The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-11-07

Gldub uI OVoT IOuTb6ou Ills
is the sum invested at this moment by
the Universalists of Am erica in main
tanning their Church and extending
their religion.
2. Turning now to the Product. we
have first the amount contributed annu-
ally for current parish expenses, which
is almost exactly ten per cent of the sum
invested in parish property-or 1927 900.
This should be followed in the enumer-
alton by the amounts contributed by
these same parishes for the erection of
old ones; for the payment of debts; for
the better endowment of our schools;
for missions; and for the various and
innumerable calls of local charity, which
il they were not responded to would de-
stroy at once the standing and useful
ness of our churches,-a sum amount
ing in all on the average to round half
million more. Finally, we have the in
come of the funds of our Conventions.
of our Schools, of our Missionary co.
cieties, and the business of our Publish
ing House, aggregating not less than
100000 more. This gives US grand
total of financial Product from our in
vestments and annual business of ST.
$4,000.
Here then we have the Universalist
Church with financial resources in the
form of capital invested in it's manifold
business of over S14,OOO0OO. and re-
sources in the form of revenue and
income, employed in carrying on the
business, of over s1.7OOOOO. The Pro-
duct resource is 121a per cent of the
Plant resource, and is just S34 per fam
lily. It must not, however, be supposed
that S34 is actually contributed each
year by each family; or that sum aver
aging that is contributed by our families
The income from invested funds, held
by conventions. schools. societies and
Publishing House, must be deducted be-
| fore we can divide the amount by the
families. When we have done 30 we find
the average to be about $25 family.
III. The Possible Resources. It makes
ones heart leap and his head swim to
think what might be done for our indi-
vidual parishes, for our schools, for our
Conventions, for Japan, for the Every
Day Church and the churches every
day, for missions. for our publishing in
terests, il our people who are prosper
| GUS, from the millionaire down to the
| thrifty laborer, should be simultaneously
seized with the purpose to equip the
Universalist Church to it's full capacity
of usefulness. And when one reflects
| that they could do it without distress
and with a vast accession of happiness to
themselves. he wonders what in the
world it is that holds them back.
But that dream is too bright to pur-
sue. Consider this then. If two per-
sons from each of our $4,000 families
should unite in the cent-a-day plan, we
should have 10O,000x365- 1896, ,OOG! Sup
posing nothing to be given for missions
in larger gums. and we should still have
ten times the amount ever raised in any
year for these purposes. 1t is sugges.
tive beyond speech just to glance at the
possible resources of the Universalist
| Church.
III. But hasten to put before you
| the available financial resources of our
! Church. How much is it reasonable to
expect and practicable to try to get?
In 1895 the amount secured through all
channels for missions and expenses was
about $4,000. This year it is reported
at the unusual figure of s69.000-proba-
bly, because these are hard times Fifty
thousand is pretty good average for us
as we have been going the last ten years.
See how we might improve on that. The
merit of the Cent-a-Day plan is in its
availability for general adoption by our
people. 1t is not devised to let the rich
off easy, but to make people of moderate
means to give regularly. Now there are
the greater part of our people. Why
cannot this greater part of them be
reached by this plan? Suppose we ac-
complish it, then we should get, say so
on an average out of our 1000 parishes
That is 50,000x $685. 800. Suppose
it required the services Of ten can
vassers. men or women, at a salary of
81 900 each. with $500 each for expenses,
or $4,000 in all, to secure these pledges
and maintain them in standing, and
still we have s167.5 500, net. Divide
this between the General and the State
Conventions, and we yet have for each
sS3.750. or over $4,000 more than our
present average for both. II this seems
at all impracticable to any, or too good
to be true, cut it down one-half. and even
at that. which is certainly we'll within
reach, we shall obtain S33,5OO more
than we now get. IL at the same time
we should use the common sense with
which our people are credited and OBJ
tain from the wealthy and generous
among us the additional larger sums
they could give. our financial resources
would rise to figure somewhat com
mensurate with the greatness of our
idea and our opportunity.
l submit some corollaries to my prin-
cipal proposition: