Funding for mission in the mainline denominations is declining precipitously at the close of the twentieth century. Questions of mission funding and administration have become critical. This paper reviews a significant historical debate on this issue which occurred in the Presbyterian Church in the nineteenth century. Although the circumstances have changed, the issues continue to recur. A look at this history may give us a clue to the role of boards and congregations in the work of mission. It reminds us of the significance of congregations as primary agents of mission.
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