New-York tribune., 1901-03-26
PRODUCTIVE CHURCHES.
NE CLERGYMEN APPROVE. OTHERS
DISAPPROTE, THE TRIBUNES
SUGGESTION

y-bureh people are discussing with lively interest
The Tribunes editorial of Sunday Making
,-t,,rch Buildings Productive" The editorial sug
eested that If some way could be devised by which
~ great investment Of a congregation in building
- land could be made productive all the time,
he sDrftual benefit from the services would be in
"a respect diminished. and that instead Of a
eo.bie structure which. however lofty and eX-
,ensive Il might he. only furnished seats for few
ru,dred people two three times a week. a tall
bpil5ing should be erected the first floor serving
ss the church auditorium. and the other floors
t,frg high class apartments. The church property
would be productive all the time. and the parish
would derive an income from it that would go far
,oWard maintaining II.
The Rev. DR.. Robert S. Macarthur. pastor OF
calvary Baptist Church. seen by a Tribune
reporter yesterday at his home No. S5S West Fifty
seventh-st., and said:
an fully in sympathy with this suggestion to
rncke church buildings profitable. For a number
Of years have advocated tearing down one Of the
oldest Baptist Church ediices Manhattan ISL
and and eFeGns erect an Apartment pa o house f on the SITE
audience and for all the work of an institutional
church. No good reason can be assigned. whether
architectural or ecclesiastical, why this course
should not be pursued. Some churchmen display a
marvellous canacity for resisting new ideas in
church work They are welded TO a traditionalism
as worthless in itself as il is hurtful 10 the best
Except some such plan be adopted. many
churches viii be obliged to sell the buildings they
course must be adopted or these churches must be
endowed or they must leave the field they now oc
editorial the ideas which have frequently uttered
IN meetings Of our Baptist City Mission Commit
tee We likely virtually 10 adopt this plan in
our fine old church building at Oliver and Henry
rbrrchmen must be exerted 10 make churches at
least in mission fields as nearly as possible self
supporting
THE PLAN IN OPERATION.
The Rev Dr.. Edward Judson in the Memorial
Church in Washington Square. has apartment
building known as the Judson, which is virtually
a part Of the church ediloe. in which he carry
ing out the plan suggested. The income from
these apartments greatly assist in carrying for
ward his excellent work He has given a practical
example Of the desirability and feasibility Of the
idea commen led in this editorial Other Baptist
churches are likely to follow his example.
The Rev. Dr. Joseph Sivernan, rabbi Of Temple
Emanuel said al his home, the Hotel St Lorenz
seventy-secondst. and Lexington-ave., that he saw
great merit in the pJan, especially for churches
that were encunbered with a heavy mortgage. and
for congregations that have too poor TO build
churches Of which there were a number in this
city. Even churches that free from debt
might by means of an elevator be enabled utilize
the space above the roof for schoolroom, library
and social purposes, thereby gaining pure air and
light. and doing away with obnoxious Easements
into which Sunday school and other work at
present crowded.
The commercial aspect did not appeal TO DR.. Sill
Verman, except for the poorer churches, and then
only so long necessary TO remove the mortgage
debt. church building, in his opinion, ought
not to be used for commercial purposes 10 de-
fray the running expenses Of The church. Those
who pray, he said, must be willing support the
Institutions 10 which they give allegiance.
The Rev. DR.. Morgan Dix. rector of Trinity
Church, said he was totally opposed the idea
suggested. The church was the house of God and
should be kept such. A church was consecrated
snd set apart from all civil and secular uses and
the combining OF the world and the Church would
be the destruction Of the Church. a church could
not be consecrated unless il devoted solely TO
religion. While IL true that Trinity Church
was a great landlord. the corporation was taxed
every foot Of its land. except churchyards and
The churches were entirely distinct from the other
property Of its estate
DR.. PARKHURST OPPOSED TO IDEA
The Rev. DR.. Charles II. Parkhurst pastor Of
the Madison Square Presbyterian Church, said the
pecuniary idea would be repellant the spirit OF
an earnest churChgoer. One might say what he
pleased about its being sentiment, but there was
an advantage in holding what is sacred distinctly
aloof from what Is secular. Human nature was
such that in order TO promote the religious idea
there must be sharp separation between that
held 10 be religious and that held 10 be secular.
The doctor said that in the future downtown
churches would have 70 struggle or less. They
should be endowed The Madison Square Presby-
teran Church said Dr. Parkhurst had recently been
endowed 10 the amount Of s290000 The principal
suDscriDers were D Willis James, Marcellus Hart
ley John crosby Brown and Ambrose K. Elv. The
income was 70 De used as a permanent maintenance
fund IN meeting the expenses Of the church