I’m reading Arnold Dallimore’s Spurgeon along with Tim Challies and others. This week, we read chapters 9-11 of this biography of Charles Spurgeon. Chapter 9 was about the building of the Metropolitan Tabernacle, chapter 10 about the pastor’s college established by Spurgeon, and chapter 11 was about several other of Spurgeon’s ministry projects.
As you can tell by the short decriptions, these chapters were about projects Spurgeon took on as part of his ministry. He was a very, very busy man.
In addition to the duties of his ministry at the Tabernacle, with more than 3,500 members and various organizations. Spurgeon constantly accepted invitations to preach at other churches. Almost every day except Sunday he hastened off to some other church in London. Often he traveled, either by carriage or train, to more distant places.
How could anyone keep up with that sort of schedule?
But all of his undertakings flourished, and for a while, Sprugeon had the stamina to accomplish this all fairly easily. In his early thirties, however, he began to have chronic health problems that lasted for the rest of his life. I’m not sure his poor health was a direct result of his many reponsibilities and heavy schedule, but perhaps it was.
One more thing: Did you know that there were no offerings taken during the services at the Metropolitan Tabernacle? The main source of income was through the sale of seats. I admit I did a double-take when I read this:
People who wished to attend regularly paid for a seat on a three-months’ basis and were admitted by ticket. Others remained outside till five minutes before the beginning of the service, at which time the restriction was removed and the crowd rushed in and filled the rest of the building.
I’m not sure what to make of that. I know it wouldn’t go over well at my church. And if one of the bigger name preachers today started charging for seats in his church, can you imagine the criticism? But the Tabernacle was always full to overflowing and there were countless conversions. The practice of charging for seats didn’t seem to hinder the work of the church.