A New Way of Paying Church Debts.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 6265, 29 September 1891, Page 2

A New Way of Paying Church Debts.

At the quarterly meeting of the tJnreformed Presbyterian Presbytery of Glasgow (North), held in Coweaddens Church, the Rev. 0. L. D. Home moderator, Mr Reedman (Session-clerk) said that the other day a traveller had called, at his provision, shopin regard to an advertisement that h& wanted him to consider, seeing that he wasthe Session-clerk of his ohurch.;. The traveller represented a soap firm, and he offered the name of his firm, to put up\all A around the front of the gallery a beautifuik-^ got-up card with the words " Soap" —a new patent—and in consideration of the concession the firm would give the congregation " the sum of £100 a year for a period of at least five years." Mr Reedman said that as an individual he did not intend stating his opinion in regard to tha proposal at the present time, but he would only remind them that "cleanliness was. next to godliness," and he could not 7 but think that the congregation would bo all the. better of a £100 a year for a. year or two, but he left the matter entirely in the hands of the Session, and, if thought advisable, it might be brought before the I; first congregational meeting.—Mr Alex's ander said he could hot see that any persoo \ would object to such a healthy proposal; '- besides, the advertisements about soap faced them on every bill-sticker's hoarding , on theroad to the kirk, and.,' moreover, such a sum. per annum would help the debt considerably, and he thought it waa just as honeet a way of cleaning their feet as bazaars and i such-Hke. There was one thing that had just struck him. Say, for instance, if soma \ of the advertising folk, such asPears' Soap or Bovril, or Beecham's Pills, came to know they were Inclined to let the front Of the-. gallery for advertising purposes for a consideration, was it not possible that they might offer a larger sum than £100 ? Ifc was quite worth considering, and not advisable to rush off and settle at once with this particular new soap man.—Mr Home said that, so far as he. waa concerned, the idea did not seem to trouble or offend him • for, though the advertisement might b& constantly in front of him from the pnlpifc view, yet it would always remind him thathe would be more certain of his salary during: the next five years than he had been in the past, and he considered that was a, great matter, both for the congregation and him- "> self — particularly himself. .-(Applause) ' Ministers too should be relieved from their present duties of general Sunday advertiser for the neighborhood, and his sounding board might be utilised in that way. He merely, threw out the suggestion. Churob advertising was indeed in its infancy, sod no one sould foretell its possibilities.—Mr Mackenzie, elder, and wine and spirit merchant, said this certainly was a newidea, and it almost took his breath away when he heard that they could get out of their financial difficulties so easily and apparently so honestly. Mr Home had stated that he would always see the advertisement from the pulpit, but he would like to remind them that the pulpit itself—old though it was—had five large panels, and each panel could be let, say, one for prize medal oatmeal, another for blacking, one for Simpson's famous cure of Findon haddocks, and another for Davidson'sumbrellas, and maybe some . enterprising draper might take the fifth. Let at £10 a year per panel, the pastor, Mr Home, would just feel when preaching that he stood on a rook worth £50 a year. (Hear, hear.) It was a capital idea, and the session should recommend the whole matter unanimously to the congregation. In the meantime, Mr Reed man might he asked to_ say to the ooap man that his offer, was having their most anxious consideration. *V —Mr Bogne quite concurred with what Mr / ' Mackenzie had said, and was very glad that f he recognised the propriety of drawing the jl line at oatmeal and umbrellas, as he \ afraid that he might have been led to suggest, from his trade connexion, some rare blend of whisky, such as "Poteen" or " Glenlivet," or maybe " Blue Gloot." There could not be any ■ doubt that there was a future for the congregation, and ifc was quite possible thut in tha course of a few years they might be able able (after the debt wasoleared off) to build ahall; forit was clearly his opinion that a kirk at the present day was not worth a button unless it had a hall in which they could have oookieshinea, concerts, (and a dance after for the choir), and a variety of other social meetings. Hequite concurred, and most heartily, with the wholeidea.—Mr Hoy having expressed himself as delighted with the idea, said there was one thing that could be said in its favor, and that was that it would save them, as a congregation, puttiDj* their hands into their peckers so often, and he thought they would all agree with him that that wae a great matter. (Hear, hear.) He begged to move the following resolution:—"The Session having met, and beiDg- properly constituted, the session-clerk stated that aa offer by a well known soap firm had been made to the congregation for the sum of £100 a year/, for the period oi 1 five years, for the privilege i of putting an ornamental advertisement j, round the front of tho gallery, bearing the w ~ words' Soap'—the Session unanimously entertain the offer, and recommend it for the consideration of the congregation at its first meotiug.' The resolution was carried nem. con.