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Church Life
Questions Concerning Church Collections (4)
G Van Rongen - published in Una Sancta Volume 50, Number 12, 19 April 2003
Overseas
In our previous issue we have already mentioned that the same questions occupying us, are also under discussion in our Dutch sister churches: 1) shall we maintain or re-introduce the collection for the needy held during the celebration of the Lord's Supper?; and 2) for which purposes shall collections during our worship services be held?
Collection
As for the first question, in the next issue of Dienst, the magazine for elders and deacons in our sister churches, the Rev. T. Dijkema of Zoetermeer intends to defend the thesis
that any collection of gifts is a reminder of the Lord's Supper, and must therefore be a collection of a diaconal (or missionary) character.
He explains that a Reformed worship service consists of four parts of 'movements'. The first is the opening section. Then follows a section in which the Word of God plays its important role: in the reading of God's Law, the confession of sin and proclamation of God's grace, the Scripture-reading, the sermon, the response in congregational singing, and prayer. Then follows the celebration of the Lord's Supper, including instruction (the reading of the Form), confession of faith, collection, intercessory prayers, and praising and thanking God. Finally there is the final song of praise and the benediction.
He argues that even whenever the Lord's Supper is not celebrated, it is still there, namely in the elements of collection, confession of faith, intercessory prayers, and songs of praise. He calls it "the Lord's Supper in a nutshell".
Collections and Supper are closely related. In earlier days this was made very clear in the so-called love-meal. Therefore is the collection at the Lord's Table fundamentally a collection for the work of the deacons.
This implies that the number of collections for other purposes must be reduced, so that only collections for diaconal and, for example, missionary, purposes are left. The revenues for the church shall be received from "fixed voluntary contributions".
As for those services in which the Lord's Supper is administered, the Rev. Dijkema would like to see that then only one collection is held. Two collections in such a service is a liturgical monstrum.
This proves that in our overseas sister churches the same matter is under discussion.
The 'ministry of giving'
As we have already seen, this is the name given to the church collections in a paper distributed by the Diaconaal Steunpunt, an office established by our sister churches, and rendering support to deacons who are confronted with questions and problems.
This paper was and is discussed in a number of diaconal conferences spread all over the Dutch country.
After a brief introduction it pictures first of all what happens at a certain point in a Reformed worship service: The deacons leave their places, take some bags from a rack and "set them out" at a number of places. Within a few minutes they are back after having collected the gifts for their own diaconal work, but also for the building fund, the training to the ministry, evangelisation, etc.
However, is this correct? The paper states that by this practice the (incorrect) image is strengthened that the work of the deacons is mainly determined by money. Therefore it would be better if the deacons collected only for their own work, Reformed support organizations, and other diaconal projects included. Collections for mission work, evangelisation, church finances, etc., be made, preferably, by the members of the respective committees. A collection "for the church" doesn't even suit in a worship service. These moneys must be put into the church treasury by fixed voluntary contributions. Additional collections held to cover deficits have little to do with "the ministry of giving" and liturgy!
For our purpose this is the main point in the first part of this paper. It covers more aspects, but these are rather too much of a 'Dutch' character. For example the question as to whether gifts for the work of the deacons, especially for Christian support organizations (as, for example, among us for 'Eucalypt') could also be received by means of "accept giro's". It may be clear that there is little purpose in elaborating on these kinds of issues.
Now it is not the intention of the author(s) of the paper that collections for non-charitable purposes should be abolished immediately, but it will be clear that a first step to further reform church life is being made.
In this respect I would like to state that, because a sudden abolishment like that would be too drastic and create all sorts of problems, this example should be followed.
Collections and the Lord's Supper
The Dutch paper also refers to the ancient Christian church, in which the "ministry of giving" used to take place during the celebration of the Lord's Supper.
This is why it pleads for the custom that these collections be always for the work of the deacons. The offering-plates on the Table remind the approaching participants of the fact that celebrating the feast of redemption at the same time means to look after those whose life's joy is threatened by the care for their daily needs. Reference is made to C.Trimp, who once wrote that the gifts offered at the Table of the Lord's Supper are the main offerings for the deacons' work, and the so-called 'ordinary' or weekly offerings for the work of the deacons are only an addition.
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