The Colorado statesman., 1912-05-04
PITTSBURG CHURCH
ENJOYING WAVE
OF PROSPERITY
REV. DR.. P. A. SCOTT, THE PRES.
ENT PASTOR, is GUIDING 1.-THE
OLD SHIP WITH A MAS
TER HAND.

AAtIoDuIBH, fd-AS au llluSIIdIlOn
Of what may be accomplished by true
religious fervor, coupled with wise
and businesslike administration of the
finances of a church, the following ar
ticle is of deep import:
1t is very gratifying to all who are
interested in the welfare of the race
and the Christian church, to note the
marvellous progress that Is being made
In the spiritual, financial and social
affairs Of Bethel A NJ e. church, cor
ner OF Wylie avenue and Elm street.
Those who have any knowledge of the
history of this church, in recent years,
know that it has passed through long
period of adversely and discourage
ment, and that, during those condi-
tions, hundreds of its members have
withdrawn their membership. while
many others, being discouraged went
adrift on the 'sea of neglect" leav-
Ing less than half its former member
ship to grapple with tie great prob
lens facing the church, and the nearly
fifty-thousand dollar debt, incident to
the building of the beautiful and com
modious structure now In use, which
was erected during the eventful pas
torate of the much-beloved DR.. ]. NJ
Townsend in 1906.
When the present pastor, DR.. P A.
Scott, took charge of this church about
eight months ago, he found the congre-
cation discouraged and scattered in
almost every direction, with creditors
threatening and instituting law suits,
and the mortgage preparing to fore
close the forty-two thousand eight
hundred dollar mortgage, in a short
while the interest being nearly
whole year in arrears. The new pas
tor was not long, however, in getting
strong grasp on the troublesome sit
uation, and began at once the paying
on of the old debts, and satisfying
| judgments, and warded off the fore
closure, and has inaugurated a new
| systematic financial method which is
revolutionizing affairs in every depart
ment of this historic old charge. Even
the much disputed Avery Fund"
which amounts to about three hun
dred dollars per month in rentals, and
which has been bone of contention"
for time immemorial, among people
of varied ranks, is now being handled
by one of Pittsburgh's most reliable
real estate and banking institution,
and the entire amount of income, less
the cost of repairing the Avery prop
erty, is being applied on the large
mortgage Indebtedness.
In the past six months seventeen
|
paid on the large interest arrearage,
and more than one thousand dollars
on old floating debts, besides meet
ing all the current expenses of the
church, which sum amounts to nearly
four hundred dollars per month, and
happy state of confidence Is being
restored among the people of all class
| es
During this brief period one hun
dred and thirty new members have
been added to the church, most of
whom have been new converts to the
Christian faith, as the result of the
great revival meetings recently held
at the church, in which the pastor
was ably assisted by the noted evan
gelist, DR.. j. G. Robinson of Ohio, and
other pastors in this city and vicinity,
and the congregations have been more
than doubled.
At the quarterly meeting recently
held here, at which the able and popu-
lar presiding elder, DR.. T. ]. Askew,
presided, the services were the most
largely attended, and most successful
that have been witnessed here for
many years; and at the quarterly con-
ference it was found that more than
twenty-five hundred dollars had been
raised and properly applied in the
past three months, while the. spiritual
condition is most happy in every way.
DR.. Scott is proving himself to be
master of the situation in every de-
tail of this great charge, and both
church and pastor are universally pop
ular among people of all ranks and
creeds, and among secret societies of
all names. of many of which he is a
member.