The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-06
ii. P.WaSSOn Geo.

proportionate to the sum received from the
presbytery of its assessment up to date.
o.. The treasurer and secretary will serve
with salary, and may employ such help as
may be sanctioned by the board The treas
urer's accounts shall be audited annually by
an expert accountant under the direction
of a special auditing committee appointed
by the assembly
Z. All special gifts and trust funds left
TO the cause of home missions shall be held
ana disposed OF by the board under the di-
rection of the General Assembly.
The members of the board will be all
IoWed an amount covering their necessary
expenses from their homes to the place OF
meeting and return by the nearest practical
bic route once per year.
POINTS OF ADVANTAGE.
While no doubt many objections and inn
projections will be discovered in the above
plan and some few may think it revolutions
airy and altogether impracticable, / claim
the following points of advantage:
l. 1t is presbyterial, making the presby-
terry the. unit. 1t is Presbyterian in that it
recognizes the supervising power of the
synod, also the supervising power of the
court of last resort, the General Assembly,
and gives 1t final jurisdiction as prescribed
by the book in other church matters.
z The above plan gives presbytery and
synod large liberty in the matters of Sc
lecting pastors. eyangelists, superintendent
ana large nDerty IN the general conduct OF
the work within their bounds
3. The plan is a realization, to some ex-
tent, or the latent episcopal powers of the
Cnufcn IN the matter or grouping churches,
placing pastors, giving close personal super
vision to the churches and fields. These
things will compel close supervision of the
work by the presbyterial and synodical COM
mittees.
A. The plan encourages systematic and
even proportionate giving. We avoid the
haphazard collection on the one hand, and
the horizontal assessment of so much per
capita on the other.
s. The plan constitutes the home board,
as it is believed it should be constituted, of
men representing each section OF the church.
The majority of the presbyteries meet in
April, instructing the home mission commits
tees. They carry their instructions up to
the synodical committee, which will meet
and revise the work early in May. The
chairman, who are members of the board
and who will meet at the assembly about
the middle of May fresh from the fields.
They will recommend action to the assem-
bly, which will be finally reviewed and the
presbyteries will be notified Immediately OF
their assessments and grant OF funds, ana
6 1t will be seen by this method that no
great debt upon the board will be possible,
interest will be saved. The presbyteries are
paid in proportion as they pay. Thls, OF
course, will secure more money because lC
will be an incentive to hundreds OF derelict
churches to do their part or they or their
reighbors will suffer in consequences. The
presbyterial chairman knows within week
the amount each church in his presbytery
has given through the duplicate receipts,
and thus knows what per cent. or ms grant
VIII De sent OIL ny THO AlO 40 tAlu0
in a position to urge each church to its
full duty. The plan will pay as promptly
as any plan of the assembly or OF any synoc
now pays, as the motive and pressure to
such payment by the above method is all
that 1t can be made
z The mission Of the board s circulars
will be transferred to the living agents or
the presbytery who will be more powerful
to awaken enthusiasm and secure funds.
This plan need not interfere with those VINO
desire to give largely. The plan only recon-
mends q minimum amount for the weaker
churches but expects much more than the
assessment from some of the stronger.
s. The plan of Assessment" cannot be
objected to as irregular for the reason
that the assessment idea is already enforced
by the church for the purpose of carrying
on presbyterial. synodcal and assembly ex-
penses. Any legal objections that may be
made can be met either by modifying the
plan to meet the legal conditions where the
plan Is not vitality effected, or We may seek
to have legislation modified to suit the PLAN
| apprehend no serious difficulty in this dt-
rection.
O. Objection may be made that the travel
ing expense account may be large. Not 50
meets annually and with the assembly In
all probability some of the members of the
board each year will be commissioners ana
have their expenses paid by the assembly.
1t will be seen that the office of the secre-
tary will not need so much help. There
will be saving in that direction. We eefi-
mate a saving of from $4,000 tc $4,000 on
interest and salaries. Not only so, but the
immediate supervision will greatly Increase
the income or there is but little in the plan.
Indianapolis. Dec. a. r. V. HUNTER.