THE WORSHIP OF MAMMON.

Press, Volume XLIV, Issue 19400, 28 August 1928, Page 8

THE WORSHIP OF MAMMON.

♦ —• SINS OP THE CHURCHES. AN AUCKLAND PREACHER'S SERMON. [THE PRESS Special Service.] AUCKLAND, August 27. "In many cases the churches are worshipping Mammon, and if you have £IO,OOO a year you can have any church office you like, so long as your life has not been startlingly un-Chris-tian," said the Kev. J. F. Jones, of the United Evangelical Church, in an address in the Tivoli Theatre on some sins of Auckland churches. The speaker prefaced bis remarks with an intimation that he intendod neither to pour vitriol on the ministry, nor to belittle the work of the churches in grappling with sin. The sins of the city were only too obvious, but he said his indictment would be confined in a constructive sense to the sins of the churches. "The one great sin of the churches is the inordinate love of money," said Mr Jones. "In some churches we find the minister receiving £BOO or £IOOO a year, while another man in the same denomination gets £l5O or £2OO, with which to keep a family and help those about him. Churches often boasted of the financial success of the year, and laid no stress on spiritual progress. If a man had £IO,OOO behind him, and .he joined practically any church itf the world, and attended regularly, he would be approached and asked to become a deacon or an elder, 4 ' said Mr Jones. "It is a disgrace that wo should, when there is money, forget to consider character," he declared.. The speaker referred to vulgar display in the erection- of very expensive churches, when the mission field 'was parsimoniously treated; There was lack of zeal in many church activities, and very few places of worship provided a bright and helpful prayer meeting. , v ■. ~ Another church sin was lack of discipline, saia Mr Jones. "If a man, is a member of the church he cannot; do as he pleases," he .declared, ;"|h«e; are'churches which refuse :to.'teaejMM;doctrine of the Second Coming. :T*m. are not loyal we might as well, clofey bur doors, throw the Bible into the: sea, and say «We shall eat, drink. be merry, and to-morrow die.' If owy the church was loyal and consistent, it would have a tremendous power-in this sinful generation. We must clean up-our own backdoors before mence to talk about the sins of the people." ■■.•'. '•'■- • •