Q: “What is the objection to raising money for church support by means of fairs, socials, etc.?”
A: “There is quite a difference in these things and in Christian opinion concerning them. There seems to be no objection to ladies doing sewing, embroidery work, making cake and delicacies, and selling the product of their labor at a fair price for the benefit of the Lord’s work. But the average church fair is not usually content with such prosaic features. Things frivolous, worldly and sensational are often introduced. Storekeepers, under pressure, are made to contribute articles, and visitors, in the same way, are made to buy them. All this lowers the dignity of the Christian religion and cultivates false standards of Christian giving.”
James Martin Gray (1851-1935) in Bible Problems Explained (Chicago: Fleming H. Revell, 1913) 43-44. At the time of writing he was Dean of Moody Bible Institute, and later he served as President.