The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1903-04-03
PREACHERS FUND
Strong Plea for Contributions
for Superannuated Clergy
men.
RRV. ". N. HuRPHY's REPORT
Doctors Halleron and Henson
Eloquently Urge
Libsrality.

tehary Fund and Preachers Aid Society
of the Newark Methodist Conference met
at the Halsey Street Church in anniver-
sary gathering, with an eloquent advocate
to ste before them the cause OF the super
animated clergy, in the person of the
Rev. DR.. Henson, pastor of Hanson Place
Baptist Church, Brooklyn. He pictured
passed the period of usefulness in con-
trast with their deserts 50 sharply as
to call forth a generous response when
the baskets We're carried about, and
Frightened his talk with amusing stories
and whimsical expressions in a way that
kept his hearers laughing and applauding
alternately.
Rev. DR.. Daniel Halleroh presided and
called on Rev. DR.. 2. R. Bryan, of
Plainfeld, for the opening prayer. The
president began the discussion by saying
z4hat til Newark Conference Centenary
fund movement had in view the raising
Of fund of 100000 to be invested
securely, the interest to go for the relief
of worn out and retired preachers and OF
the widows of preachers. Eleven years
ago, he said, it amounted to $1,000. AT
this time it was reckoned at S62, ,Oo0-
$4,000 in cash, with the remainder al
most Immediately available. The fund
had depended, he said, upen contributions
from the churches, but with these alone
it was found that from $1,000 to $1,000
was NEEDED over what came in. The situa-
tion of the superannuated preachers was
a hard one, he said, and beouests to the
fund were much desired.
Il ask all Of you he said, to think
Of this when you are making your wills,
50 that when you take wings and fly you
may leave behind you something sub
stantial, by which you may be remern-
bered'
Rev. DR.. ]. A. Gutteridge, secretary of
the society, made an informal report He
took the Office. he said. in 1892, when the
fund amounted to sls,000 He was glad
to say that the movement was q lively
one, and that scarcely week passed
without the receipt of some accession to-
the treasury. The preachers had done
their full share, and legacies and coatri-
buttons at meetings had helped to swell
the total. There had also been donations
from the book concern and from the
chartered fund. The annual meetings.,
he went on, had always been marked
by the appearance of the best speakers
and this had helped to put contributors
in proper frame of mind. The influence
of the laymenfs association had also been
felt. He believed that this year fourth
or fifth part Of the remainder of the
fund would be raised. The future was
bright.
William Fl. Murphy, the Governors
father, is treasurer of the fund. In
making his report he said that the sum
had grown slowly. Methodists had been
praying for the aged preachers for 100
years. They all spoke well of the retired
elergymen and gave them their sympathy,
but the fund moved slowly, and after 100
years of prayers about $500 year was
the best that could be done for the relief
Of a superannuated clergyman. But a
few years age, things changed, and the
churches, insteda Of sympathizing and
praying began to put in work. Since
then the fund had been coming on.
Mr.. Murphy read a statement showing
the following figures: Collections during
the year, $4S1.5e; donations from all
sources: James w. Pearsall, president
laymen's committee, $1,000; Brother
Benjamin J. Edsall, 1895, 1885; in
crease in investments on bonds and mort
cages, $500; cash now on deposit, 81, $780,
49, Assets Bonds and mortgages, $780,
/ 400; Mount Tabor bonds, $1,000; note
of Rev. and Mrs. Hall, s437 AZ: subscrip-
tions considered good .s6o4; cash on de-
posit. ST. $50. 3f;. total . ass4ts S55 221 r2 :