The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-06-26
ME- THODIST DEBTS.
Presiding Elder Wright Tells
What Money is Being
Raised.
HoBoKEA AND BAYoNNE CHAT
The Jersey City Churches
Hope to Get Theirs Paid
This Year.

The Twentieth Century movement OF
the Methodist Episcopal Church is broad
ening to an enormous extent From indi-
cations and figures now to be obtained
from local sources, there is every reason
to believe success awaits the labors of all
pastors and others interested in the eolos-
sal undertaking. This movement gen
eral one, has gained considerable impetus
since the first of the year, particularly IN
this country.
In the Jersey City district Of the New
ark Conference, presided over by Elder
John R. Wright, there has been unusual
activity. The Linden Avenue Methodist
Church was the first to take decided and
successful steps in the raising OF the
church debt, which is one of the many
points of the big movement.
All the world over Methodists are ear
nestly advancing the project. When the
enormous and beneficial plan was suggest
ed few years ago, those who had studied
the workings of the church were en-
| thusiastic over the bright prospects. No
less than $40, ,O00, 600 was to be raised by the
end of this year as a thanks offering, and
10000 souls saved. Every church in the
great circuit was informed of the scheme
! And every church was to contribute to
7
country. the churches are considering the
advisability of pursuing divers courses
/ with regard to the disposition of the
funds. The money can be used for hospi-
tails, education, paying off debts on
! churches or for the broadening of the
! work of the Board of Deacenesses, which,
| as was explained in the last report to
the Newark Conference, was only in its
infancy. Information as to the progress
| of the movement in the Newark Confer
ence and especially in the Jersey City dis
! trict, will doubtless prove of more than
/ little interest to church goers.
Last year a meeting was held in ST.
PauPs Church, Newark, and committee
was appointed in every church to advise
with the pastor as to the best means for
| advancing the movement. On Noyem-
ber 2S, of the same year, meeting was
| held in st. Paul's Church of Jersey city.
| At this meeting the movement to use the
| funds to remove all debts from the
churches of the Jersey City district was
met with enthusiasm. committee was
| appointed at the City Evangellzation
Union meeting held a few weeks later, to
| work in harmony with the committee ap-
pointed for this district, at the annual
conference of 1899 These committees de-
vised plans for reaching every churcn IN
| the district Three rallies have been held
since last year and it is the purpose OF
| these churches to continue the ralhes uli-
| til the debts are wiped out
| Ten churches last year made provisions
| for removing the debt. Some of the
money was in the form of pledges covering
| a period of two years or less. Many OF
| the pledges have long since been redeenl-
| ed.
| Arcola has a beautifully remodeled
church at a cost of $500, all paid St
Paurs of Jersey City has her debt OF
s., 500, provided for and Hoboken's $4,000
debt was cleared off short time ago.
| When the congregation knew that the
| debt had been cancelled they broke into
cheers and the doxology was sung again
| and again.
| Bayonne has shouldered her $1,000 debt
] with ease. The amount raised in the year
| for payment of debts and improvements
/ on church property, was $60,2S1 and by
| special gifts and legacies, $5S 6SS more. The
/ total is nearly $120,000.
! In Jersey City, Emory, st. Paul's,
Lafayette and the West Side Methodist
/ Churches are deeply interested in the
work These churches will remove every
| cent of their Indebtedness before the year
ends. There are several other churches
| in the district which will also get clear
| of debt, thus leaving the entire district
| perfectly free.
| Presiding Elder Wright was interviewed
last evening on the outlook for the sue
| cess of the movement in general and par
| ticularly in his own district
I,o fy,a fo
speak on the subject generally said he,
| II feel perfectly safe in assuming that
| the movement is going along magnificent
| ly The total Indebtedness of my district
| is not more than 100000. This will be
under way. The summer is not the best
time of the year for this sort of campaign
work, but in the fall the project will be
| pushed at a great rate.
| "Our next rally takes place in the
Lafayette Church in September. What
| we particularly desire to do is to re-
| build the Hackettstown Institute, which
was destroyed by fire. This hope will be
successful Then some of the funds will
| go to the Deaconesses' work; some for
| education. some for hospitals and of
course the debts of all churches will be
| looked after. This movement OF PAYNE
| off the debts, 1 proposed and 1t has met
with great favor We hope that by i'm
proving our districts Loyalty, the Metho-
| dist Church is bound to be benefited gem
orally. The work is very encouraging SO
far, and / can say without hesitation that
| this year almost double the interest has
| been manifested"
The Twentieth Century Commission
has held five meetings for the entire New
| ark Conference. The Commission has
| published and circulated among the
| churches of the Conference 10000 souven-
iers; 10000 subscription cards. 1000 circu-
lar letters and 5000 programmes. all of
| which have been paid for without expense
to the church or conference. The secre-
tary has reported that nearly 100000 has
| been subscribed and paid toward the
various interests. This Commission
earnestly requests the pastors and Pre-
| siding Elders to work hard to secure
| funds with which to rebuild the
Hackettstown Institute and to labor In
dustriously to secure their portion of the
twenty million of dollars and the saving
| of two millions of souls.
| Remember this: No other medicine has such
i n record of cures as 4ood,s Ssrs. s,aril1a