The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-06-02
WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK
Church FlnanclerIng.

4 ~
To the Editor Of The Journal.
There is a weak place in the admins
tration Of churches. It's the financial
place.
y This is generally not from any necessity
nor from lack of financial strength in
parishes, but usually because of very
defective financial method of raising
funds.
The usual plan is for the board Of
trustees. all Of whom are busily occupied
with their own affairs, themselves to un-
dertake personally to raise the funds
needed for current expenses. It is easy
to see that this places the board itself and
the church at a great disadvantage. The
canvass is desultory weak, f1tful, hap
hazard, hit and miss, and, for want Of
time, never made promptly when it
should be.
If the canvass is made each year, in
stead Of being made early in the fall,
| in September or October, thepinefficient
canvass fingers along in drib1ets till the
holiday season is on, when people wish
| to use their cash for holiday purposes.
| After the holidays comes the taxpaying
season and then people are thinking of
economy in order that they may pay
| their taxes.
The result Of this weak, inefficient,
| haphazard financial method is that cur
rent church expenses drag behind and
are not promptly met. The idea, there
| fore, soon gets abroad in the parish that
! it is weak financially, the people get dis
! couraged, attendance on services becomes
Indifferent and irregular. enthusiasm Ian
guishes and the spirit of the church does
not rise to the level essential to the best
work, but droops and drops to lower
| tone. r.. "E+a
+ 1t sometimes happens, too. that boards
of trustees do not wish to take any sug-
gestion from a pastor, but to regard him
rather as hired man. A prophet cannot
be turned into a hired man. He Is the
principal officer in the church and should
be consulted and have voice in all tina
is done. Otherwise all the interests in
volved will sooner or later pay the penalty
What is the remedy for this inefficient
financial method?
The board should yearly elect some mar
: or woman of the parish who has a gen
uine interest in the church and in thu
pastor, and, who is tactful. prudent ant
patient to make the canvass for funds
and pay him or her we'll for so doing
! Then this person can afford to take. tn
time to make a thorogoing canvass, t.
) make it in season and to look after an,
arrearages in subscriptions which hav
not come in during the year.
That method, which has been tried
! is no mere theory. .a
, The current expenses will always b
met promptly and the parish itself en-
larged by seeing people outside of it VIII
may be more than willing to assist /
some degree-and many such there are
The above proposition is neither theoreti
nor academic. It has been tried with ex
l cellent results, even when nothing ha
= been paid for such services. 1t keeps
e church, moreover, in good spirits, so tina
= it works with enthusiasm and effective
ness. ..s' = Z
It The revival the church most need
d today for it's spiritual prosperit
il and = It's increase in numbers is
It financial revival wrought by adoptin
e right business methods Churches are a
most always in financial hole. The1
I is no necessity for this at all. The great
= est and best Of all human institution
Z thus too often languishes. whereas
might easily be the most f1ourshing an
J successful of all. There Is not anotht
= institution on the face Of the earth thu
"a could survive if administered financial
# as churches usually are. That the churc
# survives indisputably proves how vital
u the hold of religion on human natur
. | 4 Among the reasons for the decline
the number of candidates for the Chri
- tan ministry may fairly be reckoned tn
: business evil in the administration
churches, which dampens their el
: thusiasm, binders their growth In nun
. bers and often very seriously embarrass
% ministers themselves, because, tho livi,
:. within their salaries, they are unable
~ promptly pay their bills and meet 9th
~ imperative expenses. And many mi
~ listers salary might be made more cor
g Portable than it is with benefit to t
- church and its work as we'll as to himse
:, if this evil were remedied. He wou
~ not so often be practically starved OF
~ This wholly unnecessary evil does not e
'f courage. new candidates for the ministl
Id A grave responsibility rests upon t
an churches here in this matter and UP
their boards. Rev. A. N. Alcott
Minneapolis, May 10. .r