Reformed Presbyterian Minutes of Synod 1942 - Rparchives.org

26 MINUTES OF THE SYNOD OF THEThe first year of the present regime, 1933-1934, we asked for anappropriation of $3,500 on the insistence of the Co-ordination Committee,though we were sure that we did not need that much. Thanksto collecting years of unpaid subscriptions, we claimed only $1,813.63.The next year likewise money came in from old debts, and weclaimed $2,615.92; the third year $3,200. From that year on we askedfor amounts from $3,700 to $3,900, and this last year we passed forthe first time the $4,000 mark in our asking, namely $4,200. We actuallyused less than $4,100.The Larger WitnessTo many perhaps, the larger Witness is needless expense, an extravagantluxury, or an aggravated nuisance. Perhaps these personsare blessed with an over-abundance of reading matter, better orworse than The Witness. They may not be open to persuasion. Butfor many The Covenanter Witness is the only religious reading theyhave aside from the Bible. The 16 page paper allowed for the following:the front page, with limited space; five pages for currentevents, editorial comments, and features; four pages of Lesson Helpsand Prayer Meeting Helps; six pages of news; nothing for the children,little of interest to the young people except the news. The newsand lesson helps occupied nearly 65% of the space, leaving five andone-half pages, into which to put the articles that were of minor interestto the rising generation, together with what could be crowdedin of more interesting nature.In the larger Witness, we have the possibility of carrying out thatimportant injunction, "Feed my lambs," lambs whose appetites maybe guided to seek pastures in the church paper later in life. It allowsroom for as many writers of our own church as are able and willingto contribute their thoughts and discussions of our own churchmatters, and it also allows room for the gleanings of the bestthoughts of other periodicals. There may be those, as there havebeen in the past, who consider it dangerous to allow youth to knowthat there are Christian leaders outside of our own denomination.Stain the windows; shut in the vision. Such is not our policy.While it is true that the larger Witness does increase the cost ofour church paper by 15 or 20%, most of which comes from thebudget, we believe that the reader interest and spiritual value of thelarger paper is at least doubled. Let it be said that in the nine yearsalready referred to, during which the Church has suffered a sad netloss in numbers, we havePrintingnot lostCostinIncreasethe number of our subscribers,but We feel have free gained. to assert This field that outside the price the church which is The quite Service as much Print of anopportunity Shop has been and allowed an obligation for the as printing is an equal of The number Covenanter of adherents Witness inyour is far congregations.below that for which we could obtain the same quality and servicein any other shop practical for our church, perhaps any shop anywhere.It is so close to the non-profit level that Synod's Board ofTrustees has not been entirely satisfied that we have not reduced ournotes made to them. The situation there is not so dark as may haveappeared to them, nevertheless we have considered it wise to increasethe allowance by a few dollars (from $80, the former price, to