Part 4. ACCOMPLISHMENTS

3. Church and Parsonage Properties

HE founders of Free Methodism had been Methodists. In their former relation they enjoyed the benefit of the labors of their fathers. The preachers usually had good churches in which to preach and good parsonage homes. Among the laymen there were some who had contributed in a very substantial way to the construction and maintenance of church properties.

     So those men and women of God were not only thrust out from their church home but also thrust from their physical comforts. Nevertheless, at great sacrifice and with much labor, they built Free Methodist properties until the Minutes of 1938 report 1,259 churches, with a value of $5,313,248, and 917 parsonages, with a value of $1,966,830. The total value of these properties is therefore $7,280,118. Incumbrances totaling $331,162 (less than 4 1/2 per cent) are against these church and parsonage properties.

     Occasionally a young preacher feels sorry for himself because the property to which he is appointed is not in all respects what he desires or because there is some debt to which he has fallen heir. He should remember that just as good men as he went to appointments where there was no property and built not only in spiritual things but the necessary places of worship and residence. If some sacrifice and labor are still necessary, this is a happy condition lest we get soft. If the spirit of the fathers is upon us we will still build, still improve the properties, and consider our appointment good if we are partners with the men of some vision who have gone before and in some measure prepared our way.