**T have called you friends’’—Jesus 
 
 STORY OF THE 
 
 By 
 REV. RALPH S. CUSHMAN 
 
FOREWORD BY THE EDITOR 
 
 The Story of the Geneva Church is “his- 
 tory in the making.” ‘The Story is not finished. 
 Neither is the “Acts of the Apostles” finished. 
 Without doubt, as the Geneva Church meets 
 new conditions in this “adventure,” new plans 
 will develop and new tasks will be taken up. 
 
 The core of the “adventure” is not the imme- — 
 
 diate financial program nor the method of ad- 
 ministration. It is the open and actual ac- 
 knowledgment of God’s ownership and thus 
 
 — 
 
 the living partnership made possible by which’ 
 
 God’s purpose is brought to pass. Such an 
 adventure is possible by any church anywhere 
 at any time. Only one condition is required 
 —a willingness to recognize that without this 
 acknowledgment and partnership no victori- 
 ous program for the Kingdom is possible. 
 Harvey REEvES CALKINS, 
 General Secretary of the 
 Christian Stewardship League. 
 
 NoreE—This Story, in its original form, was 
 prepared for the Christian Advocate at the 
 request of the Editor, and appeared in that 
 journal November 2, 1916. 
 
STORY OF THE GENEVA 
 CHURCH 
 
 In Bishop McConnell’s little book, “The Es- 
 sentials of Methodism,” is “an old saint’s” def- 
 inition of entire sanctification. “It consists in 
 a purpose to sanctify everything one can get 
 one’s hands on.” In telling the story of the 
 Geneva ‘Tithers’ Association, we therefore 
 venture the assertion that this is a real “ad- 
 venture in entire sanctification.” 
 
 The situation in the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church in Geneva, N. Y., October 1, 1915, was 
 gloomy. A huge debt of $82,000, plus a con- 
 siderable indebtedness left over on the cur- 
 rent expenses from years back, with a budget 
 to be raised for all purposes amounting to 
 more than $12,000 and only a third of the sum 
 in sight, in a parish of workingmen, with not 
 a single person of means—all this seemed, at 
 least to the new pastor, to constitute a situa- 
 tion of considerable embarrassment, not to 
 say peril. 
 
 The Transformation 
 
 That was one year ago. To-day (January, 
 1917) there is a great transformation. The 
 debt still exists, but everywhere, among all 
 the workers of the parish, the spirit of victory 
 prevails. An incident that occurred only a 
 few evenings ago will illustrate the change. 
 It was nearly eleven o’clock. Nine men were 
 
 3 
 
sitting around the table in the minister’s study. 
 They had spent two hours over the details of 
 a self-denial debt-raising campaign in which 
 $15,000 is to be subscribed before Christmas 
 and paid during the year. The moment had 
 come when those committeemen, to set the 
 good example, were to make out their own 
 subscription cards. The hush that accom- 
 panies prayerful thinking was at length broken 
 by one of the men, who began: “Brethren, I 
 am going to subscribe a thousand dollars. 
 This means that within three years I will have 
 paid in more than $5,000 toward the indebted- 
 ness of this church.” There was a pause. The 
 men present, knowing that the speaker was 
 a man of only moderate means, waited with 
 something of surprise. He continued: “But 
 I don’t want you men to think that I have any 
 large resources to draw from. I have not. 
 The facts are simply these: About two years 
 ago my health seemed to me to be failing. 
 You know my burden for this church. If my 
 health failed there was no possible way by 
 which I could continue to bear burdens here. 
 It seemed as if I must continue. In my ex- 
 tremity I got down before the Lord. I made 
 a vow then and there, not that I would give 
 Him one tenth of my income, for I had long 
 been doing that, but I promised Him that, 
 after taking out the bare support of my fam- 
 ily, He should have every cent of my income, 
 provided He should give me health to carry 
 on my work.” He stopped. Tears were in 
 the eyes of some. One man who had already 
 made out his card drew it back, tore it up, and 
 subscribed another and a larger sum. Every- 
 one knew that here was the kind of spirit that 
 4 
 
during a year had changed apparent defeat 
 into certain victory. 
 
 How it All Began 
 
 Let us go back to the beginning. Three or 
 four years ago some leaders of the parish 
 had caught the vision of a new church build- 
 ing worthy of the only Methodist. Episcopal 
 Church in a community of about 20,000. In 
 the face of much public skepticism a build- 
 ing project was begun. ‘There were, as al- 
 ways, unforeseen occurrences, the failure of 
 a contractor, causing a heavy increase of ex- 
 pense, but at last there was dedicated one of 
 the finest church edifices in central New York, 
 in the midst of unbounded opportunity for 
 service and growth, but with a large debt. 
 The property was valued at $150,000. After 
 the accumulated building fund and all cash 
 subscriptions were exhausted there still re- 
 mained an indebtedness of about $82,000. 
 There were pledges against this, but they had 
 been made payable in installments of ten years 
 and the amount which had been paid in the 
 previous twelve months barely covered the 
 interest on the debt. There was also the debt 
 of about $700 on current expenses. Then 
 there was the budget for the year, $6,200 for 
 current expenses, $4,500 for interest on the 
 debt, apportionments for the official benevo- 
 lences $1,300, making a total of $12,000, 
 requiring $230 weekly income. The discourage- 
 ments grew when the results of the every- 
 member canvass became known. A few more 
 than four hundred subscribers pledged $74 per 
 week for current expenses and some $20 more 
 for benevolences, in all less than $100 a week 
 
 5 
 
of income against $230 a week for outgo. 
 Moreover, an almost endless list of notes on 
 the church debt was coming due every month, 
 with creditors becoming increasingly impa- 
 tient. Surely here was a losing proposition. 
 Even if it were possible to keep the holders 
 of our notes and mortgages good-natured, at 
 the end of ten years there was little chance 
 that there would be more than enough money 
 to pay the interest. One thing was evident, 
 we must in some way gain the confidence of 
 our creditors. 
 
 The Light That Dawned 
 
 The answer came from God. It came in- 
 dependently to two men who prayed over 
 the situation apart. It was clear and simple. 
 In substance it was this: “Man’s extremity 
 is God’s opportunity. Exalt the law of the 
 tithe as the test of your stewardship. Bring 
 ye all the tithes into the storehouse and prove 
 me.” These two men found each other. Then 
 followed personal conferences with other men. 
 A meeting of the finance committee was held 
 and by Sunday seven men had seen the vision 
 and had consecrated themselves as stewards of 
 God and had covenanted with the minister to 
 bring all the tithes into the treasury of the 
 . Lord. They had also covenanted to stand 
 behind him in prayer as he preached on the 
 coming Sabbath. So it was with great as- 
 surance of victory that on Sunday morning, 
 December 12, 1915, the preacher announced 
 as his text Leviticus 27:30: “And all the tithe 
 * * * ts the Lord’s.” 
 
 The burden of the message was placed on 
 the verb, just as God had placed it there that 
 
 6 
 
day in the wilderness when Moses passed it 
 on to the children of Israel: “The paying of 
 the tithe is not a new commandment. It has 
 existed from the beginning. It has always 
 been foremost among God’s prescribed meth- 
 ods by which men who would acknowledge 
 Him as Lord of life and possessions shall give 
 tangible proof of their sincerity, ‘Moses, say 
 not. And all the tithe shall be, but say, all the 
 tithe is the Lord’s.’ Here is the key that opens 
 spiritual fountains which in turn furnish the 
 source of financial victory. The teachings of 
 Christ are pervaded with this obligation to 
 stewardship. The tithe is the test of a stew- 
 ard’s sincerity. Paul taught it. The early 
 Christians practiced it. To-day the failure of 
 the Church to provide adequately for the 
 progress of the Kingdom, both locally and on 
 the frontier battle places, is primarily the 
 spiritual failure which leads church members 
 to a denial of their stewardship, and thus rob 
 God of the tithes which are His. ‘Bring ye 
 the whole tithe into the storehouse * * * and 
 prove me.’ God is especially appealing to us 
 in this Geneva Church. He is appealing 
 through the desperateness of our situation. 
 We are facing a grave crisis. God here 
 shows us the way by which defeat may be 
 turned into victory. It is our only hope. 
 Will you make the consecration?” 
 
 In response to the call 125 persons came 
 forward, covenanting together with the min- 
 ister to bring into the Lord’s treasury from 
 week to week one tenth of all their income 
 in acknowledgment of their dependence upon 
 God. 
 
 7 
 
A Tithers’ Association Started 
 
 On the following Monday night the officials, 
 the district superintendent and the minister - 
 met in conference. No action was taken to 
 interfere with those who wished to continue 
 under the working of the present financial 
 plan, but after two hours’ discussion, “Tith- 
 ing” was officially declared to be the chief 
 financial system of the church and a tither’s 
 covenant was adopted, which was signed by - 
 thirty-six of the forty members present. A 
 treasurer of the association was elected. Spe- 
 cial envelopes were prepared, so that the iden- 
 tity of the contributors could be concealed, 
 and a campaign of education and canvass for 
 members began. A thorough distribution of 
 carefully selected pamphlets proved of primary 
 importance. In five weeks 150 persons were 
 putting their full tithe into the treasury of the 
 association, where it was divided on a pro- 
 rata basis ameng the various treasurers of 
 the church. In May a second tithing cam- 
 paign was conducted and at its close there was 
 a total enrollment of 265 who had signed: 
 
 The Covenant 
 
 We, the undersigned members of the parish 
 of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of 
 Geneva, N. Y., in the presence of God, do 
 covenant as follows: 
 
 1. In acknowledgment of the Divine own- 
 ership of all that we possess we do individu- 
 ally covenant with God in the language of 
 Jacob: “Of all that Thou shalt give me I will 
 surely pay the tenth unto Thee.” 
 
 2. Secondly, we do covenant with ourselves 
 and with our God that we will bring the 
 Lord’s portion, the full tenth of our income 
 into the storehouse, that is as He has com- 
 
 8 
 
manded, “There may be meat in My house” 
 for the building of the Kingdom. 
 
 3. We agree that this money shall be cared 
 for by the Treasurer of the Tithers’ Asso- 
 ciation and divided, at the discretion of the 
 executive committee and the pastor, propor- 
 tionately between the support of the gospel, 
 the various benevolent enterprises of the 
 Church and other work of the Kingdom as 
 shall be agreed upon. 
 
 4. We further agree, in that liberty which 
 is in Christ, in case of unusual tithe or spe- 
 cial divine leading, any individual shall deem 
 it necessary that he shall direct the division 
 of his tenth, that he may be permitted to do 
 so by written order to the treasurer, a full 
 record of such transaction to be kept in the 
 books of the Association. 
 
 5. We further agree that having entered 
 into this covenant we will not be under obli- 
 gation to sign any additional subscription or 
 pledge for any church work or benevolence. 
 Our dues to any of the authorized church or- 
 ganizations to which we may belong will be 
 paid by the Treasurer of the Tithers’ Asso- 
 ciation out of the tithe money on written or- 
 ders approved by the executive committee. 
 But, in case we make additional contribu- 
 tions “according as the Lord has prospered” 
 us they will be regarded as free-will or thank 
 offerings. 
 
 6. That for any matters not herein pro- 
 vided the executive committee and the pastor 
 are empowered to act in the best interests of 
 the Church and the Kingdom. 
 
 Results Spiritual and Financial 
 
 This is the story of an adventure in entire 
 sanctification. The law of the tithe was de- 
 signed by God to produce spiritual results. 
 Do we call God the owner and provider of 
 all that we have and are? ‘Then there is a 
 definitely prescribed form for such acknowl- 
 
 9 
 
edgment. Here is the gist of it: “Come ye 
 who acknowledge me as Lord, show your sin- 
 cerity by paying the tithe of your income into 
 my storehouse.” ‘The paying of money and 
 property is the most tangible way the average 
 man has of making his worship real and of 
 bringing God into the realm of reality. It is 
 a mistake to think of the law of the tithe pri- 
 marily as a system of finance. It is the guide 
 to entire sanctification. The first result of 
 the tithing association was a real revival of 
 religion, 
 
 But that the law of the tithe leads also to 
 the best system of finance that has ever been 
 known is evident to at least one church, Dur- 
 ing the Conference year ending October 1, 
 1916, Geneva Church raised not merely the 
 minimum needed, but it actually paid a total 
 of $15,600 for all purposes, including the total 
 payment of all apportionments to the benevo- 
 lences, plus twenty-five per cent. And while 
 the membership increased to over one thou- 
 sand, three fourths of the entire amount was 
 paid, either in tithes and offerings or both, by 
 the members of the tithers’ association. 
 
 Other statistics are of interest. The result 
 of that first every-member canvass, a year ago, 
 showed that only seven persons were contribu- 
 ting one dollar or more per week. One hun- 
 dred and fifty persons are now contributing 
 more than that amount. An analysis of the 
 giving of tithers and non-tithers during the 
 first six months is as follows: The total aver- 
 age Sunday offering for January for current 
 expenses, and benevolences was $212, of which 
 the tithers contributed $153; in February the 
 average was $218, of which the tithers con- 
 
 10 
 
tributed $167; in March, $215 per Sunday, 
 tithers’ share, $157; in April, $195 per Sun- 
 day, tithers’ share, $156; in May, $207 per 
 Sunday, tithers’ share, $176; in June, $236 
 per Sunday, tithers’ share, $190. Bear in mind 
 that for five of these six months there were 
 only 160 tithers contributing. Moreover, the 
 average Sunday “loose change” plate collec- 
 tion during these months was about $18. 
 
 But the greater result is the new enthusiasm 
 which has possessed the parish and impressed 
 the entire community. At first it was objected 
 that the people could not pay tithes and at 
 the same time meet their installments on their 
 pledges to the debt. Accordingly tithers were 
 allowed to suspend their pledges during the 
 year of experiment. Members were also al- 
 lowed to draw on the contingent fund of the 
 association for their dues to the church or- 
 ganizations and their gifts to the Sunday 
 School. It is noticeable that fewer and fewer 
 take advantage of this provision. And the 
 greatest gratification of all came when the 
 official board a month ago inaugurated a debt- 
 raising campaign, with the slogan: “Fifteen 
 thousand dollars this year in addition to our 
 tithe.’ * It is the natural climax of the new 
 
 *It will be of interest as a sequel to this 
 story to know that the campaign which began 
 about the middle of October, 1916, with the 
 slogan, “Fifteen thousand dollars this Con- 
 ference year in addition to our tithe: a free- 
 will offering to God, subscribed by Christmas 
 Sunday,” was oversubscribed by December 1. 
 Subscriptions were to be paid in three install- 
 ments by September 15, 1917. At this writing, 
 February 1, 1917, one third of the amount has 
 been paid in. 
 
 11 
 
revival of religion which began that Sunday 
 morning in December, when 125 souls pledged 
 their tithe at the church altar, acknowledging 
 in full their dependence upon God and thus 
 making the new confession of their faith. 
 
 Of additional interest, especially to those 
 with whom the payment of the tithe is the 
 evidence of faith in God’s “prove Me,” is the 
 following letter from a Presbyterian layman, 
 who was entirely unknown to the writer: 
 
 Oct: 19;",1916; 
 
 Pastor Methodist Episcopal Church, 
 Geneva, N. Y. 
 
 Dear Sir: 
 
 I recently learned your church has an $80,- 
 000 debt. I don’t see how the church can 
 ever pay it unless it gets help outside. I am 
 willing to give $1,000 if $20,000 or more can 
 be secured from sources entirely outside your 
 local church, provided we can be assured that 
 will enable your people to save the church. It 
 would be unwise for outsiders to put funds 
 in unless it would result in saving the church. 
 
 Raising of $20,000 would cut down your 
 interest $1,000 per annum, which would also 
 ease the burden. 
 
 Although a Presbyterian, I will gladly send 
 draft as above as soon as I can feel it is safe 
 and prudent to do so. 
 
 At the present time (February, 1917) about 
 one fifth of the $20,000 is in sight from 
 sources “entirely outside” the local church. 
 Where the rest will come from is not known, 
 but it is confidently believed that it will come, 
 and that this letter was God’s answer to the 
 Geneva Tithers’ Association. Shortly after 
 January 1, 1917, the Association celebrated its 
 
 first year of existence with a campaign which 
 12 
 
added sixty new members, making the total 
 number 320. 
 
 What then is the demand of this hour? A 
 single line will express it: The recognition and 
 the acknowledgment of “stewardship.” Indeed 
 this is just what the Son of God was teach- 
 ing when he commanded, “Seek ye first the 
 Kingdom.” And there is no other way by 
 which the Kingdom can come, whether it be 
 in the soul of a man or in the heart of the 
 pagan world. The recognition of the primacy 
 of the Kingdom by Christ on earth and the 
 acknowledgment of our stewardship—these 
 two stahd together. Therefore, stewardship 
 must be the cry of the hour. Our church 
 members must clearly see and keenly feel that 
 life is a stewardship, a stewardship of pos- 
 sessions and personality and prayer; and that 
 the payment of the tithe is nothing more or 
 ‘less than the proof of our sincerity, the wit- 
 ness of our faith, the pledge of our allegiance, 
 and the assurance of His victory. 
 
 13 
 
The Stewardship Campaign 
 
 Those who read this “Story of the Geneva 
 Church” will desire to repeat the experience 
 in their own Church. And they may. It is 
 intended that every soul shall enjoy an “Ad- 
 venture in entire sanctification.” It may be 
 said, in the first place, that such an “adven- 
 ture” is for those who dare. The expansion 
 of character, the freedom from old trammels, 
 the thrill of accomplishment, and the inspira- 
 tion of the heights are all for the pioneer 
 soul. These things appeal to the daring; they 
 only alarm the timid. 
 
 The Church has no call to separate a man 
 from his money. To attempt it, under what- 
 soever name of human betterment, or in fur- 
 therance of any Financial Plan, is to commit 
 violence against a righteous human instinct, 
 the instinct of possession. 
 
 But the Church has a call to set forth the 
 profound and intimate relationship which ex- 
 ists between a man and his money. ‘That 
 relationship constitutes a trust. The terms of 
 the trust already are established, and should 
 be understood clearly by Christian men and 
 women, and by Christian boys and girls. The 
 trust itself is defined and developed in the 
 Christian law of Stewardship, and this lies 
 at the base of all Christian character. 
 
 Stewardship is more than a financial plan. 
 It is a life plan; the Christian Law of Life. 
 Stewardship is the Gospel in action. It is 
 practical religion, beginning with that which 
 is in thy hand and including the treasures in 
 Heaven. It is “entire sanctification” ex- 
 pressed in modern terms of efficiency. Its 
 
 14 
 
message is welcomed; for Stewardship is 
 logical, winsome, irresistible. 
 
 However, Stewardship is not a natural hu- 
 man conception. The unaided human instinct 
 will not discover it. The recognition of Stew- 
 ardship marks the supremacy of the spiritual 
 nature. ‘Therefore, not for the sake of the 
 “Budget,” but for the sake of the “Christian,” 
 the underlying principles of Stewardship must 
 be taught plainly. 
 
 Therefore, Stewardship requires a definite 
 program for teaching and committal: It is 
 high evangelism. We have prepared a pro- 
 gram for a Stewardship Campaign. In four 
 or five weeks’ time, using the regular services, 
 a Church may awaken its members, increase 
 their number, and solve every financial prob- 
 lem. Only the leadership of the pastor is 
 needed or desirable. This is a revival that 
 goes deep, reaches high, extends wide and 
 lasts long. There will be no reaction because 
 of tired bodies and minds. The congregation 
 is prepared to take the field, rather than to go 
 to the hospital. It is worth trying. For full 
 information, write to 
 
 Harvey REEVES CALKINS, 
 Stewardship Secretary, 
 
 The Commission on Finance, 
 740 Rush Street, Chicago. 
 
 NoreE—The Stewardship Department of the 
 Commission on Finance is now known as The 
 Christian Stewardship League. Mr. Calkins is 
 its General Secretary. : 
 
 15 
 
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