As reported by The Richmond Item. Fri, May 26, 1922 ·Page 7.
SUNDAY DONATES SUM OF $120,485
Then on Top of That he Gives $65,000 to Pacific Garden Mission of Chicago
Those who call Billy Sunday a grafter were asked yesterday afternoon to hear a little of some past donations of the evangelist. He told his tabernacle audience that when he was in New York City (c. 1917) he told the people coming to the tabernacle to give him all they were able to and he would give it all to the Red Cross and the Y. M. C. A., for their war work.
New York City gave me $120,485, Mr. Sunday said, and I turned over every cent for the work that I had said I would. I went to Chicago and the city gave me $65,000 and I gave the sum to the Pacific garden mission. I give away a tenth of my income. And that is all right. I do not advertise all the things I do with my money. I do not tell all the world the things that I pay off. You follow me around, some of you, and I will make you dizzy with the money I give away. But I don’t have to tell anyone. It is written down above so that is all that matters.
No Guarantee
When Mr. Sunday promised to come to Richmond, he was guaranteed nothing, and all that was to go to him was the free-will offerings the last day of the campaign. He exclaimed, I wonder whether any circus would come to your city on that basis just take up a collection. I wonder whether your county or city officials would collect its taxes on that basis take up a collection. I wonder whether they would let you go to the movies and then take up a collection. No collection for Dempsey when he stood ten minutes in the ring and received $300,000. Oh! no. If I got some of you pay more for your gasoline each year than you do for your church. Oh. it makes me mad when I see you putting God on a five and ten cent basis.
Little
Like one old bird who was always at prayer meeting giving testimony and telling of all he did when he had more on tobacco than he gave to the church in 13 years.
Mr. Sunday preached on God So Loved the World. The Rev. Alford of Columbus, O., made opening prayer. Messrs Mathews and Rodeheaver sang a duet. Mr. Rodeheaver sang My Wonderful Dream. following the sermon, Mr. Sunday gave the invitation and six persons responded.
had found the sheep that was lost. He took her tenderly, and in his shepherd’s plaid he carried her to the fold. One, two, three, four, five, six ninety-six, ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine and one hundred. He locked the fold and entered the cabin and she had fallen exhausted on the floor.
She was lying there panting and at the sound of his voice and footsteps she staggered to her knees, reeling and fell dead.
That Jesus Christ should come to this old world to give us a chance to be saved, to try and find us, cursed and scarred and bruised with sin. That is God’s message to us. He so loved the world, that he gave his only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Once, years ago in New York I was told there lived a wealthy Christian merchant. He married a beautiful woman, gave her a bank account and unknown to him she drank. She used to go away and visit friends on pretence of visiting relatives. She kept it up and at last fell into a life of sin and shame.
One night he came home and found a note telling him that she had gone away never to return. That her life could not merit his true, Christian character and life. He hired detectives and they searched every where and they could not find her.
Copies of her pictures were left with the police and with undertakers around the country and he said, If you run across her body, use the best clothes that money can buy, buy the finest casket, etc.; bank it with flowers and send for me.
Three years went by when the phone rang and a voice said, We have found her.
And he went to the undertaking establishment and as he looked through the glass upon her face, he cried, Oh, Mary, if you only knew how I loved you, you would have come back.
He stood weeping as if his heart would break and he said, Bury her.
And he erected a costly monument and said to the undertaker, Put on it one word: Forgiven.
That is God’s message to us. He forgives our transgressions, and I am glad that I have a God and that I have a Salvation like that to preach to you.
Evangelist Billy Sunday (1862-1935) 