The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-04-02

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there be no money to the credit of the
! Conference under the action of the Cen
ersl Committee. 2. II tho church cost
over $4,000, or 3, Ii it be to pay debt,
unless it be to avert in,mneHt and
! otheT7CiSe inevitable disaster in the loss OF
Church property. Their work is pre-
emineutly Church Extension. If the
| Church, wishing aid, be not cut oti by the
above exceptions, 1t is made It's duty
to Il the blank with great care, 50 that
the information furnished may b9 COM
plete and perfectly reliable in every par
ticuisr. This is peremptorlly demanded
by the Book OF Discipline. The Church
must further declare that with large lib
erslity and earnest effort, to which they
pledge themselves, they cannot accom-
plish the prosperity of the Church in
that place with anything less than they
ask. 1t should be carefully remembered
that only those who, upon the most care
ful examination, shall be found TO be
truly needy and meritorious, will re-
ceive aid, and some may complain that
there is "too much red-tape" in
this process, but close as the system
Is, the committee say they would have
no difficulty IN disbursing more than
double their present income to those who
would easily pass the ordeal and be
found "truly needy and meritorious."
A FEW EXAMPLES.
Many of the examples in which aid
hiss been granted are intensely interest.
Ing, and we append few:
/. In town in Maine, East Maine
Conference, having population of about
1000, was a church of l3 members, a
Sunday School OF IS scholars, and con-
gregstion OF little less than 200. They
procured a small LOT 66xSS feet, at cost
of 1925, and went earnestly to work
to build s frame church at q
cost of $l,625. By dint of great
e1ertion and in some cases of personal
sacrifice they paid on 1t over $1,000.
They then applied for = donation Of
$500. In reply to inquiries the pastor,
after paying noble tribute to the con-
gregstion tor their efforts says; The
first year OF my appointment here l re-
ceived $40. Last year l gave my ser
vices as pastor, besides Sl25 in cash and
about $500 IN labor on the chapel. l do
not expect a full support this year
possibly may receive $500. Unless we
shall receive help must go back TO my
trade and the money which would be
raised for preaching must 90 to pay the
debt.
They were granted 1925, the committee
deeply regretting they could not grant
more.
The second case was one OF peculiarly
deserving need. In a manufacturing
town IN Maine Name Conference, with
q population Of 1000, was Church with
100 members, Sunday School OF jO
scholars and a congregation of 200. They
had lot 100 lbs feet, worth $500, on
which they had built Church and Par
sonage. On the first day of April their
Church was burned, and with no lnsur.
snce. They took measures at once to re-
build, and applied to the Board OF Church
Extension for donation of $500. In re-
ply to the letter OF the Secretary, the
pastor gave the following in
teresting information: The day
before cur Church was burned
we paid the last of the debt OF $500 con.
trscted for repairs on the Church. Our
mem bers have made great sacrifices since
the fire that they might pay something
toward our new Church. Many OF them
work in the mills at 81 to Sl.25 per day
and support their families, paying from
So to 81 per month rent for the houses
that shelter them. You can readily see
that such cannot do much toward our
Church. Our subscriptions are made up
OF sums ranging from SIS to S25-very
few larger. 1t takes many such to make
$I,OJO. They we're granted $500 all IN
the power of the board.
But 1t Is not to the east alone that these
donations are granted. Equally as needy
cases, and as liberal grants are recorded
III the West, Northwest and South. We
mention no more instances, not because
they lack interest, but tor lack of space.
SUMMARY.
The first money received by the Treas
urer was il October, 1865, and the first
appropriation was made In the spring OF
1866. During the twelve years OF active
work which have followed, there have
been received and disbursed 81, ,l6l ,5l9.-
O6, OF which S29O,55oI3 belong to the
Loan Fund, from which churches are
aided only by loans. OF this loan fund
SlOO,794.04 have been returned to the
Treasury and relosned TO other churches.
The Board has aided in all 2,3l2 churches.
Or these 1918 received only donations,
25l received nothing but loaEs, and 263
received both donations anG loans. The
total number OF Methodist Episcopal
churches in the United States is l6OlS,
OF which 6,0l6 have been built within
the last twelve years, go that out Of every
l5 OF the total number OF churches of that
denomination two have received aid
from the extension Board, and more
than one-thrd of all the increase since
the work began have been aided by the
Beard.
The receipts of all kinds amount to
81. 36l ,2O3lO. and the disbursements to
$I,848,l47.4S, leaving balance on hand
December 81, 1877. OF Sl3,ll5.62.
The full report contains q large amount
of very interesting reading, not only to
Methodsts, but those OF all denomlna'