From a pastor-friend

[I am suspicious of stewardship campaigns]... I remember one that went the other way - that is, after the dust had settled and the fees had been paid to the consultant, the bottom line was in the red and the consultant's fees not recovered by increased offerings (indeed 6 months after the end of the campaign, the net offerings were a little lower than prior to the start of the campaign).

There was much said during the campaign about it being concerned with strengthening our life in Christ, and that money was a minor or peripheral objective. But of course everyone knew that it was all about money, hence the culmination of the campaign on a memorable Saturday morning when members of the congregation were expected to come to the church during or after their Saturday shopping and make their pledges of money - but, by and large, didn't. The statement that the stewardship campaign was not principally about money was the sort of thing we might expect from our insincere politicians, but that form of transparent duplicity from people speaking on behalf of the church still rankles.