The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1905-06-08
A CHURCH TRUST.
Former Belfast Clergyman Says There are
too Many Churches.

A Former Belfast Clergyman Says There are
too Many Churches.
Rev. Thomas B. Gregory says in the
New York American: The following
from a clergyman of a neighboring city
is we'll worth thinking about: in
nearly every conference that have at
tended for several years back the bur
den of nearly all the talk has been of
struggling Congregations congrega-
tions TOO poor to pay their expenses
of churches that were either dead or
diving of trustees and deacons that
were discouraged and SO on. 1t is
idle to deny the fact that all over the
country are churches that have ceased
to do the Lords business except IN
yerv feeu.e and ineffective way, and
that are III every sense more dead than
alive. What are we to do about 1t? is
religion dying out, OF what is the mat
ter: Will you give us a word upon the
vitality important subject: Where
upon the Rev. Gregory comments as
follows: i will state the Whole dlffl-
Guilty in nutshell There are too many
churches | have III mind little town
Of :. 800 people, which las SIX churches,
when two of those churches would
easily accommodate its entire church
going population. Out OF the SIX mill
listers IN charge of the churches in the
aforesaid village, it would be impossible
to find one of first rate ability. In each
one of the churches there may be seen
OIL SUNDAYS IA little handful OF men and
women. looking cold and lonesome, and
wondering how they are going to pay
the current expenses. Would 1T not be
better in every way TO have two
churches and to have in the pulpits of
these churches two able ministers,
who should be prepared to attract the
people and to give them something to
think about after they had been drawn
into the church? For what it costs to
support the six struggling churches
and the six poor preachers they could
have two live ministers, ana DO lotS
more good in the world and in every
way have a much better time. L know
of no reason why such combine should
not be effected. In all OF the SIX
churches the preaching, SO Tar as 1t
goes, is practically the same. The
doctrines have largely been outgroWn
and forgotten, and i'll the trend OF their
thought the sermons are AS much alike
as peas in pod. The plan suggested
would give much finer results. Ana IN
religion, as in business, it is results that
two live ministers at their head, would
accomplish far more good in the COM
munity than is being accomplished by
the six we'll meaning. but poorly equip
ped organizations. If the religious
merger | speak of were consummated,
it is morally certain that there would
be no dead or dormant churches
those scandals to the name of rellg-
ion. There would be fewer churches
and fewer ministers, but there would
be larger enthusiasm, a greatly inten-
sified activity, and much grander re-
suits i'll the direction of moral and
spiritual achievements. Such action
would put new life into the apparent
ly moribund religious life of the COM
munity, and enable the church people
in their annual conferences and asso-
Citations to talk triumphantly rather
than in the undertones of distrust and
despair"