Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-01-11

AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW WITH Mn.
EDWARD KIMBALL - rhe following bilh
erlo unpublished facts concerning the work
Of Mr.. Edward Kimball, The "church debt
raiser" are from an interview with that
Q, ntlrman published in last weeks Con
q, eQGtiO ndiist He Was born in Rowley
Mass July %. 1928; came to Bneton in
early youth; united with the Mount Vernon
Church, and while connected with it wa
inslrumo nta in The conversion of Dwight
L. Moody. tlen employed in Court street
shoe store. lived in Toronto from 1857 Ia
1865, in New York from 1865 to 1872, and
in the latter year he went TO Chicago. Tie
began his present work, though ut the
lime he had no idea of what 1t would lead
10, bv assisting some weak churches in
San Francisco. While in that city on bus
mess more than 175 churches. divided
among MethodIsts, Cungregatonalists
Presbyterians and B tptists have been re-
lieved from debt with his assistance. Be-
sides these. many churches with which he
has labored have provided money before
building. and thus avoided the incurrence
Of debt; and many churches which he has
not visited have removed debts, or avoided
them on account of the debt paying move
ment.
81 suppose" he says, my own labors
have resulted in securing about S5,OOO,0OO
and thar enough has been done IN paying,
providing for, and avoiding debts in
churches | have never visited to max
nearly or qui'e rs much more" lie
Mentions rs among Tie more important o.
he works in wnlrh he has been engaged
he Fns' Church, Cambridge. DR.. MeKnn
Zle s. $50 900; the Memorial PteSby ytei IN
church of New York, Dr. K 'hinson's :
3ll 900; Dr. Scudder's church, Brooklyn
$.3 0S0 q" rne Btl kley street church
boston," he says, was most interesting
case. | labored earnestly to encourag,
hose most intrreste to unde' take III
task. But tho effort seemed hopeless.
mad reason to expect that II letter to that
fleet had been sent me deiernlned
lot to wait its arrival and started iol
Boston, crossing the letter on the way
The pastor and the chu h were taken
,umewhat bv surpri.e. the rtfT wal
uaIe amt the burden OF $25 900 was life,
IN one dty The letter r"IlIng M not tt
come was afterward received and shOwr
to the church. The CASE Of the MhvericE
church, East Boston, is one OF the mos
recent. 1t was the last Congregations
debt in Boston proper. except one. The
ebt was S}4 900, and reg Ired combined
,ni per sistenl effort for two Sundays and
he entire intervening week lhrteer
Thousand dollars has already been paid
| lie recalls but i've Cases of eLtIre Ol
partial fai ure. and in e,cn of those lher,
WAS - lack Of harmony IN the church, or
)me other sufficient cause. rnc pledges
nave generally been kept. and in m ',
,.ases payments have been IN ude before Lh'
llime specified He knows of only "a few
churches which having been freed iron
h.bt have con racled others, and thos,
were among the earliest which were vl,lte'
before he began to present his pledge
against sucn - course. He says that h'
mas no esular means of sippOrt, and l
not furni he'd with money from any par
lcular source but In most cases receive!
- voluntary offering from the churches
benefited.