Liberal Christian Church – Meeting Minutes, Sep 16, 1926 (Vote to Rev. Scott)

REGULAR SEPTEMBER MEETING OF THE LIBERAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH

September 16, 1926

The regular September Meeting of the Liberal Christian Church was held in the Sunday School Room of the church Thursday evening, September 16, 1926. The business session was preceded by a luncheon given by the Women’s Union as usual.

The business session was convened shortly before 8 o’clock with President Harding in the chair. In the absence of the clerk, Mr. A. H. Scott, Mr. J. P. Faulkner was asked to act as secretary. Following a few introductory remarks by the President the minutes of the last or May meeting were read and unanimously approved. The call for reports followed and the Treasurer distributed a sheet giving a comprehensive statement of Receipts and Disbursements from January 1st, 1926 to date, September 12th. The statement, with all bills paid to date, showed a balance on hand of $435.46. The report was considered very satisfactory and the Treasurer thanked for his splendid work. (See report attached.)

The Pulpit Supply Committee was then called upon and Dr. Rowlett, the chairman, made a very comprehensive and interesting verbal report of the committee’s activities, resulting in the unanimous recommendation of Rev. Clinton Scott for pastor, which recommendation had also been endorsed unanimously by the Board of Trustees. Dr. Rowlett recalled the action of the Church at the May meeting promising the ratification of the committee’s report if it should prove unanimous, and, after recounting the special qualifications of Rev. Mr. Scott, and the reasons why the committee believes he is the man we are looking for, asked that the action of the committee and the board be ratified. Upon motion of Mr. Hamilton Douglas, which called for a standing vote, the action of the committee was approved, Mr. Scott receiving a unanimous call to the church. Upon motion of Mr. Wroth a vote of thanks was extended to the committee. It was suggested that the correspondence with Mr. Scott be made a part of these minutes.

Mr. T. C. Perkins, chairman of the Finance Committee, was called upon to report, and also to give the details of the way it is proposed to meet the budget of the coming year.

Referring to the Treasurer’s report, Mr. Perkins showed that, if Mr. Scott takes up his duties on November 1st, the church will be able to pay him and all of its obligations up to the first of January without help from either of the parent bodies. For 1927 the Finance Committee and the Pulpit Supply Committee had estimated that a budget of $7,000.00 would be required, and the plan worked out contemplated the raising of $4,000.00, as a maximum, through the church by subscriptions and from other present sources and the borrowing of $3,000.00, if necessary, from the parent bodies for 1927, and such amounts as should be found necessary for the four succeeding years. The plan contemplated at least a reduction of $500.00 each year on the amount borrowed.

It was understood by all, and particularly stressed by Dr. Rowlett, that it is not the purpose to run the church on borrowed money but this scheme is only an effort to get the church in condition to do the work it is hoped to do in the expectation of becoming self-supporting at an early date. At the conclusion of Mr. Perkins’ statement and the emphasis by Dr. Rowlett, the following motion was offered by Mr. Hamilton Douglas –

“RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees be authorized and directed to borrow such sums of money as they shall deem necessary for the payment of minister’s salary and other church expenses for the ensuing five years, in amounts not to exceed $3,000.00 per year and to secure the sum by encumbrance or pledge of any or all of the real or personal property and assets belonging to the church.”

The resolution was unanimously adopted.

The action of the Board of Trustees at the special meeting, at the request of the Pulpit Supply Committee, August 29th, in deciding to discontinue renting the parsonage with the purpose of taking it over for Sunday School and Church purposes, was then reported and, following an explanation of the conditions of the heating plant of the parsonage and the need of more space for church and Sunday School purposes by Mr. Faulkner, the action was approved and on motion of Mr. Douglas the Board of Trustees was authorized to appoint a committee to look into the condition of the building and make such plans as necessary for the uses contemplated and also to spend such amounts as it was found necessary to put it into condition for use.

Dr. Rowlett called attention to the failure of the Atlanta papers to publish the resolutions offered Sunday, August 29th, respecting the Life, Character, and Services of Dr. Charles W. Elliott, and, upon motion of Mr. Perkins, it was ordered that the resolutions referred to be made a part of these minutes.

Dr. Rowlett then announced the services for next Sunday and the plans of the committee for supplying the pulpit until the arrival of the pastor, following which Mr. Blake offered a motion thanking the ladies of the Union for the splendid dinner and their cooperation in all the church work.

Upon motion the meeting was adjourned.

Financial statement Liberal Christian Church, 301 West Peachtree Street, Atlanta, covering period January 1st to and including September 12, 1926

Comments Sub Total Total
Receipts
Balance on Hand, Jan. 1st, 1926 $211.06
1925 Pledges paid in 1926 $125.00
Interest from U.G.C. Fund $1,060.30
2/3rds Rev. Lewis’ Dunham’s and Scott
s expenses returned
$236.44
Returned from Christmas Tree Fund $2.65
Rent from Parish House $525.00
Against 1926 Pledges $921.76
From other regular contributions $29.10
Plate Collections $270.95 $3,171,20
Total $3,382.26
Disbursments
1925 Expenses paid out of 1926 receipts:
Choir and Music $40.00
Coal $16.50
Repairs to Furnace $7.50
Note, Fourth National Bank $400.00
Pulpit Supply $82.00 $546.00
1926 Expenses:
Church Supper, January Meeting $16.20
Refreshments and Entertainment $14.40
Coal $23.75
Interest on Parish House Loan $262.50
1925 City Taxes $58.57
Rev. L.L. Lewis’ Expenses $144.93
Rev. S.D. Butler’s Expenses $40.00
Rev. S.G. Dunham’s Expenses $124.01
Rev. C. Scott’s Expenses $87.00
Repairs to Organ $76.00
Repairs to the Parish House $278.86
Commission Paid to Renting Agent $26.50
Fire Insurance $27.30
Universalist General Convention $25.00
American Unitarian Association $25.00
Water, Lights and Gas $77.90
Advertising, Postage, Stationary, Etc. $181.33
Janitor and Supplies $131.68
Pulpit Supply $359.00
Choir and Music $320.00
Delegate to Orlando Convention $40.00
Jewish Relief $25.00
Miscellaneous $36.12 $2,400.80
Cash on Hand September 13, 1926 $435.46
Total $3,382.26

Respectfully submitted,
Treasurer

Current bills for September not included.

Financial statement Liberal Christian Church, 301 West Peachtree Street, Atlanta, covering period January 1st to and including September 5, 1926

Comments Sub Total Total
Receipts
Balance on Hand, Jan. 1st, 1926 $211.06
1925 Pledges paid in 1926 $125.00
Interest from U.G.C. Fund $1,060.30
2/3rds Rev. Lewis’ Dunham’s and Scott
s expenses returned
$179.30
Returned from Christmas Tree Fund $2.65
Rent from Parish House $525.00
Against 1926 Pledges $886.26
From other regular contributions $29.10
Plate Collections $263.50 $3,071.11
Total $3,282.17
Disbursments
1925 Expenses paid out of 1926 receipts:
Choir and Music $40.00
Coal $16.50
Repairs to Furnace $7.50
Note, Fourth National Bank $400.00
Pulpit Supply $82.00 $546.00
1926 Expenses:
Church Supper, January Meeting $16.20
Refreshments and Entertainment $5.90
Coal $23.75
Interest on Parish House Loan $262.50
1925 City Taxes $58.57
Rev. L.L. Lewis’ Expenses $144.93
Rev. S.D. Butler’s Expenses $40.00
Rev. S.G. Dunham’s Expenses $124.01
Repairs to Organ $55.00
Repairs to the Parish House $278.86
Commission Paid to Renting Agent $26.50
Fire Insurance $27.30
Universalist General Convention $25.00
American Unitarian Association $25.00
Water, Lights and Gas $57.29
Advertising, Postage, Stationary, Etc. $160.03
Janitor and Supplies $127.68
Pulpit Supply $309.00
Choir and Music $295.00
Delegate to Orlando Convention $40.00
Jewish Relief $25.00
Miscellaneous $36.12 $2,163.39
Cash on Hand September 6, 1926 $572.78
Total $3,282.17

Respectfully submitted,
Treasurer

 

Physical Archive: UUCA Box: 26   Folder: 03
Citation: Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta Records, RG 026, Archives and Manuscripts Dept., Pitts Theology Library, Emory University, Atlanta GA