The Diaconal Care of Non-Poor Christians (3) The Example of Calvin’s Geneva: The “Funds”

Of the two institutions in Geneva that served those in need, one was the hospital. As we noted in our last article, this was an "institution" in the sense in which we use the term today -- it had a building, a board of directors, and full-time and volunteer staff. Here the poor, sick, widowed, orphans, travelers, and others found help. Especially noteworthy is the fact that the hospital was overseen by the deacons of Geneva. The other institution was a "fund," a monetary endowment set up to...