The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-13
BASED ON INDIANA PLAN
PRESBYTERIAN COMMITTEES CON-
CLUSION IS SOMEWHAT LIKE 1T.
Local Administration Of Home Mis-
sion Funds FavOred-NationaI
Board to BE Maintained.

The special committee Of fifteen appointed
by the Presbyterian General Assembly to
look into the question of administering
home mission funds adjourned at noon yes
terday after authorizing the chairman, DR..
Withrow to appoint a subcommittee to
formulate report. For the guidance of this
subcommittee the committee adopted GER
tain general principles TO be followed and
in this expression of sentiment the OPP
ponents of the home mission board, that is
those who favor the Indiana plan, were
victorious to a large extent The commit
tee declared:
81. Local administration is desirable
wherever practicable.
20. There should be a. recognition of the
unity of the work throughout the church.
That is to say, the synods and presbyteries
should be in entire harmony with the gen.
eral plan of the national board and there
should be no conflict in work undertaken
'S. There should be sufficient sum
guaranteed to the national board to guard
it against loss and to admit of its work
being carried on in the broad spirit in which
it was conceived"
A resolution was adopted e1 pressing great
sympathy with the national 5>ard of home
missions in it's financial diff. culties and
pledging the influence of the members of
the committee in their various synods to it's
assistance.
thorized to appoint subcommittee Of five
which should confer with like subcom-
mittee appointed by the national board, and
after such conference formulate report
which will be presented to the full commit
tee at its meeting in February. At the
February meeting the committee will adopt
and modify this report for presentation to
the General Assembly next May. Members
of tIo no
the final outcome will be the adoption of the
plan that will admit of the fullest possible
control of their funds by the presbyteries
and synods and at the same time definitely
fix the status and powers of the American
board and guarantee it sufficient revenue
to carry on it's work. They hope thus to
permanently remove problems that have
been a fruitful cause for friction for years.
The debates upon the subject were of a
conciliatory nature throughout. The com
mittee seemed to realize that the OLD
methods of having all contributions sent d1-
rect to the home board, and by 1T reappor-
toned was thing of the past and the ques-
ton for it to consider was how best to har-
monte with ii the idea of local autonomy,
preserving the usefulness of the board and
at the same time not interfering with the
disposition of the synods that are able TO
take care of their own 1t is probably that
the outcome will be method OF permitting
the synods and presbyteries to have com
they are able to take care of them, at the
same time guaranteeing certain percent
age of all collections to the national board.
IT is believed that this will do away with
the uncertainty that has in recent years
seriously interfered with the operations of
the board and give it a substantial basis
upon which to calculate it's income and its
expenditures.
The representatives of all the varying
lines of thought in the committee expressed
themselves as more than satisfied with the
harmonious outcome of the committees de-
liheratiOnS.