How to get and keep churches out of debt : and also a lecture on the secret of success in the art of making money

Front matter

Shelf

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

HOW TO GET

Preface

My purpose in publishing this volume on Church Financiering, is to aid and assist my struggling brother pastors and officers of the Church of Christ, in this important mission which is assigned to each and every worker in God's vineyard.

There are comparatively few who realize the importance of systematic giving ; it is the duty of every minister to bring the subject before his congregation, that they may see it in the right light, and profit thereby.

One evening of every week should be set apart on which the members can meet for the careful reading of this, or some similar work, with accompanying passages from the Word.

Many who are able to give would, by this means, have their duty made plain to them ; it is not enough to hear it preached from the pulpit, it must be made to come home to each individual, showing him that by withholding from the Church, the poor, and the needy, he is withholding that which is not his, but only intrusted with him for that purpose.

From my long and varied experience, in this work, extending over a period of more than twenty-seven years, I have found churches burdened and hampered, and their spiritual existence fast flowing out, in consequence of bonded and floating indebtedness, viii

PREFACE.

and an absence of practical knowledge on the part of pastors and officers, as to the best means to be employed and adopted to cancel them. And so, at the request of many interested in this work, I have concluded to present a few suggestions, and submit a few plans, that I trust may prove of assistance, and be helpful.

We all know, too well, that che mission of the Church, namely " The Salvation of Souls," is greatly hindered, and the cause of Christianity too often impugned, and ridiculed, by the terrible scourge of Church debts ; and if I can, with God's blessing contribute in the slightest way toward relieving these impediments, I shall truly feel that I have added my mite to my Master's cause.

J. W. STEVENSON, M. D.

Introduction

The Master said : " When it is evening ye say. it will be fair weatHfer : for the heaven is red. And in the morning, it will be foul weather to-day : for the heaven is red and lowering. Ye know how to discern the face of the heaven, but ye cannot discern the signs of the times." Commenting on this, Bengel briefly says : " Two most common and most popular signs.'* We call attention to the fact that there are such things as signs, by means of which the future may be gauged ; and such signs too, we beg to be permitted to say further, as are universally true, and not like those quoted above, only true in certain climes. The sign to which we call attention, is, as we have said, universally true ; and whenever and wherever discerned, leads as certainly to well-known results, as the river leads to the sea — the sign of a new people making books. What does it portend ? Nothing less than this, when that people shall have attained its majority, to say nothing of its attaining mature age, it will take high rank in the book-making of the world. That the Colored American is to be classed as a people, in a sense new^ needs no argument — new, we mean, to all the great activities of modern Christian life. And yet, in a way the most surprising, they are already taking to book-making.

Twenty-five years ago. the number of books written

X

INTRODUCTION.

by colored men could be numbered by the fingers on one hand, on both at most. Not so now, however. Almost every month brings us some new venture in the book-making line ; showing conclusively, that the negro American, is shortly to rank among the most prolific of book-makers. These are but as signs — as the first fruits. But do not signs mean something ? Do not the first fruits give assurance of the harvest ? Precisely. Discerning, then, this sign of the time, these first fruits, we have no hesitancy in proclaiming the absolute certainty of the negro figuring largely in the world of book-makers.

We were led to pen these lines upon the invitation of an old friend, Rev. J. W. Stevenson, M. D., to write the Introduction to his new book. That one so wide awake as he should write a book, surprises no one ; and that he should write upon church finances, is the least surprising of all. Absolutely living in the atmosphere of finance, it was of all things most natural that he should write upon this subject ; and as might be expected, write intelligently. A mere glance at the table of contents convinces us at once that the book will fully meet the expectation of his friends ; in that he has written in an exceedingly helpful way — helpful to the pastor sent either to build a church, or to finish paying for one already built — and helpful to the people so burdened. There is no subject that should command more attention than this. Scores and hundreds of our churches are overshadowed with debts. How to proceed in the work

INTRODUCTION.

xi of relieving them is of the first importance. Dr. Stevenson, an old hand at the bellows, tells us in this volume : That it may prove a real blessing to the whole church, is the prayer of him who writes this brief introduction,

B. T. TANNER, Office of A. M. E. Church Review, Philadelphia, Pa.

COLORED AUTHORS.

Bishop Allen, D. D., Bishop D. A. Payne, D. D., Bishop A. W. Wayman, D. D., Bishop J-. W. Hood, D. D., Bishop J. J. Moore, D. D., Rev. B. T. Tanner, D. D., Bishop H. M. Turner, D. D., LL. D.,

Rev. Alexander Cromwell, D. D., Rev. M. W. Taylor, D. D., Hon. Frederick Douglass, Rev. E. W. Blyden, D. D., LL. D., Hon. George W. Williams,

Hon. William Wells Brown,

Rev. T. G. Stewart, D. D.,

Prof. J. P. Sampson,

H. O. Flipper, Esq.,

A. A. Whiteman, Esq.,

Prof. We I. Scarboargh, A. M. :

J. M. Trotter,

T. T. Fortune, Esq.,

J. M. McGee, Esq. r

Martin R. Delaney, Esq.,

David Smith, Esq.,

T. McCants Stewart, A. M.,

Rev. J. W. Stevenson, M. D.

BIOGRAPHY.

[This sketch of the writer's life was written by the Rev. William D. Johnson, D, D., Secretary of the Board of Education of the A. M. E. Church.]

Rev. J. W. Stevenson was born in Baltimore. Md., August 15, about 1836. His parents, John and Ann Stevenson, removed to Trinidad, W. L, in 1840, taking John and five other small children. His father died in less than a year after landing on the island. His mother, becoming discontented, returned to the States, a widow with seven children, one having been born on the ocean.. John was bound out to J. P. Stanly, a stove dealer in Baltimore, and sent to work on his farm near the city. His stay in this situation was very short. He was sold four different times on account of his high spirit. When eighteen years of age, he succeeded in purchasing his time with the earnings of extra labor. Having gained the precious boon, he determined to seek a more northern climate. He went to Philadelphia, and hired with a barber under the Girard House, where he remained one year. Afterward he engaged as porter in the drug store of Mr. Henry Kollock, corner of Ninth and Chestnut streets. Mr. William Kearney and his brother, clerks in the store, observing the extraordinary talent which Mr. Stevenson exhibited, comxiv

BIOGRAPHY, menced to instruct him in medicine. In one year he had made such progress in compounding that he was made a clerk in the store. Mr. Kollock, desiring that he should become a physician for his people, sent him to Dr. Wilson, a colored physician practicing in the city, that he might receive the necessary instruction from an able doctor of his own race. It not being convenient for Dr. Wilson to take him at the time, by the influence of his friends, he was received by Prof. Woodward, with whom he remained five years, engaged in his professional studies at the Philadelphia University of Medicine. While at the University he became alarmed about the salvation of his soul. After six months of deepest conviction, God delivered him out of his wretched condition. He joined old Bethel A. M. E. Church, Sixth street, where he was very active in the Sabbath School. Feeling the weight of souls heavy upon him, he was licensed to exhort in 1858, by Rev. W. D. W. Schureman. The next year he was licensed to preach by Rev. Joshua Woodlin. He became the adopted son of Bishop Campbell, from whom he drank in the very essence of the doctrine and laws of Methodism. He was soon taken into the itinerancy by Bishop Hazrey, and sent to the Westchester circuit, where he succeeded remarkably as pastor and physician. His next appointment was Freehold, N. J., where he was very popular in preaching, and in the practice of medicine. He was one of the delegates from the general conference of 1864, to the general conference of the Zion A. M. E. Church, In the same year he

BIOGRAPHY.

XV was ordained a Deacon, and sent to Oxford circuit, where he has remained ever since. Lincoln University is at the head of this circuit. His church, of which many of the students are members and local preachers, being within a stone's throw of the buildings. He has been a regular student in the University three years, and is pursuing a thorough ministerial education under the patronage of Bishop Simpson and other friends in the Methodist Episcopal church. Dr. Stevenson was one of the most prominent students in the institution, his practice of medicine being very large among them, as well as in the neighborhood. Besides these things, the Doctor attended faithfully to the four points on his circuit. He is like the " iron man," Bishop Campbell, in strength and rapidity of motion. He is one of the greatest revivalists in the connection, and is likely to become the Spurgeon of the A. M. E. Church, and is looked upon as being the greatest church builder and financier of the connection, having planned and constructed the largest church among colored people in the United States, namely, the Metropolitan Church of Washington, D. C. This church has a seating capacity of two thousand five hundred. He has three times in his life built two churches in the compass of eighteen months and paid for them, has been devoted to this work, and because of his extended experience in this branch of the Christian Church of which he has shown himself to be so well adapted (as though especially fitted for the work by the Almighty), he has been requested and urged from xvi

BIOGRAPHY.

time to time by bishops and ministers, both of our own and other churches, to write a book upon the subject, and give his brother pastors his successful plans of church financiering ; he has at last undertaken the work, and in the book that you now have before you, he gives his own thoughts, with as many others as he has gathered, to his brother pastors, officers and members of the Church of Christ, trusting that, with the help of Almighty God, they may be as successful as he has been in building up the waste places of Zion.

PERSONAL

EXPERIENCE.

My first experience in the art of raising money for church purposes, dates back to my first appointment as pastor of a charge, in the year 1859, * n Westchester, Pa.; which congregation I found laboring under great embarrassment for two reasons, viz., the dilapidated state of the church building, and the still poorer location of the same. Although being young in years, I felt that I had been called of the Lord to help carry on His work, in compliance with the command, "go ye into all the world and preach the gospel;" and I also found that this could be more thoroughly done by, and through, His church ; and that to be effectual, it must not be crippled by financial embarrassments. I, therefore, proceeded at once to sell the old structure, bought a new lot. and started the people in the direction of a new church edifice, which was afterward built : after this I removed to Freehold, from thence to Oxford, Pa., and then to Snow Hill, X. J. ; there I was successful in building two churches, and paying for them, in the space of eighteen months ; it was the center of a circuit, that embraced three places, viz.. Snow Hill. Milford and Jordantown ; the first and second named, having the new churches, and the remaining one being" repaired at the cost of 8i ? ooo. One of the leading xviii

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

features of raising money at this place, besides the subscriptions, was an " ox roast/' prepared and carried on by the colored people under my command, netting us $1,000 toward our church fund, in one day. I was greatly aided at this place, both with money and encouraging words, by Ezra Evans, a Quaker gentleman, who gave me from his own purse $1,000, and through whose influence, his brother and others donated lumber and shingles, and other needed material, until the church was completed. Showing to me that the Lord always raises up friends for us if we trust in Him. I left there at the end of two years' pastorate of hard labor — left the two churches free of debt.

I then went to Delaware circuit, w r hich embraced five churches, most of which were dilapidated, and suffering from mortgages, and old standing debts ; my head-quarters were at Camden. At Dover, the capital of the State, there was no church of our connection ; and considering it a good place, I proceeded at once to purchase a lot 50x100 feet at a cost of $1,000, which was paid for; this is all that was accomplished by me, as my time was too short to do more than lay the foundation, and leave to others who should come after me, the completing of the work.

At the next conference held at Carlisle, Pa., the bishop received a communication from Wilkesbarre, Pa., saying that a man must be sent there who could save their church (which was about half completed), which had already been advertised for sale by the sheriff, and I was appointed to go ; on arriving there.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

xix

I found a " bill of sale " on the church ; my boarding place being with one of my stewards, I inquired what amount would be necessary to satisfy the claims, and learned that $2,000 would meet the emergency. I then found a white lady of wealth, Mrs. Thomas, who after hearing my plans for raising the money, although I was a stranger, immediately loaned me the money, and with it the carpenters were paid, which removed the lien ; after which they proceeded at once to complete it at a cost of 810,000, and, by the blessing of God, I was enabled to see it out of debt in the space of two years. The agency employed, was an organization of white ladies, with Mrs. Thomas as president ; they arranged for suppers and concerts, and with the collections from the white churches, and private subscriptions, the required amount was raised^ In this church work I was greatly aided by the faithfulness and earnest work of my own people. One item I would like to mention: — the men of the church dug the trenches for the gas-pipes by moonlight, and were rewarded by the company donating the pipes, and $100 in money. While engaged at the work in Wilkesbarre, I received a letter requesting me to come to Bloomsburg also. I accordingly went, and found the people had a lot selected, but no church ; my first work was to visit the different pastors of the city, and those in an adjoining village named Espy, where upon invitaton of the pastor of a large Methodist church, I occupied his pulpit, and after preaching, stated my purpose to build a church in Bloomsburg; a lady came to me, and encouraged me by

XX

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

saying, that it had long been needed, and if I undertook it, I could rely not only upon her wealth, but also on her influence, to assist in carrying the work through ; plans and specifications were immediately gotten out, and the work commenced, and here I can record an experience that I have never had before nor since — the amount to pay for it was raised in one day, and that ciay was the dedication day !

Collections were taken in all the churches in Bloomsburg and Espy, which met the required amount, with the exception of $300 ; when just at the close, a blank check was sent from this same lady (to whom reference has been made), who was dying, with a message to the effect that her check must be made out to meet the deficiency that existed ; and it was made out for $300, thus clearing the church from debt. It was named " Elizabeth mission, " in honor of this Christian lady; and thus, by the blessing of God, two churches were built in the compass of eighteen (18) months, and my labors were ended in Wilkesbarre. From here I was sent in 1874, to Burlington, N. J., which also included " Mount Holly; " at the first-named place the church was remodeled at a cost of $2,500, and the second at a cost of $500, beside building, through my influence, a brick school-house for the children, at a cost of $3,000. I remained here three years, had a good harvest of souls in both churches, numbering one hundred and fifty. Thus the Lord always honors those who trust Him, and brings them off more than conquerors. My

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

xxi next appointment was at Trenton, N. J.; here I found " Old Mount Zion," a picture of which will be found in this book, and also a picture of the neAV one. The old structure was in a dilapidated condition, with the walls all cracked, and breaking from leakages in the roof ; and at the back, there was an old buryingground with tombstones falling down, and ruin manifested on every hand. The membership slowly lessened, and the church was almost deserted, in this, the capital city of New Jersey. Among my first friends who came to the rescue, was Joseph McPherson, Chancellor Green and the Rev. Mr. Sooy. Mr. McPherson was one of the leading trustees in the State Street Methodist church, and with him were associated four other leading wealthy gentlemen, who formed a finance committee. A meeting w r as called for the trustees and congregation, and a resolution passed that the old structure should be taken down and replaced with a new one. Dr. John Hall, for thirty-five years pastor of the Presbyterian church, prepared an article for the papers, setting forth the need of the people, and called on the citizens for help ; and as they saw his earnestness and zeal in the w r ork, they too caught his inspiration, and responded nobly ; and I also received great assistance from the ladies of the place, and judges, and leading citizens regardless of denominations. In accordance with the resolution the old church was taken down, and the bodies in the grave-yard removed ; in order to give more room for a larger structure, which was built at a cost of §10,000, and pronounced to be one of the finest xxii

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

churches in the State, and all paid for by subscriptions solicited by myself. After the debt was paid we had a revival, and to the seventy members already in the church, three hundred more were added;, and the Sunday School increased from twenty to three hundred. While engaged in this work, strange as it may seem, I was impressed that I should cross the Delaware, and build a chapel for my people in the village of Yardleyville. One of the members of my finance committee, Mr. H. V. B. Jacobus, went with me and purchased the ground, 50x100 feet, paying for it himself. A finance committee was appointed, consisting of three gentlemen, the chairman of which was the president of the Newtown Bank, Pennsylvania. Plans and specifications were drawn up, and in the short space of four months, the chapel was built and paid for by the residents of the village, and the surrounding farmers ; some donating stone, some brick, others lumber, lime, sand and labor. As there was no organization in this place, I organized a Sabbath School with forty children, and preached every Sabbath morning (during the erection of the chapel) in the Town Hall. At the dedication I presented forty names for church membership, thus constituting a permanent church organization, which was presented to the next conference, and which has been supplied with a pastor ever since ; and thus my work of building two churches in less than two years, was accomplished.

I was then appointed Presiding Elder of the Eastern District of the State, by Bishop Payne, D. D. f

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

xxiii my head-quarters being at Trenton. My district included Princeton, Pennington, Rahway, New Brunswick, Elizabeth, Newark, Orange, Paterson, Washington, Morristown, Freehold, and Jersey City. In nearly all these places I found the churches burdened with debts, many of them having been standing for years; and the spiritual life was mostly ebbed out.

I gave advice to the pastors from time to time, and succeeded in removing the mortgage from the church at Rahway, and building a new chapel at Washington, N. J., which was paid for, and dedicated. I received great assistance from Mr. Beatty, proprietor of the organ manufactory in that city. This work was accomplished in one year, when Bishop Payne received a letter from Bishop Brown, requesting my transfer to the Baltimore conference to be appointed at Union Bethel Church, Washington, D. C, for the purpose of building a new church. The request was granted, and my appointment made in 1880. Upon arriving there, I found that while it had been the desire of the bishop to have this work done, it was not the wish of the majority of the membership ; and hence in attempting it I met with great opposition ; but after some discussion, a resolution was passed by the trustees and members that the work should go on.

Two or three of the best ministers in the conference had been sent to Washington several years before, to build, what was to be known as the Metropolitan Church, which was to be the representative church of our connection ; but they failed for reasons for which they were not to blame, for they were good, xxiv

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

effectual ministers of the gospel, and had been successful in building churches in other places. I considered this an opportune time to try again and build the Metropolitan Church, instead of Union Bethel. I, therefore, requested Bishop Brown to call together the Bench of Bishops at his house, which he did; and they decided also the same, and commanded me to go forward with the work. I engaged an architect to draw plans for the church according to my directions, as my plans seemed to be from divine inspirations, and he allowed me to guide his hand. The dimensions of the church were to be 127x84 feet ; with a seating capacity of 2,500 in the auditorium ; with a lecture-room and primary Sunday school-room and class-rooms and church parlors ; and a room for the meeting of the bishops. An additional lot was purchased in connection with the old site in which to place the new structure. The old building was torn down by the members of the church, and the bricks cleaned by them to be used again. By this and with the selling of the old lumber there was a saving of $3,000, and the work began in earnest. As the membership of the church was 1,100, they were divided into twelve classes, the leaders of which met me from time to time to be trained in the art of raising money in their several classes. My first plan was to issue 85,000 envelopes which were given to the leaders, fifty-two for each one in his class ; one for every Sunday in the year. I also prepared " shot-bags" for each to keep their money in. I had all the " sinners " known as the pastor's class, and the first Sunday in

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

XXV in every month we received a collection of $r,ooo as the report from the " shot-bags and the classes toward the building of the new church. Besides this, entertainments were given from time to time for the same fund, and every second Sunday in the month a general collection was taken for the current expenses of the church, and the glorious work went on and was completed according to the plan, at a cost of over $100,000, and dedicated to Almighty God for divine services on May 30, 1886; and it now stands in the capital city of these United States as a monument of zeal and earnestness, which has surmounted many difficulties, and which is a credit to the entire African Methodist Episcopal connection ; and too much credit cannot be given to the trustees, especially John A. Sims and William Becket, and also the board of stewards for their faithfulness and co-operation, and also the good members of the church. Arrangements had been previously made by the general conference that $5,000 should be given each year from its funds to help pay for this church, which in addition to what had been paid, and what the members were still willing to pay, would not take very long to clear the church from debt. May her walls be constantly crowded with converts !

The church in Albany, N. Y., being in such a perilous condition^ about to be sold to satisfy a mortgage of $6,000 and a floating indebtedness of $1,500* demanded immediate action, and I was sent there by Bishop Caine, July, 1884. My first work was to call upon the members of the church, and obtain, if xxvi

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

possible, a unity of action among themselves ; but found that the majority of them were unable to do any thing of any account, so I would have, of necessity, to seek help outside. I then called, upon Rev. Charles Reynolds, the city missionary and editor of the "Work at Home" who was well acquainted with the citizens ; he treated me very kindly personally, but thought the out-look was very dark, as many of the citizens had given repeatedly for this purpose, and yet no satisfactory result had been obtained ; but after seeing my credentials, and my successful work in other places, and a hearty indorsement by Bishop Simpson, he published the facts in the " Work at Home." This brought me before the public in a proper light. I then called on Mr. Archibald McClure, and stated the facts, and he gave me $100 and loaned me $80 to pay the back interest on the mortgage ; and the gentleman holding the mortgage, after my explanation that I had been sent here to save the church, extended the time of foreclosure ; thus giving me an opportunity to enter fully into my work. I then called on Mr. James W. Eaton, who referred me to Mrs. Leander Stickney, who having seen the account given in the " Work at Home" had expressed a desire to see me in relation to it ; and after an explanation, agreed to assist in the work, first by subscribing $100, and then adding, that she would be willing to assist in forming an organization of ladies. I then called on all the pastors of the city, asking them to meet in the church on Monday afternoon, September 30, 1884. The following responded :

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

xxvii

Rev. Win. S. Smart, Rev. John McC. Holmes, Rev. S. V. Leech, Rev. Thos. C. Potter, Rev. Wesley R. Davis, Rev. James H. Ecob, Rev. Edwin F. See, Rev. Frederick Widmer, Rev. George W. Miller, Rev. John Jaeger, Rev. Albert Foster, Rev. D. W. Gates, Rev. Henry K. Boer, Rev. H. Hartwing, Rev. J. F. Neef, Rev. A. W. Stocking, Rev. S. F. Morrow, Rev. J. Wolfenden, Rev. J. H. Coleman, Rev. J. W. Eaton, Rev. W, D. Nicholas. These represented the several Protestant churches of the city ; and here the condition of the church was fully discussed pro and con ; and finally a resolution was passed, unanimously indorsing me, and pledging me their support. I then called for a committee of five laymen, to be known as a " finance committee." The following were appointed: C. P.Williams, Congregational Church; Archibald McClure, Presbyterian Church ; James W. Eaton, Methodist Church ; James Covert, Baptist Church; J. Townsend Lansing, Reformed Church. The following named clergymen were appointed to prepare an appeal for the public press, w T hich was to be inserted in a book, to be used by me when calling upon the citizens to solicit subscriptions : Rev. Wm. S. Smart, Rev. John McC. Holmes, Rev. S. V. Leech.

I then called on Mrs. L. Stickney, and it w r as there suggested that we have a " jubilee concert." I engaged a troupe from the South, and the use of the opera house was donated for one night by Mrs. Rosa M. Leland ; and the following ladies, Mrs. Leander Stickney, Mrs. Frederick Townsend, Mrs. W. W. Crannell, Mrs. P. L. Eastman, Mrs, G. W. Van Slyke, xxviii