The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-01-09

| 9Th. The mistake of the layman t
| permit the pastor to execute financia
work 1t belongs to the pew.
10th. Our frequent slovenly financia
management BY and by we may con
clude it practicable to appoint one mai
to be treasurer for all the churches 0
any one city. In every church have, o
course, a treasurer Let him week..
send his receipts to the general treas
urer. Then have the treasurer on th
10th day Of each month settle every bl
against the churches. Have the gene
raj treasurer send weekly bills for pew
rentals and urge their payment. So ia.
as possible avoid them.
1t would be best to have everybody
pay by weekly offering. We are obliged
TO pay for what we eat and drink, fol
rent for the house We occupy and to set
tie promptly bills for our bodily require
ments.
Why should we not settle as prompt
ly bills for our souls needs?
You remark mpracticable. Wher
our indebtedness is paid believe The
plan / suggest is perhaps feasible. Al
any rate, we could consider 1t.
18th. The recklessness of church
building in our cities.
I would appoint committee elected
from all our churches in any city to be
called IAN Advisory Laymens Board.
Whenever a new scheme for church
building Is proposed; when a secession
movement is contemplated, this advise
ry board should use every endeavor tO
prevent the erection of such church
buildings unless it is consistent with
common sense.
I would exhort this committee to
plan whenever practicable for the cree
ton of mission outposts. to be Temporal
ry affairs. for no mission enterprise can
ordinarily come to its best until 1t goes
alone. But we cannot walk until we
creep, and we need care and help until
able to walk.
I have only outlined these eleven
causes Of church stagnation. I would
elaborate them, but this is not quite a
Scotch sermon.
Remove them and cure Is possible.
Then can it assist the pastor and ena-
BILE him to do effective work in the
church, Thus may we make Methodism
more effective.
Then may we expect the spirit of God
to wonderfully touch our hearts and
equip ua for large usefulness.
] must return to our plan.
We need seventy-fve thousand dol
lars. All, you say, an enormous sum.
Why, it's twenty-five dollars per capita.
We have only three thousand Metho-
dists in this city.
Well, the plan. I cannot at this time
give it in detail. The executive officers
of the league already formed substan-
TALLY know it and approve of it. I may
say about this league that shortly it
will be equipped with constitution and
bylaws and will be in working order.
It's solicitors, both men and women,
will then explain fully the purposes and
hopes of our organization.
I rem arked we need seventy-f1ve thou
sand dollars. Well. not imperatvely,
but if we secure the cooperation of
every Methodist church in this vicinity
we must include the entire indebtedness
Of every church.
The league was formed Thursday
evening, December Sth, at the meeting
of the official boards in the lecture
room of the First Methodist Episcopal
church.
We named it 1.-THE Twentieth Century
Wesleyan League" The purpose of
this league is to be the cancellation of
church debts, which are nothing less
than church cancers.
When these cancers are removed I'M
ike those of our bodies, they are abso-
~ fnlt tpnt tod
ieyed of these church destroyers, then
and then only, may we reasonably ex-
peet-a revival of old-time relgion-an
experience of new time religion and the
enjoyment of religion all the time:
Another purpose is to create pure So
,ial enthusiasm and to attempt by new
to attract and hold the young
people who are slipping from US as i'm
as often they do from pa
entail care and supervision
The membership fee of the league for
nen and women Is to be ten dollars and
me dollar annually after January 1st,
800. The payment Of the ten dollars
would suggest to be made May 1st and
November 1st. or sooner If practicable.
rhe league will come equipped with
and money and pray and
york hard to secure it. This can be OBJ
aimed.
Already we have nearly eighty mem
erships-a glorious beginning, isn't it?
he eight hundred dollars resulting
rom these membership fees will be APP
lied directly to reduce indebtedness BE-
ause the relief of the crippled churches
equired prior to 1900 is practically |
ow provided for
My conservative brother remarks:
Il will put no more money in that |
OLE"
Let us analyze that remark: when |
OH put money in a hole do you see it |
gain? Every dollar put into the Sum-
lerfield and Epworth holes of late has
leant the salvation of souls or the he p
lg of saint. All, brother, at any rate
i've us different phraseology. Another
rother says:
Your plan Is fantastic"
Well possibly, but Browning says:
The beginning shall suffice the aim if
cached or not. makes great the life"
For my own part, ] want to say if
ossible, when l am through work, as
ennyson made Lord Howard reply in
Queen Mary"
Few things have failed to which l set
my will:
do my best and most
A brother inquiries: what about the
Id Union?" Well. let it rest and recu-
crate Another brother says: What
bout my church? Can / give where I
ill.," Certainly that Is a part of our