MEETING HOUSES by James White

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 26, 1867

MEETING HOUSES.

By James White

We have stated that no church should build a house of worship that would cost less than the best dwelling owned by any member of the church. We then referred to those churches who are sufficiently numerous to nearly fill a house of worship respectable in size. In that case, we believe the remark strictly correct.

But in the case of scattered brethren, in a new country, who are nearly all of them poor, where three or four small churches can be seated in a school-house, as is the case in Eaton county, Mich., it may not be duty to build such a house of worship. Yet they should have a house in which they can assemble for Monthly Meetings. In such places a log house would be of great service. If they wait till they feel able to build a house that would cost $1000, it is to be feared that they will become weak and discouraged from the want of a place for general meetings monthly, so that they will never build at all.

We recommend a bee of all the able-bodied brethren in the county of three or four days, to roll up the logs and put on the roof, and the raising of $100, to purchase lumber, nails and glass. Let the house be twenty-six by thirty-five, and made in a style to be used in a framed house of the same size.

Let this be done this spring for the summer's use, and in the autumn make them tight and furnish stove for winter. With such an effort on the part of the brethren, we think the Conference Committee would furnish ministerial labor monthly. As we said to the brethren in Orange, we say to them in Eaton county, the Lord willing, we will attend their first meeting in the new log house.

JAMES WHITE.