Three months into pastoring I now have a heightened sensitivity to the financial burdens that many people bear. It’s one of the reasons that I don’t stand in my pulpit begging congregants for money or taking folks on a guilt trip about giving. I never have. I believe that giving is more a faith issue than a financial one. I try to help folks grow in the faith department and at the same time I’m excited about offering classes/workshops to parishioners designed to help them in the financial department.
And yet, I know that the vision that God has given me for the church that I’m blessed to serve does require resources. As people are educated and invited to experience a deeper faith walk by giving tithes and offerings, then God will provide the provision for the vision.
A part of that vision is helping and supporting the “least of these” all around my congregation. Not too many Sundays go by that someone doesn’t show up at the church looking for food. I thank my God that we have been able to provide food and monetary gifts (and even transportation to work) to everyone who has presented themselves in need. However, I must admit that it’s getting more and more difficult. While we are strong financial supporters of the local emergency food pantry, it’s not open on Sundays and we can’t turn folks away with a word to wait until Monday.
I am confident that this season of economic strain will help us as a church family grow in our Faith. We’re learning already to be better stewards of the gifts that God has given us and this is a great lesson to put things in place during the “fat seasons” so that you’re ready when the “lean seasons” come.
In this CNN/WBAL interview, Rev. Johnny Golden, pastor of New Unity Church in Baltimore and president of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance talks about the strain on churches and the charge to trust God through it all.
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The current American instigated world-wide economic crisis illuminates the problem of America’s red and blue, north and south, white and black (non post racial), flawed capitalist trickle-down economic system and a society that insists that I am not my brother or my sister’s keeper. Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free …? Er herm!
America is subdivided along the lines of Wall Street, Main Street and Dr. Martin Luther drive, as others have already pointed out; even believers are trying to get to Wall Street hoping to leave others behind. I doubt seriously that what the architect of the Universe had in mind was for a so-called laissez-faire capitalist market system that is devoid of rules that objectify the commonweal.
Interestingly enough and over the past few days, the solution that appears to be working in America and across the world is what the Sovereign intended, socialism. Where did society, social, and socialism become bad words? Ans. In the USA. The social dimension of Christ’s ministry demands societal care of its people as its number one priority, and aggressive social action to accompany it.
If our society and its laws and overarching philsophy were constructed in the manner that they should have been and not to get rich or to die trying, not one American would be hungry, without health care, living in poverty, standing in limited lines at free clinics, living on the street or begging at churches.
The wealth is here and it was here before Columbus set foot upon the island of North America, or before there was a United States of America.
Solution: I have spent the past 4 Sundays in the famous ‘People’s Park’ in Berkeley California, among a sea of homeless humanity. They have been cast aside from the burgeoning wealth in America, and have been forced literally back to Eden. I have begun teaching what I refer to as The Genesis/Back to Eden Project. I can’t detail the whole project which is still in the formation stage, but it can be a blessing to those Americans who are outside of the system; and many more who will soon find themselves there.
In fact I am not encouraging my listeners here to return to a flawed system that for many, was never designed for them in the first place, in fact theyu are not welcome. I am teaching those will listen to build a cooperative system, Acts 4, ‘all things in common style’, that will work for them, not enrich them!
I pulled a beggar aside several weeks ago outside of a Safeway Store in San Leandro California and asked, have you dug up your yard yet? He asked, what do you mean? I asked, before you came out here to beg did you ever consider removing some of the lawn and planting seeds and growing food to eat! There was a prolonged silence that followed. I gave him $10 to purchase seeds with, so that he could go and plant some food! He said that he would go to his parents and ask to plant a garden – isn’t that what God gave Adam and Eve?
Churches should help, however, teaching individuals to eek out and to build a community among themselves, also helping individuals to acquire seeds or land where they can feed themselves can be a critical first step. Until we change the society and its rules so that the commonwealth will be shared among all individuals, an emphasis should be placed on another aspect of the program that I refer to as, You Reap What You Sow. In other words those who want to reap will also have to sow!
And with respect to the thousands of churches in America with 4 people sitting in them because one person wants to hear himself preach, these small island churches ought to merge into churches like Pastor Brown’s and build even stronger congregations, for there can be strength in numbers.
One church member in this area said that she will approach the church Board, to ask that land on the property be set aside to create a Genesis/Back to Eden/Reap What you Sow Garden! In a specialized society, the skills of too many Americans are eroded, many having forgotten how to take care of themselves!
Sorry for the length,
Over the summer I watched the broadcast of the FGBCF conference and the Chief Visionary, International Presiding Bishop Paul S. Morton, Sr., declared that he was not participating in the recession and that he is teaching this mantra to his membership. For a man that is supported by Tyler Perry to the tune of several million dollar donations to his ministry it maybe easy for him to say that he will not participate, but for the millions of believers across this country, they have no other alternative but to participate! Its if you grew up in a household with God fearing parents, you knew when Sunday came it didn’t make any difference if you just came home from partying all night long, you were going to church that morning – no matter if you wanted to or not! This recession is going to do the same thing! We have families losing homes, jobs and sacrificing basic needs in order to survive and if you are not a millionare with money to lose you are going to participate in the recession. A friend shared with me that her church is in the midst of a building project. Her church is asking members to donate a certain monetary amount before the end of the year. If you have your prescribed monetary amount you can bring your gift directly to the Pastor and he will hug and bless you. If you make your donation in installments, you can just drop it in the basket when it passes down your row. All of our gifts, whatever sacrifice you are making in the season, needs to be blessed.
Those churches who benefit the most from and practice the principles of American capitalistism will have to admit to their share in the nation’s nation’s current economic crisis. Some churches encouraged members to invest in ponzi shemes.
I often ask other pastors, does your church have a Storehouse? Typically there is a pause and a stare. Frankly, the Storehouse for too many churches in the pastor’s or the board members pockets.
God was smart enough to place adequate resources on this planet, enough to feed animals and human beings from now until. Too many folks are greedy, and they are hoarding inside and outside of the church. Some ministries will need to downsize and divest of their bling-bling, airplanes, expensive accoutrement, private chefs, haberdashers, 3K haridos … and do what they were supposed to do in the first place.
If it it comes down to it, they should sell the buidlings and worship in tents. But by all means they should adhere to Godly and not capitalist principles as many of them have been doing! Hopefully, the people won’t have to come into the churches and ‘eat the showbread’, get it ‘show’?