Reformed Presbyterian Minutes of Synod 1961 - Rparchives.org

66 MINUTES OF THE SYNOD OF THE
(1) upon approval of the Presbytery,
(2) and at the discretion of the Board,
(3) and with the condition of a growth in giving by the
congregation which enables it to decrease its asking
from the Board each year, an amount equal to at least
10% of the original supplement, other things being
equal;
D. That for congregations which show no prospect of becoming
self-supporting, the Presbytery be asked for plans
whereby the faithful there may have the preaching of the
Word on a limited basis, plus the observance of the sacraments,
with limited financial assistance from the Board
of Home Missions and Church Extension.
Note: For convenience of readers, the standard referred to
in "B" above, listing factors which should enter into the evaluation
of locations or opportunities for extension work, is briefly
as follows:
Population
The number of people in the area
The type of people in the area
The general age of the people in the area
The trend of population change—growth or stagnation
or thinning out
The desire of the people for a church
The need of the people
Economy
The industrial situation—availability of work
The agricultural situation—how many can be supported
on the land
The finances of the people
The economic trends
Religious
What Covenanters are in the area
How available these would be for work
What other churches there are in the area
What difficulties there would be from groups like
Catholics, sects, etc.
The religious trends of the community
The availability of religious leadership
Sources of Help in determining these factors-
Councils of Churches
Chambers of Commerce
Planning Commissions
Civic Groups
7. That Synod approve the following "Application-for-Aid"
form to be used for all future applications: