CHURCH FINANCE.

DEFICIT OF £50,000 FEARED. CAMPAIGN TO RAISE FUNDS.

The finance of the Church was amongst the more important matters discussed by the National Assembly of the Church of England when the meetings of the summer session were resumed at Church House, Westminster, yesterday. The Archbishop of Canterbury presided during the morning, but in the afternoon the Archbishop of York took the chair, explaining that during the luncheon interval the Primate had been seized with slight indisposition, and in order to recuperate as speedily as possible had decided to absent himself from the afternoon proceedings.

The report of the joint committee of the Central Board of Finance and other members of the Assembly, presented by the Earl of Selborne, considered it probable that by the end of the year there would be an overdraft of £50,000. The committee were unanimously of opinion that the present scheme of Church finance, whereby the parishes support the dioceses and the dioceses support the central fund, was the only sound one, and they expressed the belief that within the space of a few years it would be successful in raising the full amount required both for diocesan and central purposes. Under these circumstances the committee were in full agreement with the Central Board of Finance in thinking that it should not be instructed to issue any general appeal in view of the expected deficit. But they were also unanimously of opinion that the National Assembly should ask each diocesan bishop to allow a special educational and devotional campaign to be inaugurated by the Diocesan Board of Finance of his diocese, in co-operation with the Central Board of Finance, during the next six months, so that in every diocese there should be a special effort made to inform Church people of the duty of contributing to the needs of the Church. The committee laid great stress on the devotional side of the campaign, believing that if backed by the full strength of the National Assembly and of the diocesan organisations the response would go far to meet the deficits for this year, and would lead to increased contributions, both to diocesan and to central funds, in future years.

The Bishop of London said London had budgeted for £100,000, and he did not believe it was a hopeless task. If they paid attention to the spiritual side the Church would be able to do wonders. In the ensuing discussion a layman said they were enjoying their religion at the expense of the clergy and that could not be acceptable to God.

The Archbishop of Canterbury pleaded that the clergy should interest themselves in finance. He had heard an incumbent of a large urban church commend the collection for the Central Fund in the following words: “I believe it is an excellent fund, and I am told it needs extra help.” (Loud laughter.) The Archbishop added that it should be rendered impossible for any man to take such a pathetic and outside view of the matter.

The report was adopted.

A resolution was also carried instructing the Central Board to examine the practicability of discharging the debt, due for training in 1923 and onwards, by equal instalments spread over a period of five or ten years.