Do English Cathedrals Need Go ernment Help?; J.L. Payne

Members of the Pension Defense Fund recently received a shot in the arm for their case in the battle with ELCA hierarchy. On February 7 aMinnesota District Court judge denied motions for a summary judgment which would dismiss the lawsuit filed by the pastors and lay members, thus opening the door for further litigation. Their attorney noted that by denying the defendant's mo tions for summary judgment the district court judge was signifying that he agreed with the plaintiffsthat in this pension dispute there are issues of fact which can only be determined at a trial on the merits of the case. Meanwhile both sides recognize the long range consequences of the outcome. "The forthcoming trial, " reports Basich, "should produce sober thoughts in other denomina tional executives who may be toying with the temptation to use pension funds to achieve social and political goals." D Do English Cathedrals Need Government Help?

by James L. Payne O ne assumes that a great cathedral, hav ing stood for centuries, will go on standing forever, but the truth is it is always falling down. If someone doesn't shore up the shifting foundation and replace the eroded stone facing, it will become a ruin. Stepping in to save dozens of glorious Eng lish cathedrals from this plight is a remark able tribe of volunteers and philanthropists. Dr. Payne, a Contributing Editor o/The Free man, is a freelance writer and researcher who lives in Sandpoint, Idaho. In their quiet way, they show how voluntary action can perform the kind of public service we often leave to government. In our visit to Britain last year, my wife, Judy, and I came across many volunteer efforts in the cathedrals. We were especially impressed by the range of activities at the cathedral in Wells, a small city in Southwest England. We spotted our first volunteer in the gardens behind the cathedral, a woman clipping roses. She was one of the "flower ladies" who decorate the cathedral (since the group now has a male member, they're 456 THE FREEMAN • AUGUST 1994 looking for a new way to identify their group!). At the door, we were met by one of the welcomers, volunteers who greet visitors and hand out the guide pamphlet.

Our leader for the free guided tour was Daphne Shillingford, one of a team of some sixty volunteer guides. These guides are probably more professional, and certainly more enthusiastic, than paid staff would likely be. They have to prepare themselves by studying cathedral history and following the tours of other guides. Then they face a final exam: the chairman of the guides follows their trial tour around, lurking be hind pillars, to evaluate their performance. "You see grown men, retired bankers and solicitors, quaking in their boots," reports Daphne. The cathedral has a famous ancient clock in the north transept that, on striking the hour, sets mechanical horses galloping round and round. Naturally, tourists flockto watch. The bishop has wisely decided to make this an opportunity to introduce a religious point in what is, after all, a house of worship. Mter the clock has struck, a priest says a brief prayer, and then visits with the tourists. These prayers are con ducted by voluntary chaplains.

Other supporters include voluntary verg ers who keep the cathedral open late in the summer for tourists, voluntary bell ringers, voluntary stewards in the library, voluntary stewards at concerts, and a voluntary choir when the regular choirboys are on vacation. All these volunteers give a great sense of warmth to the cathedral. ''You don't get this feeling of voluntary care in cathedrals on the Continent," said Daphne. Having visited the gloomy cathedrals of Spain, Judy and I can confirm her point. Another key group is a fund-raising branch called The Friends of Wells Cathe dral. Founded in 1933, it has some 3,700 members, includinga number of Americans. The Friends raise money to pay for stone work and structural restoration, as well as work on the organ, the bells, and wood work, and to purchase new equipment. Their achievement has been funding the restoration of the Chapter House-which has cost about $1 million.

There is a worrisome note, however. Last year, the Dean of the Cathedral made his tory by acceptingthe firstgovernment grant. The amount (£15,000 to help clean some stonework) is insignificant financially, but the negative symbolic effect of the govern ment connection could be harmful. If the government is going to fund the cathedral with tax money, prospective donors and volunteers will start asking, why should we exert ourselves to nurture it? The Dean failed to understand that when a voluntary group starts taking funds raised involun tarily, it compromises the spirit of idealism on which it depends. For an example of how government fund ing can transform a voluntary group, con sider what has happened to Britain's Poetry Society. Founded in 1908, the organization was getting along fine until it started accept ing government money. The first grant, a mere $7,500, came in the 1970s. As the funding grew, high-salaried professional managers took over, sold the beloved old headquarters building, moved into a new officebuilding that was closed to the public, and spent $14,000on new, custom-designed desks. Membership fell, and the audience at poetry readings shrank to a handful of in siders. In 1993-shall we call it poetic jus tice?-the government put the Society on probation, threatening to cut offits $222,000 annual support on the grounds that it had become ineffective.

Government has a way of embracing no ble causes and then disabling them with its largesse. Let's hope English cathedral vol unteers realize the danger in time. 0 Correction, Please! What's Missing From This Picture? by Mark Skousen m1)eNewlork f£imes Digest The Markets Last Week ~ DOLLAR ~ BONDS 30 vs. Japanese Nymex 30-Year Industrials Yen Spot Treasuries 3,773.45 103.60 Yen $18.48 7.31% +1.23 -1.75 Yen +$0.36 +0.04 T he New York Times, that bastion of conventional wisdom, is missing a key element in its digest of financial markets. It leaves out the single most significant asset that each day reflects accurately the level of economic, political, and military stability around the world. The commodity? Gold! Instead, The Times uses oil, a crude and misleading substitute commodity, to mea sure inflation. Apparently the Midas metal doesn't "fit" the Times' definition of head line news.