box in the vestibule

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davidfsims
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Joined: Fri Nov 12, 2010 9:37 am

box in the vestibule

Post by davidfsims » Fri Nov 12, 2010 10:05 am

In the 50's, Fanning Yater Tant advocated the placement of a box in the vestibule in congregations in which members were divided over the support of institutions (see http://www.wordsfitlyspoken.org/gospel_ ... p4-5b.html). Those who wanted to help could do so by putting their individual donations into a box which would later be delivered to a needy institution (orphanages usually), and those who opposed it were not obligated to do so. This arrangement allowed, at least theoretically, for the church to stay together rather than split, since no treasury funds were used.

Does anyone know of any congregation that practices this today, and has not gone any further into institutionalism than this, and maintains a congregation composed of both those who support it and those who do not, and has peace? (I'm not looking to debate the rightness/wrongness of this arrangement, I'm just curious to know if the experiment has worked for anyone.)

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m273p15c
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Joined: Tue Sep 28, 1999 10:45 am

Re: box in the vestibule

Post by m273p15c » Wed Nov 17, 2010 5:40 pm

I'm personally unaware of any congregation ever doing this, but Fanning Yater Tant was well before my time. ;) Maybe some other members can help?
May God help us to love truth sincerely and supremely (II Thessalonians 2:11-12)

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