The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-05-22

BUDGET REPORT
More Than Two and a Half
Million Dollars Spent by
the Church

Denver, May 2Z-I0e executive
commission which was appointed to
act upon the financial reports of the
several boards and agencies of the
Presbyterian church and to prepare
a tentative budget, and tentative ap-
portionment Of funds, made its report
at today's session of the Presbyterian
general assembly. The result Of the
commissions work are given under the
heads, Cooperation with Presbyter-
| les and Synods". "Aid to the Board"
and The Budget Plan. On the first
subject, the report says.
Eve are glad to report that seventy
i five Presbyteries and twenty Synods
have appointed executive commissions
! to operate with the commission of the
/ assembly. In many Presbyteries and
! Synods where the way did not seem
clear at present to appoint executive
, commissions, the committees on sys-
tematic beneficience of the Indicator
. les were authorized to act. We have
found both Presbyteries and Synods
manifesting a cordial spirit in promot-
| ing the interests entrusted to the COM
mission
! Under the head "Aid to the Boards, !"
the report continues:
"The executive commission turned
attention to the consideration Of the
sources of income received from
churches. and from organized socie-
ties within the bounds of the churches.
It was found that the income from
these sources was larger for the year
ending March 81, 1908, than any prev
ious year in the history of the church,
and that 1t was above the average Of
the past year by $260,000.
"The commission, after comforting
with the boards, felt that If for the
year 190S-09 the church could be held
in its benevolences to the high-water
mark already reached, and go beyond
that mark the average amount by
which it had surpassed the contribu-
tions of the previous year, then the
denomination would be doing all that
might be reasonably expected of It,,
during a year which in many portions
Of the country was year of financial
embarrassment"
Referring to the budget, the report
says the aggregated estimates Of the
eight boards and temperance commit
tee, to carry forward during the COM
ing year the work that has been car
ried on during the closing year. in
cluding deficits, but including no new
work except what has been actually
entered upon. was $3,394,6 ,659. Deduct
ling from this amount the legacies, in
terest and special gifts, that may be
expected without the direct efforts of
church organizations, amounting to
&s18,222, the churches were asked to
contribute $2,576,437. But in addition
TO this sum, the boards present re-
quests for $63S,514. to meet needs of
the fields that in their judgment are
urgent. To meet all these estimates
would require from churches $3,214.-
1851 in addition to the $81S.222 that
ilegacies. special gifth, and interest on
Investments are expected to aggre-
gate-making grand total of $4,033,-
173. The report concludes as follows:
"Acting for the entire church the
assembly may properly authorize the
missionary and benevolent boards and
agencies to incur obligations to the
extent indicated in the recommends
tions herewith submitted as to the
unified budget.
"That the general assembly appro-
pirate to the uses of the following
boards and permanent agencies, the
amounts Of money set opposite to their
names, respectively, as these amounts
may be secured from churches and
their several organizations.
Board of home missions. ...$ 100000
Board of foreign missions. 1,162.0OO
board Of education ........ 57,S39