More Info →St Mary's embarking upon church finance system on individual pledge basis

The system of individual pledges is gaining widespread support as a more secure means of church financing, and those who have taken part in the organisation of such campaigns in various parishes state they have proof that it has resulted in greater and more personal in­terest in church activity, larger at­tendances at worship and that the spiritual impact generally has been "very definite and decisive".

On the need for the finding of a firmer basis on which the church and vestry can budget, they ask: “After all, is this not a challenge to our Christian stewardship?"

Following a well-attended meet­ing of parishioners last week, it was decided to embark upon the new system and a professional organiser has been appointed to conduct the campaign, which is now under way. It is also hoped to recruit within the church a canvass organisation of approximately 100 persons who will later call on parishioners in their own homes to explain the system fully. There will also be a church dinner at which various officers of the church will detail the proposal. The dinner will prob­ably be held in approximately six weeks' time.

Aims of Scheme

The vestry has long had in view a scheme of this type. They have been faced with the need for a church at Waitarere, the payment of the debt on the new church and expansion and planning for the future, "The Chronicle" was told during an interview with the or­ganisers. One of the main aims was also to bring into active participa­tion in church activities Anglicans who at present were "more or less nominal Anglicans", and to offer them "the right they have, as An­glicans, of taking part in all the church's activities, including the canvass."

Following the vote to proceed, taken at last week's meeting of parishioners, the question arose as to the advisability of having the canvass before the August mission or a year later. Because of the stringency of the need it was de­cided to proceed with the cam­paign, which began officially on Monday.

The question of a paid organiser was thoroughly discussed, but it was found that there was no one in the parish, as far as was known, who had the experience to do the work and, equally important, no one with the necessary time to devote to it.

Some people had the idea, "The Chronicle" was told, that such a canvass would tend to commercial­ise the church. "In actual fact it is no more commercial than the em­ployment of an architect or any­one else to do a specialised work."

On the question of giving, no one would be assessed and at no stage would anyone have the authority to suggest how much another should give.

Parish Dinner

Focal point of the canvass will be the parish dinner at which the parishioners will be told the full extent of the scheme, how the can­vass will be operated, by whom and for what purpose. At no stage during the dinner will anyone be asked to make a pledge, nor will anyone be asked to contribute to the cost of the dinner. It will be paid for out of a fund set aside for the purpose. At the dinner there will be separate tables over which hostesses, who will invite their guests, will preside.

So successful have these dinners proved in other centres that some parishes have now decided to have them as annual events.

Arrangements are being made so that the dinner may be a family affair. Children will be entertained with films and have their own meal while their parents are at dinner. There will be a nursery for the babies or baby sitters can be ar­ranged. Transport will be provided where required.

Prior to the dinner much time will be spent in organisation and administration and the enlisting of canvassers, all of whom will have made their own pledge before call­ing on others. After the dinner the actual canvass will take place. Here are other points made.

• This particular canvass will be a budget canvass by means of pledges payable until further notice.

• At no time will anyone be ask­ed to sign a binding document that will mean legal obligation. They need only state what they will try to aim for.

• Pledges will be treated as con­fidential. No more than two of the ~ church officers will be in the posi­tion to have a knowledge of them and it is possible to reduce this to one person,

• There is no question of ac­counts being sent out. "All the people owe is a promise."

• There is no set goal. "No church can have too much."

• Recruitment of canvassers will be on a "snowball system". Each one will be asked to bring a friend, and that friend will, it is hoped, in his turn recruit a friend.

Will Remove Burden

Bazaars and other such church Social and fund-raising activity will not be interfered with. The women who do this valuable work will be encouraged to continue, but there will not now be the burden on them, as before, to raise funds by this means for church finance. The recommenda­tion will be that -they adopt some church charity, mission, or insti­tution, such as an orphanage, to which such funds can be diverted. At the same time they will con­tinue their function of making a valuable contribution to the social side of the church.

Summing up, "The Chronicle" was, told that the whole canvass is to "enable people to realise their responsibility to their church and the even greater definite need to give."