COLLECTION-PLATE GOES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 71, Issue 237, 6 October 1928, Page 14

COLLECTION-PLATE GOES

ST. PAUL’S EXPERIMENT PLAN GAINING MOMENTUM. ‘ ‘ln abolishing the collection plate you are taking a very venturesome step and If St. Paul’s with its boardinghouse population, always on the move, can make a success of it any church ought to be able to do so, too. ’ ’ That was what a suburban clergyman toJd the Rev. Cecil Watson after the recent announcement that, beginning next Sunday, a new system of free-will offering was to come into operation, states the Auckland Sun. Explaining the change in a sermon to a large congregation last evening, Mr Watson said that boxes at the doors would displace the plates. The vicar said that although he hoped there would be a generous response to this bold experiment, he wanted it to be known that the poorest person, who was jnable to give anything, would still be as welcome to worship in the church as the wealthiest parishioner.

A quiet but very real movement was taking place in the Church of England in the direction of more worthy support of the work of the Church, said the preacher. This was largely due to the devoted efforts of a layman, who, some 16’ years ago, introduced to the Church of England the duplex system of giving. The j?an was for every subscriber to promise a definite sum weekly. For the first two years there was little response, But the movement gained momentum until to-day parishes were joining at the rate of six a week and well over 2,000 had adopted the system.

A city parish like St. Paul’s was largely dependent on visitors for support, and therefore < not depend upon envelope giving to the extent a suburban parish might. In spite of this, the parish authorities believed hearty support would be forthcoming for a method which held no clement of compulsion in its appeal. The vicar made an earnest plea to parishioners to further God’s work, not allowing compulsory subscriptions to, say, a sports club, to surpass voluntary giving for the upkeep and extension of the work of the Church.