The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-05-17
rKiIlRCIs nEEs.CE.

tsinable, of the value OF the property
held in that city by the various denomi-
nations and of the amounts of debts due
on the church Cddces. The list, though
very full, is not complete, By reason otthe
fact that the officials of several OF the
Churches declined to answer the questions
put to them by tho reporters, and the latter
were forced TO look elsewhere, and some
times unsuccessfully, for their intorma-
ton. According to the showing OF the
Times, the richest denomination In New
York City Is the Protestant Episcopal,
which owns property valued at S24, TO-
600 on which there is debt of Sl,34l,-
800 Next comes the Catholic Church,
having property worth Sll,l7G'0Oo
with debts aggregsting $3,Oi2,ol4i
after which is the Presbyterian de-
nomirauor, with property worth
S5,S02.O,O, burdened with $542, 800
of debt. The Methodists succeed, this
Church being worth $2,799 100, and
having $lS0,SjO OF Indebtedness. Next
after them come the Jews, with syns-
gocucs worth S1,S6l ,OCO, and with in
dsb:cdness amounting to $3.50, 500. The
only denomination which has no debt Is
the Quaker Society, their property IN
various parts of the city being worth
S585 GEO. absolutely unincumbered. The
aggregate value OF Church property in
New York is set down at $5O,l9l,0 on
which there is total indebtedness OF
81 7708l4.
OF course !. would net be q healthy
business for the Times to draw any con-
illusions from its own figures. Any at
temp. to do so on its part would at once
be followed by personal interviews with
every preacher, deacon, elder, trustee and
other church officer in the metropolis
But the deduttions that will inia!hbly
be made by others will be far from cred
liable to church-going people in New
York. That every denomination
save the smallest should be
more or less burdened with
debt, and some Of them so seriously that
their churches are threatened by the
sheriff. certainly be!oKens no very great
amount Of Iiberality and faith, 10 mat
Ter how abundant may be this latter
spiritual commodity. But this cou-
clusron, though allowable, is perhaps
rather too sweeping. a prime cause OF
theindebtedDes: on churches is found in
desire of one con grogalion to outshne an
other. \ society becomes dissatisfied with
the house IL which it Das been accUstom-
ed t. worship, and relying on the liber-
alitv Of members and outsiders, attempts
to erect costly building. The costly
structure is erected, but the members dis
cover that they are poorer than they
thought they were, the outsiders notably
fail to come 10 time, ard the church debt
hangs over '1o society ""o Z ','',,''
for years, until some unusually "s''-U's-
posed man makes 0on"''o' "IU 'o''o'S
the situation
An aaai'iohS' reason 'o' 'no NAV ''''''
OF church debts may be found IN Inc uH-
worldly habits OF cieTsymen' "no' as
general thl'g' undertake Tue o' s'"e'''"s
OF such matters. IHe b'OIe SAYS some
where the children OF TINS "ofio arc
wiser in their generation ihAn the Gnu
dren of the kingdom, and IN nothing is
tbis lack Of worldly wisdom more ap-
,"'s '.', :, ohngob G,ooca Every
parent InAn III '"'''" "'""0''
body remembers the notable instances