Churches and Money

Here's a touchy subject.

People suspicious of organized religion often characterize churches as "only interested in money." And there are plenty of examples that prove them right--unscrupulous televangelists who live like kings, weird direct-mail books that promise a car for praying a particular prayer and sending in two dollars, or, I don't know, other stuff.

And I think, too, there are some more innocent ways that churches get a bad rap about money--there are well-intentioned people who worry about the financial solvency of their spiritual homes, and end up projecting a lot of anxiety and need in fundraising efforts. When you combine that with big building and personnel expenses (most ministers are underpaid, but health insurance rates don't accept voluntary pay cuts) and you get churches that sink into the mentality of not having enough and holding onto everything very tightly.

It's not a coincidence that Jesus said that the root of all evil is the love of money.

So why give money to a church? First off, most churches and most church people are not interested in money for its own sake. Most of them want to use the money to do good things--provide worship services and pastoral services to the community through their pastor; provide space for community life through their building; make a difference in the lives of disadvantaged people; help people learn about and encounter God through education. And as an active church member, you get to help decide how the money is spent and support ministries that way.