The Washington times., 1925-01-31
ENDOWMENT is
/. PLANNED FOR
CHURCHES
Rev. DR.. George Parkin At
water Will Outline Method
to Bishop Freeman

Endowment or parishes, built up
by the parishioners throughout
their lives, thereby furnishing f.
nancial protection to the church
against depletion of it's congrega-
ton or against unusually adverse
conditions. is outlined in a method
which the Reverend Doctor George
Parkin AtWater, rector of the
Church of Our Saviour, Akron,
Ohio. is to bring to the attention
Of Bishop Freeman, it was learned
today.
Doctor Atwater's visit to Wash
ington is principally to serve as
delegate at the Foreign Missions
Conference. He is, however, the
author of cumulative endowment
system, and in the interests of his
plan is outlining the idea to Bishop
Freeman.
Success Demonstrated.
The system is not merely ION
paper" 1t has been successfully
demonstrated in the Church OF Our
Saviour and, through Doctor At
waters assistance, in many other
parishes.
1T is still young" said the au-
thor Of the plan today, and none
of us know how the endowment
will be operating in ten or twenty
years from now. But, If we may
judge from the results obtained so
far, this plan will hold together
and strengthen many parishes
whose communicates have dropped
away until those parishes can re-
themselves.
This plan does not take the
place of the budget. The budget
includes the parish quota for the
general church, and must be met
by the pledges Of the people. The
furnishes a permanent
income for the parish church, small
at first, perhaps, but built up to
imposing proportions by the
strength Of small but regular con.
Noted as Administrator.
Doctor Atwater's word is heard
with grave consideration through
out the churchgoing world of the
United States. He has a reputation
for pushing his ideas to successful
He has won equal
fame as an administrator of church
as = public speaker and
as an author. Recently he has
added to his list of published works
a new volume. entitled THE A~A
Method for the Cumulative Endow-
ment of Churches" explaining the
and operations of the
A brief outline here, however.
may suffice.
One of the most serious problems
facing the church today is the de-
parture to other cities or to other
parishes of a church's membership
AS often as not the newcomer to
B parish does not affiliate himself
with the church thereby causing a
distinct economic loss to both
parishes.
Remedy Is Outlined.
There is partial remedy for
this said Doctor Atwater. There
IAN be no complete remedy because
IF the constant rapid changing of
living conditions. Strong
parishes are threatened with disin.
and even a partial remedy
may save them.
1.-THE remedy is a new bond be-
tween the individual and his parish.
the accident of removal,
JpClIAIlE LlC5l tGGOOASEO w LDU
parish. The new bond lies at the
heart Of the A-A method.
1.-THE system provides that every
man, woman. and child in the parish
shall be enrolled as the founder of
an individual endowment, for the
parish.
This does not mean only one Gift
Of a large sum OF money, but the
throughout life, of
small voluntary gifts, made accord
ing to the desires OF the founder
himself.
Gives at Will.
There is no outside pressure
brought to bear upon the parish
oner. He gives when he feels like
It. Prompted by pride in his own
particular endowment, he may make
an offering of thanksgiving. from
lime to time, after recovery from
Illness after returning from a long
journey or upon the successful pass
ing Of some crisis in his life.
There are baptismal endowments.
Thanksgiving and
memorial endoWments. These are
made from the heart of the giver.
IL he moves away, he still feels he
Is a part Of the old church, and re-
mains true to it. by the sending of
new contributions to his fund.
THE endowment is kept in trust
ever growing. the in
come deriving to the parish church.
The record Of the founders is kept
from year to year in a Book of
to be published an
by the church. In this re-
port, the name of the donor, but
rot the amount of the gift, is kept
through the years. In this man.
ner, the name and memory are as
ISOLATED forever with the parish.
Principal Never Touched
1.-THE method provides that the
of the endowments shall
never be touched. If the plan Is
carried out along the lines / have
shown, 500 years from now the
gift Of 1925 will still be
In trust. helping the church. and