A Debt Paid in Full
A Kennewick church celebrates financial independence by burning their mortgage document in a ceremonial act.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
At the annual business meeting of the local Baptist church Wednesday evening, J. M. Holmes, chairman of the building fund, reported the church building paid for in full. Minor Lynch and Russell Elliot, the two boys under 15 years of age who had contributed the largest amount toward liquidating the debt, were given the honor of burning the mortgage. The church voted also not to request missionary aid either for the local church or the Richland branch.
“Minor Lynch and Russell Elliot, the two boys under 15 years of age who had contributed the largest amount toward liquidating the debt, were given the honor of burning the mortgage.”
While congregations still carry capital debt for building projects, the ritual burning of a mortgage served as a powerful symbol of community autonomy in the early 20th century. It mirrors the modern, albeit more bureaucratic, efforts of local non-profits to secure property and stabilize their presence against rising land costs.
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