The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-01-28
HEDDING CHURCH'S DEBT.
Rev. G G. Wilding Hopes
to Clear OFF the Mort
gage in Six Months.

The Rev. George C. Wilding, of Heddlng
M. e. Church, on Montgomery street, mas
at last got a good start at VIA ne mas
been trying to do for several years-that
is, the raising of a $40, 600 mortgage whlch
is held by the United States Life IN
surance Company of New York City on
Hedding Church. This firm has held the
mortgage for the past twenty years, at
an interest of $500 a year. and 1t is the
Rev. Mr.. Wilding's idea to raise it be-
fore six months time.
He really began his task of collecting
the money about six months ago, and he
has been very successful in that short
space of time. The amoun he has al
ready constitutes about two-thirds of the
whole, and if the contributions keep up,
as they have been, the pastor expects to
lift the debt from the church about the
latter part of next April, when a closing
up service will take. place.
The money so far raised has been all
direct giving from the people of the
church, and not one penny of it was re-
ceived from entertainments or fairs.
When the pastor first went amongst the
members and spoke to them about the
necessity of clearing the debt from the
church they were all heartily in favor of
his plans, and they put their hand into
their pockets and generously helped him.
The church at present has a membership
of three hundred. This, of course, is not
a very large congregation, but the mem
bership is increasing all the time, and,
as Mr.. Wilding is known as a very hard
worker, and with the assistance of the
members of the church, it will not be long
before old Hedding Church will have an
excellent membership roll. The pastor
did not only go among the members of
the church, soliciting their aid, but he
went about and gathered the names of
old members, who had moved away, and
he was we'll received by them, and they
also contributed freely to him. There are
no wealthy people connected with the
church, therefore the pastor must be
more than pleased at the ready response
of his people. In giving the amount al
| ready raised, they have done wonders,
and they are now working hard to get
the balance of the money and the church
clear of debt. 1t is also the pastors in
tention to visit well known people of the
city who are not members of the church,
and see what success he will meet with.
~ A1eAok pSSA hSPt NSiS bioy, SoRCSidiiy la
the last three months, as day after day
he mad trips to New York, Brooklyn
and other suburbs, in which former men,
bers now reside, besides attending to his
other church duties.
Hedding Church is forty-five years old,
and although there has been a big de-
| crease in the membership in the past
| years, it is still prospecting. and has a
| good chance of once more becoming a
prominent place of worship. In the past
twenty-five years, there have been exact
ly six hundred members of the church
who nave moved away by church certif-
cate and deaths, which practically means
that two congregations have left the
church in that space of time, which
mean a good deal.
AT first the idea of raising the mortgage
was 0 upon as something that could
never be accomplished, but Mr.. Wilding
was determined. and set out to do the
work, and he is now On a fair road to ac.
complish it. He is also being assisted
by the Kings Daughters, who have al
ready turned in a lumber of subscrip-
tons. One of the subscriptions received
by Mr.. Wilding came in the form of &
letter and sum of money from a youna
lady, who stated that she would like it tc
be received iE the name of her father ana
mother who were members of the church
thirty-three years ago. Mr.. Wiiding has
only been connected with Hedding Church
for the past three years. but in tha
short time he has performed wonderful
work for his church. He has a fine per-
sonality, and is well liked by every one
who come in contact with him.