as his hair arc
tingcd with grav He speaks in low voice.
md very slowly. except whom he talks on his
iavorlte subject ri church debts. Then his face
lights up. and h. becomes eloquent In his own
words the history OF his undertaking Is M fol-
lows:
" am not n minister. though have frequent
ly occupied pulpts rs II lay preacher. I am the
travelling agent Of n Chicago firm. and n man
OF very moderate means. Three years ago
| first visited tho Pacific coast. At the
second visit | became very much inter-
csted in little mission church that WIS
embarrassed with debt. without pastor. and
on the brink Of ruin. II Ia the Westminster
Presbyterian Church OF San Francisco. l work
ed there sundays and ut evening prayer meet
ings. aud we were blessed with such revival
that many new members we're added 10 tho
church, they were enabled to call and pay u pns-
tor. and their prospects were materially bright
enrd. Oyeray'mr ngo ngain visited San Fran
prosperous. tut burirned with a dold of
sG.5nn. At this time | became Interested in
the Third Conversational Church Of that city,
and again We had n blessed revival. Tho
pastors Of these churches were encouraged by
what had been done. but they felt deeply the
debts with which their churches were bur
drn"d. and which seriously embarrassed
them. This SGT me thinking. and prayed tint
some method might be- shown me- by which
could extricnte these struggling churches from
their Il inicultics. | con rntrated upon this sub
jcct nll my business knowledge and my knowl-
edge pl and tntuEs FINALLY 4 hit the
plan that have since adopted II WAS Saturday
and that very evening called upon Mr. Baker,
! Church, ind said TO him. To morrow with
God's help. mean to clcar away the cloud
didn't seem To understand me. and 1 had 20
repeat IT, You cnnt do IT, he said When |
can do TO pay the interest OF our debt. let alone
the principal. What with the depressed busi-
| moss aud the PAM" and broken stock market.
| i can't bn done | said to him: Well Mr.
| Baker, If YOU think am going to fail in what
nav" und"rtnken. you give ny your pulpit 70
| the yarnnt pulpit VI the Point to -morrow morn
ing He prom s''l 10 30 80.
The next morning went TO that church de-
| t"rmin"d that before | left IL il should be free
| from debt. As the trustees and dencous came
In told them what | proposed to do They
| g. undertake 1t. We aren't prepared said on =,
l. Ms talk 1t over said another. and II can
them;. 1t is now ii o'clock you witch
that clock. and when its hands point to half
! DlSt IL your "hureh snail he Tree from debt.
Then won't into the pulpit and began the SER
! vice. When 1t came time Tor the sermon
| said to the people, instead of hearing n
sermon from the pulpit you are to preach the
sermon OF this morning. and il is Ia be- an
/ elective protest against debt. iou say that you
! have heard too much about the church finances
/ from this pulpit. and that religion and money
! have eromr too much mixed. WE'LL propose this
morning 10 divorce them. forever. 50 far ms this
| you come 10 the front. and. with this pencil
ma paper Keep record OF the subscriptions ~
| ne looked very mu'h surprised. then
lold them that wanted MIN" persons TO sub
s 500 each, and that | would be
at first tut pretty soon the people began to be-
come Interested Il. generous rivalry was excited
among them, and before they knew II $500
were subscribed. Then began on 800 sub
s'rirtions. and from that went down to smaller
sums The gentleman keeping tho memo
iandum looked M to me and said: We've
| got. motionrd 10 him to be still. for knew
what he was about to shy and II was not until
We had got down To 81 suls riptions that
asked h m 70 announce the result. II" said that
| n debit and 10 per cent. more had been given.
3 When usk"d the duuntng brethrcn 10 look at
/ me clock. and it wanted seven minutes OF the
/ hnli hour. never saw people more happy. and
from whom All blessings Gow.' with spirit that
m@ "r, ne , yeTy ral'HTs ring IT. was with full
/ compil shcd during his absence.
' then mad" arrangements 20 rolieve tho
| Westminster Church of their debt Of 1890 in
/ "a" sam" way. ana then turned 10 pr. stones
| church. which had a debit OF t75 OOO-tha largest
! church debt on the Pacific coast Dr. Stone
%ns IR} be- Hat TrwSf Wien ne The hut s%n
| day came told DR.. Stone that would spend an
| hour at the Westminster Chur' and thrn come
| g. his. lie said NJ. that must stay with him
So ! gave my data 10 the pastor and trusi"rs
Of me Westminster Church. and instructed
when Dr. Stone introduced me to his con-
gresation, he It'd them that | had q plan
| 10 propose TO them OF su'h magnitude that
| ne had no words to express IT. ] uniolded i TO
| them. and the work began ms II had In the other
| church, when "" were about half through n
delegation came in 10 tell us that the debtp tho
| Westminster Church Ind been raised. This
| was stimulus that reused the enthusiasm Of
thr WORKERS, and n a short time s67 600 had
without my aid. raised the remainder. and 81 900
over. in the same way. while / was nt work
ras NJ debt Of s2sO0O In the Calvary Church
| That money has all been paid in, and tho
! churches are free from debt In the same way
have boon cleared from deht thirteen churches
| ~ m" faclhc coast three in Denver. and two in
Peoria.
! church in which have lahorcd. but am daily
in receipt 81 letters, from churches in an
! parts Of the Union. The most plead ny letters
! begging me To come 10 their assistance. and
| save them from ruin"
nr,i D2 You conn. your efforts entirely to Pres
=" No. l have aided Baptist, Methodist and
/ Congregational CHURCHES, Hs we'll"
Is 1t true TINT Mr.. Moody was converted
while in your Sunday hool class aud that
your daughter was one OF his first converts in
Yes. Both my daughter and my son were
converted through his instrumentality."
| Do YOU mover have your motives questioned
! or lulsc ones imputed to you 2"
| Never 10y those who know what the work il
or have seen il; but often 10y those who know
nothing Of what has been done. or how il is
done. ! have often heard ii said. Oh pooh (!
| his talk Is all cap-trap and he makes uscot ali
! sorts Of queer methods to eNtort money This
/ II unjust and unkinl. and only eXcusahle on
IN, ground Of ignoranrc. do urg. every con-
/ slderatlun that can think of 10 induce men To
| give Of what they have. | explain To them in a
business-like manner. that they Will find 1t nr-
7 tuay cheaper in the end to make an earnest
effort and pay OIL n debt AT once than TO 10 on.
year after year. paying interest on IT,
Have your Efforts ever resulted in failure ?"
W here the time has elapsed, tho pledges
| have been met. Only one churfn, SO far M |
know, il doubtful and there the members are
! not united. The pledges are changed into valid
promises, which can be and are dealt with in a
business way
The Death of dob cleveland.
Job Cleveland father OF ex-Congressman
Oreses Cleveland and OF Register Jeremiah Cleveland
OF Jersey city buried yesterday his late resi-
denco Narick street lie was "a years Of lie
the Postmaster schenectady and of first
Justices Peace Before death he A