Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-24
a cHuRCH TRusT.

E WHY INV IL 10 ~
not let the Methodists with their new
fund of $50. 000. 900 buy out the Congre-
gationalists? Why not let the Standard
Oil Baptists absorb all the other evan
gelical denominations? Why not put
all the churches under one general
manager? And finally why not union
ize IN ministers. to protect their rights
against the trust??"
These are some Of the suggestions
made by Rev. w. A. Bartlett, u. D.
OF the first Congregational church,
Washington boulevard and Ann street,
lin a sarcastic prelude on "A Church
Trust" Mr.. Bartlett said in part:
The papers nnoun that al east
ern preacher advocates a Congregations
al trust, to Initiate business organfza-
tons. Certainly the coal trust Illus
trates the power of a combine. But
coal is scarce and comes high. Would
this preacher advocate scarcity OF re-
ligion and that 1t come high?
But this Recommendation certainly
suggests an interesting line Of thought
Now here are the Methodists with their
$4,000, 900 just raised. Why not let the
| Methodists make a good offer to the
W OUy - uVy ulAN
then we all go over to the Methodists.
Nowadays there is so little difference
between the denominations that all the
Congregationalists would have to sell
cut would be IL tradition or two. These
traditions would still be good, but sim
ply be labeled Methodist
"Or, better yet, why not let the
Standard Oil Baptists absorb the other
Evangelical denominations? 1t is stated
that an official of the Standard Oil
Company may give s1O0, 100000 to ems
dow a national university. Why not
use this or another fund like 1t in buy
ing up denominations, SO that we might
have something like this. The. National
christian church founded by the Stand
ard Oil Company
"There would be many advantages In
this: churches would be out of debt,
ministers salaries would be increased
and paid, missions would be promoted
land all controlled from a central office.
This would supply money for aged and
disabled ministers, and homes would be
established for the needy, and ministers
considered unavailable could be pen
stoned. Theological seminaries would
be united and endowed; only one
church could exist In a small town, and
the general manager of the nationa.
church would see to 1t that each dis
trict in the cities was properly provided
for
I'VE should have a national creed in
sisted upon by the board of manage
ment, which would do away all this fuss
about creeds. 1t would be necessary,
however, for the ministers to form a
union for protection, and We should
need to have our leaders. We would
demand more pay! at least two we'd
|dings a week, and not more than one
funeral. There would be no evening
service, or we should go out on a strike.
The trust or syndicate would be ex-
pected to furnish US with sermons,
which could be used in rotation or
preached simultaneously.
.The trust would probably dictate the
subjects of discourses, and insist on
sermons not exceeding a certain time in
length. In case of a threatened strike
on the part of the ministers thru a re-
duction of pay and more work than the
contract called for, there might be a
board Of Investigation and arbitration
appointed by the president of the Unit
ed States, so that the preaching and
other services could go right on, and
not cause suffering by cessation as in
the coal difficulties.
Are we not ready for some such log
ical move as this? The church would
he up to date, and needssto learn from
the mammon of unrighteousness.