Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1884-04-25

have one church at Pembroke and
another at Fairview, or some other
point north of Bethel. What would
ensue? First, either church could
have pastor only half his time.
Ours is an intelligent church, accus-
toned to good preaching. We re-
quire pastor able to instruct us,
pleasant in address, and whose social
status is Of the first order. Such an
one must be suitably paid, or we can
not obtain his services. Welive well
we dress well and we want our pas
tor and his family to live and appear
i'll such a way that we need not be
ashamed Of them. In order that
such may be the case, we must pay
our pastor sufficient salary to so
maintain his family. But our church
is either not so liberal as she ought
to be, or else poorer than she deems
herself; for our collectors find il
hard to collect our pastors salary
now. OF course the expense of sus-
tanning two churches would be great
er than for one should each have a
pastor his whole time it would be
doubled. If almost impossible now
to meet expenses, what would be the
result if they were thus increased?
The expense of each church.
should she have a pastor half his
time, would be more than half of the
present expenses of Bethel; for each
church must have a parsonage or pay
the equivalent expense in support Of
its pastor. Then there would be the
cost Of building two churches. II
there were Il necessity for two
churches in the place Of Bethel, the
writer feels assured that the north
ern branch would arise to its fu !
ability. The writer lives within tie
northern bounds of Bethel, and is
proud to say, that the calculation
has been made which proves that
member for member our district pays
one-third more than her portion Of
the expenses Of Bethel, if the expenses
were equally divided among the
members. Yet we are not by any
means the richest district in the
church. But we see no necessity for
Lewiston.
But there are other disadvantages
arising from division, for transcend
ing pecuniary ones. Having church
service only on alternate Sabbaths,
our families would be under the
necessity Of hearing the Word
preached, only so often; or else they
would get in the habit of roaming
from church to church. The Sab
bath would lose part Of its sanctity.
The young would get in the habit of
attendance on Divine worship
and of tritling away the Holy day.
An efficient Sunday School could not
be sustained that met only on alter
nate Sabbaths; and when there was
no preaching it would be found i'm.
possible to assemble the Sunday
School on that day.
Should Pembroke and Fairview bC
the seat of the two churches, Their,
would arise other disadvantages
The membership of both churche
: would still be mainly from the coun
try. They would have horses anC
conveyances that would have to b,
put up during church services. L
there suitable shade, water, etc, t
be found in Pembroke or Fairview
| am told that there is not. Do Penn
Lroke and Fairview differ from othc
small villages in Kentucky? VIVA
is the character of the population o
most Kentucky villages? Can thei
people be brought, in any numbers
+ to attend church? Do not the NAL
+ portion prefer to sit around the cor
S ners, telling and listening to yarn
5 and other idle talk while the young
! er women nap or read novels, ant
/. the elder attend to their household
cares? Do the Pembroke people at
: tend preaching when it is at thei
very doors? l am credibly in
: formed, that when there is preaching
e at the Hall, only small handful at
' tend. Did they keep up a Sunda
= School? Or did they say the youn
n ladies and gentlemen preferred to g
+ riding and would not attend
0 Fairview has a Methodist church
/ but l am told that not only tn
: citizens generally, but even mem
1 bers of the church attend but yer,
l little; and l know they have hat
t some excellent preachers stationed
4 there. Fairview has tried again ant
q again to keep up Sunday schoo
: but without success. Therefore tn
: present writer says wherefore divid
| Bethel? Would any thing be gained
l to the cause Of Christ? Would evel
Pembroke or Fairview reap any ad
vantages, not now attainable at Beth
ell, provided we had pike to tn
church. M. L. A.
What has become Of the Mexican