The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1902-06-14

broad Ak:
wish TO inform you, and through
TIE columns 81 your valuable paper, q
inform the public that Rev. J. r
Thomas, pastor Of oliVet Baptist
Church Of this city. made q plea 70
the membership Of Bis church "a, stand
By him IN support Of q scheme which
All honest men must denounce. There
have been many occasions when the
pastors Of OliTet. both dead and Nv
ing, have given expression to the lOf-
tiest aspirations and nobIest ideals
OF Christian men, and their words,
their wisdom and their work have
been endorsed by the church. But
unhapliy the present pastor Is not one
Of that goodly number. His scheme
Is, II short. 70 refuse TO pay the claims
against the church, 70 permit II TO be
sold for debt, 10 abandon Il; and then
with the 5000 recently raised. osten-
sibly for the purpose Of finishing the
church, and with the other assets un-
eDcumbered to organize q Baptist
church under another name and thus
defraud the creditors Of olivet This
visions proposition win be seen IN its
true light. when It Is known that one
Of the principal creditors Of oliVst
n not only q cOlored man but q mem
Der Of the church, and one to whom
Rev. J. F. Thomas with his own hands
has administered the holy sacrament
with the scriptural injunction: do
unto others as ye would that they
should do unto you"
Now let us look at this nefarious
proposition from business point of
view and see If either the scheme,
or the schemer can be trusted. 1
am informed that after the sale OF,
the Harmon Court property, several
years ago, Rev. Thomas had upward
Of thirty thousand dollars with which
70 build the church free from debt:
Did he do It? II he was unable to
do this with that amount Of money
when property, labor and building ma
teriaI were cheap. what can he do now
with only six thousand dollars, when
property, labor and building material
are very much higher? At that time
the credit OF Olivet Baptist church
was good, It's name stood Tor some
thing: but now with its credit destroy
ed. its mortgages toreclosed, its build
ing sold, and it's very name aban-
doned, who win extend q helping hand |
or even trust q preacher whose admin |
istTatiOn has brought this wreck and |
ruin? Pastors of other churches,
who are comparatively strangers in /
this city have gone out among white
friends and raised thousands Of dol
lars for their respective churches. II
Rev. Thomas has ever raised a hun
dred dollars. should like some one
70 ten what he did with it. Because
of the positive statement by Rev
Thomas that II the church raised
$4,000 by January 1. 1902, q gentleman
OF means would pay on the indebted
ness. put IN q i've thousand dollar or
gan and finish the church, I contributed
TO that fund. Since the money was
raised and the time has expired. /
should like 20 know Of Rev. Thomas
why the gentleman OF means does not
finish the church. and put in the i've !
thousand dollar organ; and Why he al
IOgs the property to be sold for debt.
when he expressly agreed 10 pay the
iebts? Again wish 70 say In passing
hat at the annual sermon Of Occidental
cOnsistOry on Nay 18th, Rev Thomas
asked for public collection TO aid
-he West India sufferers, to which +,
and $50 was raised. AZ
.er returning home read I'm the morn
ng paper that no more funds were ,
needed. Now would not infer that
Rev. Thomas knew this when he rails .
d the collection, but since Il was a
'ublic collection to be donated to a
larticular public charity. I think the
Iublic has q right to know what Rev.
thomas aid with this money.
hold that the financial condition c
/ any EeH regulated organisation is t
PoWn to It's members: that the sal c
~ Of its mcers Is not q matter Of
Oubt: that when moneys.are paid out
sceipts are on Gle; and that II ths o
hing e alive and pretending to do o
usiness reports are regularly made. 4
low have been Informed that there !,
not q half dozen members Of OH !,
It Church who know anything about !
5 financial condition: who ever saw
receipt Cor moneys alleged to have
zen paid cut: o. Who ever know !.
lie amoant o. the pastors salary. It g
Ould indeed surprise many to know 3
,ot 49,. Nao - 49, . Ert.t,.-g II