The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-22
CHURCH COLCSTZA IIOS.
A successful Combina alton of Business, Re
Iigion and Common Sense.


ANDERSON. Ind, Oct. 14-tu enterprisng
minister of this town Is making a great success
of novel project which an irreverent critic refers
20 as turning the church Of God into real estate
Office" The plan Of the minister, who is Pastor
". r. Cover, Of the Reorganization known as the
Church of God is to lay ont plots OF ground near
the religious edifce and place those members Of
the church who have no homes of their own i'll Il
position TO acquire them by selling the land. with
any kind Of building the purchaser wants, on
easy terms and the lowest price possible In
this way the church pastor gathers his flock all
around him and is sure Of keeping them, for the
owner Of house IL not transient occupant OF
the fold but stays there and becomes pillar Of
strength The church seeks no profit on the
venture so that the prices accepted are remark
ably low. All that is desired is to keep the mem
bers faithful 10 the religious Organization that
puts them in the way of owning their home
The pastor has found this system Of church
colonization 10 work like a charm Where there
was talk Of closing the church on account Of lack
OF funds the congregation is now a large and in.
creasng one, the pastors salary is always paid
on time, and the organization is in mos, flourish,
ing condition When tho pastor who had enter
prise enough to carry out his plan OF combining
the ideas Of business man with the fcrvor OF Il
preacher Of ME gospel was asked 10 make state.
mcnt regarding his experiences for the benefit OF
the more timid ministers VINO prefer 10 preach to
insure success by ladical departure, he wrote
the following:
Our local members being few. and the town
of small population hit upon plan 10 get church
people 10 locate here permanently. | began by
raising stock companies for manufacturing pull
make the investment safe. gave deed in fee
simple for a certain amount OF stock Where the
wSi H Az DEED
10, worth practically 500, thus making the in
ves!or absolutely secure
Persons Of limited means were attracted by
this plan To settle here. They came in from all
over the country and the town soon began To thrive
But | wanted the church 10 thrive too. II was
found by careful figuring that houses could be
built for from $500 10 5000 Of the kind that rent
from So to SIP month put the, plan before
approved Of IT, Those with money enough 10
build agreed 10 put up houses Tor the po"Ier mem
without interest BY this means IL is within the
power Of almost every member Of the church Ia
acquire house, and the benefits uccrung all
round are such as To make the project blessing
10 every one concerned To be member oi the
church il 10 share in building plan that makes
a man house owner IN time without any add
members who help their less fortunate brethren
10 acquire houses ask for no prOht on the outlay,
while the church sells the land al cost price.
The church is satisfied for il wants only Ia
sOlidify its membership and root the component
parts OF the Organization To the neHhburhOod.
The richer members are repaid for their loans by
seeing the property in the vicinity OF their residences
increase in value through the colonization Of
peaceable, respectable and industrious citizens,
and those Ia whom the houses are sold are Of
course happy and grateful 10 those who enabled
them 10 own home The plan has helped me
and pleased the members. II is a mixture OF
business, religion and practical common sense
that harms no one and does many people good.
The same conditions do not exist everywhere. and
hence the plan could not be made universal.
Where similar conditions do exist tho plan will
be found 10 work admirably"
The Church food is a very old organization
| founded in
Lower Paxton township Dauphin county, Penn
sylvania There are over 500 ministers and
between forty and fifty thousand members in the
United States. The church at Anderson, Ind.
was established in August, 1885.