The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-23
TO MAKE CHURCHES PAY9 !:
BUSINESS PROBLEMS BOUND Up IN
THESE RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS,

That ia the lament OF the trustees OF the
West PRESBYTERIAN Church OF this city. The
statement. OF course. refers to their own organ
,,ation and is made from u bookkeeping point
ot view. The boldness OF the remark is new,
but the idea is not. Many n New York minister
has bad s~leepless nights over the problem and
.,,r,a many churchgoers have reversed that
programme by doing over 1t OF a Sunday
morning. Below are some on the
subject made by three men who have had
some experience in churches that do pay.
The Rev. j. Minot Savage is the pastor OF the
Church of the Messiah Unitarian, at Park
avenue and Thirty-fourth street. His church
probably pays him a large salary; It owns an
extensive property. OH which 1t must pay in
surance and repairs; 1t carries on a number OF
charities. and. in addition. raises about $4,000
annually for mission work. II 1t were an in
dustrial institution it would be called "a pay
ing plant
How to make a church pay ?" repeated DR.
savage when the question was asked him.
swell. that's not easily answered. For in
atauce, the success of a church depends largely
on the minister. but you cannot predict that a
given man will succeed in n given place, The
temper of the public cannot be gagged in re-
gard to ministers any more than it can be in
regard to books. A man may succeed in one
church and not in another. know Of men who
have DAu an lIlHPuSt DlIO INK III QUIET pldCeS
and yet have failed in New York"
What would you do" asked the reporter,
III you could not draw enough Of a congrega-
ton to support your churchf'
Il have always said" declared DR.. Savage,
with a smile. that I believed IL the Lord had
called me to preach no had called somebody to
hear me. If people did not come. I should con-
clude that l had mistaken my vocation and
would try to do something else. I am amazed
when I see men who have gradually preached
their congregations away until there are
scarcely enough people left to lock up the
church. lam amazed to see such men continue
IN the ministry. II it was evident that my
congregation did not like my work. l should go.
Ifthere was a body Of my members who sin
cerely felt that / was doing a good work.
though perhaps not a great one. I think I
should stay"
Then you think that the success OF the
church depends on the preaching"
NO. not altogether. And yet l have always
said that the ministers success depends on
what he does on Sunday morning. II he has
something vital to say. something that will be
helpful to people surrounded by existing con-
ditions. he will never lack hearers. A minister
need not be a great speaker. II his congrega-
ton has a deep conviction OF the truth Of what
he has to say. 1t will be there to hear. But I
sometimes think that some Of the old fashioned
churches have become SO permeated with
doubt OF old doctrines that they drift away in
search OF more modern thought. while the
minister is left wondering what Is the matter.
You understand. I do not say that the min
lister is essential to the church. The earlier
churches had no ministerin the sense in which
the word is used to-day. Any body OF believers
who are in earnest in their religious belief can
have a church. But when you are talking Of
fha ohm robes aa thay are now and asking how
TO make them pay. 1t really comes back to the
minister. The easiest way for the church Is to
have a popular man who draws a crowd. But
iithe minister cannot earn his salary and the
expenses OF the church by his preaching he
must still do it in some way. And the best way
s sfsS nav xill P Be a p necsss SS To 70 t faaneS' '"'' '''
DO you know Of any, Unitarian churches
mo. There are only three Unitarian churches
There are. about thirty in Boston. Some Of
them are rich. some poor: but they are all 60
ing on and paving their bills"
D you believe a free church can be made
II have never known Of one that did. That.
o%tcourse. is the ideal plan. but have no rea;
Succeed suc Even where pews are supposed to be
free certain ones are often monopoliZed by, GER
tain tamiiies; who seem to assert an nnwrltten
who speak in halls and theatres. crowds go to
asoiri then; n but: Judging from reports fail to
The parish house, with it's classes, clubs. gym
T!.Ti il we " IA d'i sufficient lei 6 at building room here
and the people wanted those things, I SHOULD
s sR6niG be- s fss fFeat B @san i to TO the hot b shIdk sn ap
otthe church. Ishould approve OF them as a
means TO the health and the happiness OF my
people"
Mr., Robert C. Ogden. partner OF John Wanna
maker, has decided, opinions on this subJectt.
achurch whose mem bers were rich and still
could not make their church paw, he said that
Nj. Ogden's belief is that all churches should
6e supported by voluntary contributions ne
oierfor ro opposed eae Iy TO the 1s piG lsa Of Chris s-a''
,t,s T5is , s sapinns tit he s said, mi cb s haab pr90S na "
the greatest preachers in the country Is to I'LL
the pulpit and | want to hear him: Not having
sIsw the ya+ will Vi / haze RHsrs any are r an1t tw in c the
dltions upon which | can be there. One Is that
make a business contract with a civil corpo.
other is that some one offers me a seat. Just as
manager might offer me a reserved seat ~ a
s s;tsH Is e ehnrch enIy ON n0 sn NE aDee1 AND lo yerr
going, Make the churches free. as they should
Dc. and let them be supported by voluntary
but SUPPOSE the voluntary contributions do
,h aTaen there is a lack of Christian sririt in
How are you going to supply the lack?;"
well" said Mr. Ogden. hesitating a little.
that is whore We touch the direct work OF the
minister. and | regret to say that there Ia great
e2wardice in the clergy, Few preachers have
We pluck 70 strike at the root Of the. matter.
II a church is in such q state as that it is a time
t0r plain words and radical deeds. but the min
ister often tries to avoid both"
20 you think that mission work is a stimu-
Missions" exclaimed Mr.. Ogden. They
are a satire on religion. We don't want mis-,
ttch all going, to a church and contributing 10
Ine support OF a mission to which the poor
may go. We want rich and poor going to-
Erther to the same church and supporting Il
together. People have developed a. false idea
e. T the part religion is to play In, their lives
me rlch have come to think that, the church Is
one OF their social Institutions, where they are
q minG!e with their friends and be
Intellectually entertained by Il fine speak
e. You take the Fifth avenue churches
With only two or three exceptions. they are on
ecaste basis. Exclusive and aristocratic. they
e ee. net places for the free preaching Of the
1ick-s Cathedral is free. The Roman Catholic
churches. in their organization. and admins;
Gation. are nearer the truth than We are.
Son,t agree with them in many things. For, in
eahce, dor, t think a single human organiZa'
Sl"t can he the only channel OF divine grace,