The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1889-02-27
Small Churches.

IbCe III CpuiI6sJ Small CnurCleS ana
large ones, the work and good achieved
by each, and the result will be in favor
of the former. By small churches we do
not mean weaklings planted where there
is little if any hope of their ever becom-
ing selt.supporting. We mean churches
OF about one hundred families and two
hundred commandments, in contradistinc.
ton to churches of three, four or five
times that number
There Is greater opportunity for de-
volopment of the epirit OF lberality, Gull
tiVation OF the grace of benevolence, ex.
pansion of all Christian virtues, and man
Hesitation of a sense of personal RESPONSE
bility, where churches are Just large and
able CROUCH to be self-sustainiDg; where
the members, deprived of the inspiration
OF numbers, are of necessity, impelled by
the enthusiasm of work. Identified with
a large body, a member is not apt to be
so keenly sensible of his individuality.
One of hundred engaged in church sup
port and Christian work, he feels resting
upon him an obligation to give and pray
and labor, of which he is not so deep.
y conscious when only one of five
hui dred or thousand. This undoubt.
eddy is one reason why, proportionately,
IN small churches more work is done.
more money ie given, and more souls are
gathered in. The Waterman. a reliable
Baptist paper published in Boston, has
an article on this eubject, in which the
writer presents some carefully collated
statistics, as follows:
I'VE were startled by the report of the
Southern New York Association with it's
sixteen thousand members: the six large
churches have membership of 4, 700 and
report 1874 baptisms, a number equal to
Jour per cent OF their membership while
In the six smallest churches the increase
by baptism is fifteen per cent. We said,
Will this be found true in Boston ?
"Ihe two Boston Associations had, last
year, SO churches. A careful study of
their statistics for five years gives Us un-
expected results. Churches of less than
ZOO members, with pastors, show al an
nual gain, by baptism, of number equal
to six per cent of their membership. We
found that churches with more than 200
had less than 600 members reported bap-
tisms equal to four and oDe-half per cent,
and in those with more than 600 mem.
bers, the gain, by baptism was a little
over five per cent. 1t appears that small
hurches, similarly situated, won more
souls to Christ in proportion to the num-
Der of profeesed workers. With excep-
tionably able men at he head of our large
churches, they gain by baptism Eve per
cent and the small churches six per cent.
eve inquired then about contributions.
We made a comparison for two years.
The thirty-seven churches with less than
200 members, raised, for all purposes, an
annual average of $l8 04 per member,
and the churches with over 200 members
Sl7 per member. Now when we remem-
Der that the rich men are largely in the
cities, and in the churches that are larger
than the lowest class, this exhibit is even
more surprising than that, as to the
activity in winning souls to Christ. In
the email churches the members average
Sl8, to SIT in the large ones. This is
for all moneys raised, and if We had the
benevoence report separate from the
home expenses, we persume the difference
would be still more favorable to the small
bodies
1t is safe to assume that these per.
centsges and averages will hold good in
other denominations of Christians than
the Baptist. Here, then, are arguments
in favor of small churches, for the great.
er extension OF Chriet's kingdom, for The
bringing of the greatest good to the
greatest numbe It is common to speak
of certain churches as large rich and in.
fuential. Take church Of which this
can be truly said, and divide it into three
churches, occupying substantially the
same territory, each able to support the
Gospel, they will, in comparison, be small
and poor, but more influential than the
original, great, large church was. They
will do more for the individual member.
for hls growth IN grace and development
as a Christian, as he will see more need
and have more opportunity for work; do
more for the neighborhoods in which they
are located, SO they will bring the means
of grace nearer the homes Of the people.
and thereby insure their more faithful
attendance and deeper interest. The
field will be more efficiently and
thoroughly worked, as there will be three
pastors with quite enough to do, where
before there was but one with three times