Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-06-09
CHURCH DEBTS.

Owe no man anything.-ROMANs XIII: 8.
1t is much to be feared that Christians of
the present day pay but little heed to the i'll
junction of the apostle, for we behold to-day
the spectacle of almost every church of any
importance in the country laboring under
the incubus of heavy debt for church con-
struction that is continually draining the re-
sources of the congregation, jmpairing its
influence, and threatening it's existence.
Struggle as it may, tax its members as
heavily as it may, it is seldom that modern
church finds itself out of debt. It is stated
on the best Of authority that the aggregate
amount of all the church debts Of the codf-
try is in excess of thirty million of dollars,
bearing an average rate of interest of eight
per cent. It will therefore be seen that
church-goers are taxed fully $2,240,000 per
annum for the single item of interest.
The SUNDAY GLOBE is sorry to be obliged
to call attention to this state of affairs, but
its solicitude for the welfare of the church
impels it to state the facts, fearlessly expose
and denounce the system that has brought
this about, and suggest such remedy as to it
may appear proper.
In large cities in all parts of the country
rivalry has sprung up among the churches
that is exceedingly reprehensible and de-
structive of their influence. Each new
church feels it necessary to erect house of
worship that shall be little grander in ex-
ternal appearance, a little more lu1uriant
in upholstering, a little more elaborate in
building is erected at a cost of from $4,000
to 100000, it is richly upholstered, a
magnificent organ is purchased, and an ex-
pensive choir engaged. When all is COM
pleted the congregation finds itself in debt
for one-half to two-thirds of the cost of the
luxurious edifce, but proud in the possess
sion of a temple of worship (heaven save the
markD far grander than any of their neigh
bors can boast of. The pews are all rented
at good prices, for the rich and the would-be
aristocrats flock to. the most fashionable
church. The fact that the poor are rigidly
excluded from the privileges of the church
does not appear to give them the least twinge
of conscience, and all goes swimmingly
along. The revenues, however, are barely
enough to pay the salaries of the minister
and the choir, and when interest day comes
around the payment has to be met in some
other way. Sometimes a few wealthy par
ishoners pay the amount; oftener it is added
to the church debt and placed to the account
of floating indebtedness. It has frequently
occurred that the creditors of the church
treat it as they would any other debtor, and
demand payment of the Indebtedness when
it becomes due. In these cases the newt
able result has followed: the church has been
sold either to some rival organization or to
private individual to be converted into q
place for the transaction of secular business.
Within the past few weeks the troubles of
St. Ann's church, of Brooklyn, has forcibly
illustrated the evils of running into debt.
For years an Indebtedness of $125,OOO has
been hanging over it. The creditor, seeing
no prospect of ever getting his money, an
nounced his intention of foreclosing the
mortgage. The most strenuous efforts were
made to pay the mortgage, but without sue
cess, until the son-in law of the rector offered
to pay $65,0O0 provided the balance was
raised by the congregation. The amount is
now nearly made up, and last Sunday the
rector congratulated his congregation on
their iberality. To show the interest mani
tested he related the incident of a poor
widow of the congregation who had given
the fund she had saved for tie education OF
her children during the ear,-$25-to save
the eaifce from sale. It is presumed that
the reverend robber told this without a
blush of shame, never thinking that he de.
served a coat of tar and feathers instead OF
praise for wheedling the poor woman out of
the only means she had with which to fit hel
children for an honorable life, and all fol
the purpose of gratifying the vanity of a LOT
of wholly unchristian Christians. Such in
cidents are getting altogether too common
The SUNDAY GLOBE hopes to see the day
when robbing the poor to sustain expensive
and unnecessary church establishments shall
be disreputabie, and meet with the same
punishment as other species of swindling.
Christians-or so-called Christians who
pander to the vanity and love of display of
the weak minded, and bring the cause of the