Reformed Presbyterian Minutes of Synod 1961 - Rparchives.org

REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 43
The report of the Stewardship Committee was again taken
up, adopted as a whole and is as follows:
REPORT OF THE STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE
Your committee desires to express its gratitude to Almighty
God for His goodness and provision for His Church and its inindividual
members. The committee is also thankful that so many
members have accepted the challenge and know the joy of regular
proportionate giving according to God's Scriptural standard of the
"Tithe" as a minimum. However, we lament the fact that because
there are still many members who do not practice faithful stewardship,
the Budget for 1960-1961 was not raised. It is not because
God has not provided but because His people are not faithful.
It is evident that stewardship education needs to be continued
and that pastors, elders and deacons need to take a more active
lead in this important matter.
Your committee has endeavored to carry out its responsibilities
but humbly admits much more should have been done. The
committee was unable to have any meetings because the members,
although in one Presbytery, were separated by some 1400 miles.
However, we have worked along the following lines:
1. Letters have been sent to pastors and congregational
treasurers encouraging them to ptomote the matter of stewardship
in their congregations and to be regular in forwarding money to
Mr. Fox at least every quarter.
2. Tracts on Tithing were purchased from the American Tract
Society and sent to each congregation for distribution. The
tract "How Much for My Saviour's Interests was reprinted by the
Patterson Press and also distributed to the congregations. A
good supply of all of these is yet on reserve.
3. Tithing Literature, sample bulletin covers and tracts were
sent to each pastor by Layman Tithing Foundation of Chicago,
at the request of your committee.
4. The Covenanter Witness published all of the material the
committee sent to the editors. This included an article on"Christian
Stewardship" by the chairman of the committee, full page
messages about tithing, and regular reports from the treasurer, Mr.
Fox. The committee is grateful to the editors for their help.
These efforts were not sufficient to encourage the members of
the Church to meet our budget obligations this past year when
only 91.4% of the budget was raised. Ours is an unfinished task.
Christian Stewardship must be stressed and the interests of the
membership in the whole program of the Church must be maintained.
Faithful Stewardship as members of the Church requires
regular proportionate giving according to God's Scriptural stand-