6.5% OFF

Many a small Protestant church is in financial difficulties. Some may have to merge with neighboring congregations. Churches which built apartments, shops, hotels during boom times find rentals dropping. Last week the Methodist Episcopal Board of Foreign Missions was $1,000,000 in debt. Unless the church finds a way to pay its debt, the Board will be wiped out.

But architects predict a 21% increase in Protestant church building this year over last year. It is estimated that Protestants in the U. S. give from 500 to 600 million dollars a year to their churches for strictly ecclesiastical causes (excluding Prohibition, community charities, unemployment relief). Per capita gifts tabulated in 25 denominations averaged $22.62 in 1931; $22.04 in 1929; $23.38 in 1930. According to an estimate of Wayne Griffith Miller of the Christian Herald, not a single church with "sufficient excuse for existence" has been dispossessed of its property. Eight Protestant denominations show a total indebtedness of $136,000,000 which is less than 92% of their total property value.

The Federal Council of Churches printed last week a table issued by the United Stewardship Council showing church giving (for all purposes) during the church fiscal year which ended, variously according to denomination, between December 1930 and April 1931. Average decrease from the previous year: 6.5%. It is estimated that the next decrease, when tabulated, will be greater. But the figures on last year's giving, said the Council, could be contrasted with the estimated drop in the nation's income during the same period, which was 20%. Some figures on Church giving:

Only increase: Northern Baptist, $692,008 or 2.1%.

Biggest church giving: Methodist Episcopal, $93,680,933. This was also the second smallest decrease: $436,467 or 0.4%.

Biggest decrease: Methodist Episcopal, South: $6,140,845 or 13.7%. Next biggest: Moravian, North, $87,565 or 13.3%. Third biggest: Baptist, Southern, $4,848,128 or 12.3%. All other decreases were less than 10%.

Smallest decrease: Evangelical Synod in North America, $12,006 or 0.1%.

Smallest church giving: Moravian, North, $569,544.

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