CHURCH FUNDS

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 112, 7 November 1935, Page 13

CHURCH FUNDS

CONGREGATIONAL GIVING

FALLING-OFF RECORDED

Many, printed pages, of figures were submitted by the treasurer .(Mr. V. G. Chapman} in his statement of finances at the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church yesterday afternoon.

Mr. .Chapman reported that the improvement noted last year-in congregational giving lor the purposes of the Church" outside congregational bounds had not been maintained. The hope then expressed that the Church would u share-in'4;he improvement noted in the general situation had not been realised. I This falling away in congregational contributions for theC missionary purppses of the Assembly had been offset: tola -considerable extent by contributions from anonymous sympathisers- and receipts from legacies being much in.excess of the estimate. Without'the help received from these sources of income, the missionary funds of the Church would: be in a ■.parlous state. ■'. -' '.: ■, ■.REASONS FOR SHORTAGE. "Some effort should be made to lift the. standard of congregational giving for mission purposes, or else the work attempted - should be brought down to a level the Church is able or willing to support," continued. Mr. Chapman. "The. experience gained during the last six years does not'encourage support; of the latter idea. \ Congregational support has declined . proportionately with the reduction in the expenditure. The problem of, bringing : income and expenditure more into harmony is one the Assembly: should face.'; There is danger for the Church in relying too largely on the. legacies provided by"the wills of generous deceased sympathisers./ Many $eel that ..the mission" cause should be s-ipported arid extended by living Church members. , ■■•.'■■ ■ ■ ■ ■■ ■

"During the past nine years no. less than £52,485 of legacy money lias been transferred to the working; accounts of the three main missions, foreign,, home, and Maori.

~ "The failure by congregations to raise : what is asked of them is of such long standing that a recent decision of the foreign.mission committee to. •ask its. : finance . committee to endeavour to analyse the reasons for the seri-ous-shortage in •; congregational' giving to the mission schemes is not before its time. " Such. an - examination. by a committee independent of the spending committees of the Assembly, and the advisory board would prove of the utmost value." ■

Mr. Chapman pointed out that congregational giving was ".'£7173 short .of what was asked,'whereas interest ■transfers from- legacies, and special donations -exceeded the estimate by £4669/ :;- .. /. , : .-;..• , PEOPLE COMMENDED. ■ The Rev. F. W. ; Robertson (Walpawa);' junior clerk, commended the members of the.Church for the way they had supported it in good times and bad.;.; He added thathe for' one had 'expected the': deficiencies to be, greater than they, actually were. The people were not altogether to blame. Some, of it was attributable to the Assembly. - Mr. Robertson said he had gone info the matter exhaustively and the position was not that members of .the. Church were1'; giving:'poorly in comparison with those of others. He did not know of any church that .was doing as ; well as their .own in.; this •connection; . ; v''-'-'-.-".'..:- ..:;. ; '.-I; ■'.-■■;,. :

'■Mr..'-W.' H. Rose (Christchurch), at ,a,,-;late£ s stage, said.,'he" cpns.idere'4., that but- for -the -budget-and 'freewill- offering system the'finances .of'the'Church

would have suffered. Haphazard and spasmodic . giving no. longer sufficed to meet the present needs of the Church: It was- the' best system yet evolved for the financial good of the Church.

In a report submitted by Mr. Rose it was shown that in, a congregation of 250 members 127 members, (51 per cent.) contributed £557 per envelopes and 123 members (49 per cent.) £206 by loose collections. L In., another case, a congregation 'of-132, 79members contributed £.550 under the envelope system and 53 members £94 by loose collections. The.system, said Mr. Rose, had been in operation for five years.

■ The Assembly approved of a recommendation that presbyteries and congregations be urged to make special efforts during the coming year to extend the system. . •.'