CHURCH FINANCE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1793, 4 July 1913, Page 7

CHURCH FINANCE.

ARE BAZAARS ADVISABLE? PLAYING CARDS & DANCING. An interesting discussion took place at. last evening's session of tlio Wellington Anglican Synod on tlio question ol' the means of raising money for church, pur-' poses. 'Die subject was introduced by the itcv, K. 1, Kola, who moved, "That this Synod desires to impress upon Church peoplo the need of greater oitort being made to maintain parochial work and organisation by the free-will offerings of tile people." Speaking 10 this motion, Mr. Sola said iliac he could give many examples of questionable means of raising money for church purposes. For instance, a new pulpit might be paid for by funds raised at a euchre tournament. (Laughter.) In some parishes they held fancy dress balls, ami in. others bazaars, at which fortunetelling was allowed, all for tho purpose of raising money for the Church. Ho did not, or course, say that it was necessarily wrong to hold such gatherings as recreations, but it seemed to him that thcy worc scarcely tho proper moans of raising money for the Church of Clod. (Hoar, hear.) He had a great deal of sympathy with those of tho clergy who went to parishes in which these practices had been long established, as they were most dillicult to stoj); but ho thought that £ resolution of Synod would considerably strengthen their hands. Tlio spcakoh gave as his main reason for objecting to these methods of raising money, that they were in spirit and principle dccidcdlj- unchristian. It would be difficult'to imagine tho early Christian Church indulging in such practices. One could hardly coil-, ceive, mutatis mutandis, that St. Peter or St. Paul would have raised money for the primitive Church by means of euchru parties and fancy dress balls. Further, tho .speaker thought that tho holding i'f bucli gatherings as he lmd mentioned oncouraged tho people to rely too much on their own efforts, and too little on God. There was not enough real, sincere, earnest prayer. Those who could pray consistently for the welfare of tho Church were not amongst tho least valuable of its workers. Tljcro were several arguments which might be brought against his contention. One of these was that bazaars and parties were of great valuo for bringing people together socially. This was quite true, but they could bo held without making them the means of raising money for tho Church. Personally, he enjoyed a game of cards as much as anybody else, and he agreed that the people should liavo ample opportunity for social enjoyment. It might alro bo said that "bazaars made workers." Many "people could not give actual cash to tho Church, but they could make garments and do other work. But there was already plenty of scope for tlio exertions of these people, without their taking part in questionable money-raising scliemcs. Tho Jfelanesian and other missions, and numerous charities were in urgent need of such garments and other goods. In the speaker's : own parish they had a ladies sewing- guild, but the products of their work did not go to bazaars. Several speakers warmly defended bazaars and "socials" as means of raising money. Ono pouud raised as the result of a week's work was of more real value to the Church than a pound given. It might also be better if dancing and euchre parties amongst church people were carried on under the control of Clio Church, than if they'were under purely eecular control. The consensus of opinion was that all money necessary for actual Church work—for sacred purposesshould bo by free-will offering, although there was no harm in raising money for other purposes by bazaars. The debato was adjourned, until to-day.