The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1918-04-16
Tuesday, April 16, 1918.
AT THE BAPTIST CHURCH.

On Sabbath morning at the Bap'
list Church, the pastor, DR.. Geo. w
Swope, had some interesting an,
%nouncements for the members OF
the congregation and especially fol
the members of his church. He
stated that three notes, (supposeo
at a former meeting Of the congre,
cation to have amounted to about
thirty-one hundred dollars), owing
by the church had been paid off in
the last thirty days. In order to
nay off these notes pledges to the
amount of thirty-one hundred dol
lars had been made by the men,
bers, and of these pledges all had
been paid except the sum of eighty
six dollars, which may yet be paid.
The notes were exhibited to the
congregation and there was a feel
ing of satisfaction as the member
ship of the church viewed them. 1t
was not decided whether the notes
would be burned, destroyed, or
framed, but it is likely If Uncle Jim
has anything to do with the matter
that they will be burned and the
ashes buried.
j.: And this reminds % that some
twenty years ago when we came to
Kbbeviile the Bsptists were wor-
i&ipping in an old dilapidated
church on Pinckney street. They
:Had good preachers then, and they
continued to have good preachers
for some ten or twelve years after
wards, but the church made no
progress There were no rich men
in the church, und' only few who
we're supposed to be able to assist
in any material amount towards
paying the pastor.
Some Of the good people who
were of the membership Of the
church grew tired Of this condition,
and determined to shake off the
lethargy by which they had been
bound and to do something worth
while. They thought they needed a
new church and they called as pas
tor a church-builder and a man
who did not hesitate to tackle any
task set before him. He accepted
a call to Abbeville on the condition
that the congregation would build a
new Z church. The congregation
promised, the pastor came, and the
people on the outside laughed
that is, those who were not sorry
for a few of the faithful who would
in the end, they thought, be COM
PEELED to assume the burden. But
while the people on the outside
laughed, it should be stated they
were glad to see the church grow,
as was evidenced by the fact that a
great many people assisted the mem
bership when the time for assist
ance came.
How much money this or the 9th
er man gave we do not know. The
fact that a thirty-fve thousand dol
lar church was built, and splendid
y equipped, was enough for mos
people. Few would have believed
that it could be done unless they
had seen the church completed. Bu'
it was finished, though when it wa
all over there was a debt to some
organization of the church at large
for ten thousand dollars, as we'll a.
the debt Of three thousand dollar
just referred to-, a total of thirteen
thousand dollars.
But the Baptists did not. stol
there. They were in up to thei
necks and the wading was good AM
they went further. They decided t,
build a parsonage on the churcl
lot. They borrowed the none,
from the Building and Loan Associ
alton, and built the parsonage
agreeing to pay about forty dollar
per month on this indebtedness