Rev. Stephen J. Thurston, president of the National Baptist Convention of America, has a unique way of taking an offering. Near the close of the second joint winter board meeting of four historic black denominations in Atlanta on Wednesday, he suggested that pastors and others give $100 each. In some circles that might not be so unusual, but then he suggested that perhaps there should be a “shoe offering” from the men or a “hat offering” from the women.

“If I can get them to give me what they paid for those hats on their head we could clear up this debt right now,” he said.

Such unique offerings seemed to be needed. Thurston said only $40,000 had been raised to pay the more than $120,000 in bills for the meeting, which followed a historic gathering of the four groups in 2005 in Nashville, Tenn.