The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-20
CONFERENCE OF TITHERS
ADVOCATES OF sCRIPTURAL GIVING
AT MEMORIAL CHURCH.
Discussion of the Practice of Giving
the Church One-Tenth-ThOmas
Kane Present.

Memorial Church was filled morning,
afternoon and evening yesterday at the
conference on scriptural 1.-THE giving. The
conference was for the Indianapolis
churches of all denominations and was
presided over by Blynn Yates, of Buffalo, a
prominent member of the Delaware-avenue
Baptist Church of that city. The pro-
gramme included the foremost opponents
of the doctrine of ''honoring God with our
substance
The guest of honor was Thomas Kane, of
Chicago, who has advocated and practiced
1.-THE giving for over thirty years. There
was a peculiar relation between Mr.. Kane
and the meeting In 1857 he was teacher
in the Marion county schools. his district
being near Broad Ripple. Later he lived
in Greenfield, Hancock county. When the
first church of that now growing city was
dedicated Mr.. Kane became impressed with
the scriptural command to give tithes and
he determined to follow it. In his subscrip-
ton to that church he found that instead
of being called on for sum which he had
calculated to pay he found himself in
debted in the sum of $500, which he was a
long time paying. Ever since then he has
consistently given one-tenth of all he pos
sessed to his church. He will revisit Green
field to-day after an absence of thirty
years. When he lived there he was choir
master and one of his choir was John Ri
ley, brother of James Whitcomb Riley. Mr.
Kane now lives in Chicago, where for
twenty-five years he was a manufacturer
Il,
the audience yesterday remembered the
states that bore his imprint and the ink
wells on the little old-fashioned desks that
bore IL in iron letters. Mr.. Kane accumu-
lated large fortune and is now president
of the Conference of Tithers of Winona
Assembly.
The whole discussion of yesterday was
predicated on the tenth verse of the third
tithes into the storehouse that there may
be meat in mine house, and prove me now
herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, If l will
not open to you the windows of heaven and
pour you out a blessing that there shall not
be room enough to receive it," Introducing
this subject to the audience, the Rev. +.
o. Ballard said the church was in a pre-
carious state In this world OF plenty 1t
was a beggar, not a giver. The practice
of 1.-THE giving meant the financial sta
bility of Gods house, strength and GER
tainty to it's onward movements and the
speedy evangelization of the world.
The Rev. E. b. Stewart, of Chicago,
pastor of a United Brethren Church, ex-
planned how 1.-THE giving in his congrega
bers received over $50 a month, yet the
church was financially prosperous, a large
giver to the benevolences of the church of
the world. His church was what would be
regarded as a poor church, yet its men,
bership was happy in giving one-tenth of
its income.
FINANCING THE CHURCH.
Mr.. Yates told of the financing of the
church of his membership at Buffalo. A
covenant was made by the tithers and it
was kept. In 1.-THE giving he said the tither
knew that he was dealing directly with God
and there was no failure. The man who
made a covenant with God TO give one
tenth of his increase assumed it as a mat
ter of conscience. of partnership with God,
and his accounting was always correct.
During the other sessions papers were
read by DR.. E. c. Ray. Presbyterian. of
Chicago, W. g. Roberts. of Cincinnati, and
Harry Whitcomb. of Shelbyville, Ind. In
the evening the Rev. j. w. Duncan, of
Shelbyville. Methodist Episcopal deliv-
cred an address on How Tithing Works"
He used two practical illustrations. One
was Wesley Chapel at Cincinnati. where
had introduced tithing. The church was
about to become a charge on the home
fund. In 1895 the pastor and three
members and their wives met and formed
a tithing covenant They offered this
covenant to all who would sign. Those
who gave tithes were TO be relieved of all
other church assessments. From that time
the church has steadily increased in all
respects. The church membership has null
tiplied and the tithers have brought the
church to the head of those in the Cincinnati
Conference in evangelistic spirit and con-
tributions to the great benevolences. His
other Illustration ba
First Methodist of Shelbyville. This church
drew its covenant in May, 1901. The tithes.
like those of other churches. were placed
In plain envelopes and deposited in the
baskets 1t was an instantaneous
success. The statistics for the year ending.
September, 1902, showed that a total in
come for all purposes was $500. as against
s., OBS for the preceding year. The expenses
OF the church for the last year were s.. $50
making total Of $3.50 that was raised by
the tithing system.
1T may not be the best motive to hold
out TO church that of financial prosperity
10 those who thus honor God with their
but our tithers will bear testi-
mony that they have been greatly pros
pered since they have entered into this
covenant" said he.
SPIRITUAL AND TEMPORAL GAIN.
Mr.. Kane spoke of the promise of the
chapter of Malachi as meaning more than
spiritual gain. II meant, he said, temporal
Mr.. Yates told of his personal
experiences. 1t was Mr.. Kane who made
him 1.-THE giver. 1.-THE giving was taking
in God as a partner and when a man did
this he could handle nothing but clean
money. II kept his business affairs honest,
and since he begun the practice. ten years
ago, he said he had prospered even In the
face OF excluding certain lines of business
from his own because OF their conse-
quences
ss1
testimony TO the success OF the tithers work
I'm that church. Ii had advanced the fnan-
cial prosperity of the church and had
awakened deeper spirituality
The meeting was pronounced a successful
one and was closed with the audience sing
ing Blessed Be the Tie that Binds" and