The Joy of Burning Pledges
The pledging system in churches may come to outlast its worth. Do we really have to be committed to this system in order to set our budgets? Businesses do not typically get customers to promise how much they will spend in the coming year, yet those same business set and keep realistic budgets by basing the budget on current income.
When starting King of Peace, I borrowed an idea I read about in the Church in Georgia where I read that Christ Church Dublin had burned their pledges unopened. We then asked people to prayerfully consider their pledge and gave cards for them to bring the pledge in to the church in writing. These were offered on our feast day (the last Sunday after Pentecost, sometimes referred to as Christ the King), collected at the offering in sealed envelopes, given to God and placed on the altar, then burned unopened at the conclusion of the liturgy.
How did we budget? We planned on continuing to get out current level of income, sometimes with a slight increase. While the treasurer confidentially kept up with tax records for those who wanted it, we kept no accounting of what was promised. We simply budgeted each fall based on the income at that time and found no trouble in budgeting income.
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So please hear what I am not saying. I am not suggesting that we give up on pledges. I am asking aloud whether we have to log them, track them and remind people when they are behind. Asking members to prayerfully consider how they give back to God through the mission and ministry of their church is right. Expecting the member to pledge to God is a good and joyful thing. But tracking pledges did not prove essential to the fiscal health of King of Peace in its move from church start to mission to parish. However, the faith shown by burning pledges unopened was also essential.
The Rev. Canon Frank Logue
Canon to the Ordinary
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