Doing a Hard Thing at a Critical Time
No organization—and no church—will survive over the long term if it fails to make adjustments at critical junctures. The average life-span of a church in the US is 75 years. You beat those odds by being smart and strategic, by focusing like a laser on your mission, anticipating problems, making tactical adjustments at the right moments and, if you are a church, by listening to and heeding the voice of our Still Speaking God.
Today's Day of Reckoning
In 2012 Old South Church arrived at just such a critical juncture.
The situation: Our current level of mission and programming is unsustainable over the long term. Over the past eight years we employed every strategy we know to turn the ship: increased financial stewardship from our members (magnificent success); growing the congregation (tremendous progress); living within our endowment spending rule (done); using the building to generate income through rentals (providing a significant infusion of cash); budgeting a realistic annual capital reserve (in process); a serious effort at planned giving (we have made great strides). Additionally, we are at the early stages of testing the feasibility of a capital campaign.
The combination of these strategies has tremendously improved our financial picture. There is much to celebrate. However, it is clear that these strategies combined will not put us on a path to financial sustainability. Thus, in December of 2012 we arrived at a moment of choice:
Choice A: The members of our Board of Trustees, Operations Committee, Church Council, and Finance Committee were unanimously agreed that we were on the brink of initiating the beginning of a decline ... a decline in ministry and program which would force us to abandon our Vision for the 21st Century.
Choice B: Or, we could monetize some of our assets (non-producing assets unrelated to our core mission) for the sake of our future ... for the sake of the bold, tender, and joyful ministry to which God has blessed and called us.
On December 2, 2012, Old South Church agreed to make a tactical adjustment. After years of conversations and presentations, the members voted overwhelming to convert old silver into wind for the sails of our Vision for the 21st Century. They voted to convert a precious and rare book—an ancient hymn book—into doxology ... into ministries of justice, mercy, and beauty.
Heritage Assets
Old South Silver: Old South Church owns a wonderful collection of old silver. The collection includes nineteen items that have been held on deposit since 1939 at the Museum of Fine Arts. The members voted to convert these precious items (no longer used for the purposes for which they had been given) into ministry.
Bay Psalm Book: the so-called “Beta Copy” of our two copies. Published in 1640 as a hymn book (the first fruit of the American press), it had been on deposit with the Boston Public Library since 1866. In 1978, a probate court ruled that the Beta Copy is not and never has been a part of Thomas Prince’s own library (bequeathed to Old South by our 5th minister and governed by certain restrictions) and that Old South Church has free and clear title to the Bay Psalm Book (Beta Copy) and license to transform it into mission and ministry. This ruling was recently reaffirmed by the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office, Division of Public Charities. The Church’s “Alpha Copy” is digitized and available on our website 24/7, free of charge, to anyone in the world.
About the Vote
On Sunday, December 2, 2012, over 300 members of Old South Church in Boston gathered in the Church’s 1875 sanctuary to wrestle together with questions that go to the core of our work: What is the heart of our mission? Where is our treasure? What does God ask of us?
The meeting that ensued was beautiful and deep, difficult and important. The questions that engaged our robust congregational debate should be discussed with such energy, civility, and passion at every church meeting. The testimonials from the members over the course of more than 2 hours of meeting—and in the days, weeks and months preceding the vote in many presentations, meetings and online forums—were poignant and powerful ... issuing from hearts alive to God.
The members voted in overwhelming numbers to transform treasures into ministry.
The vote has led to the arrangements for a single-lot auction of the Bay Psalm Book (Beta Copy) on November 26, 2013 under the direction of Sotheby's. Decisions concerning our silver are still in process.