The first church conflict I remember as a kid was over “bi-part” offering envelopes — a single envelope with two separate and distinct pockets, one labeled “current expenses” and the other “benevolences.”
My father railed against them, arguing that they presented church members with a false choice. He called it “robbing Peter to pay Paul.”
It’s a far cry from 2014 in the Presbytery of Nevada. This past year 12 of its 21 congregations experienced numerical, and spiritual, growth.
Just a few years ago, churches were leaving the presbytery and the remaining congregations were resistant to paying per capita.