What if church were free?

Since I haven't annoyed anyone recently, I thought I would take up this subject again.

Some of you may read the topic of this blog and say, "Now, wait a minute - I don't pay to go to church." I submit to you that if you are in North America, at least in the United States, most persons do pay to go to church.

Do you have to pay to hear a sermon on tape, online or CD, or to attend a meeting? Does it cost you money to hear someone speak at our church? (Note: please be the rest of this post before flaming me - Danke). Does your church have multiple "staff" persons who do not teach or preach the scriptures?

Certainly, God is due his tithe or "tenth". And He is also due offerings as the Holy Spirit lays it upon our hearts. These offerings are to:
Provide for the support of those who preach the gospel, (Luke 10:7) even visiting evangelists and teachers, and care for the poor and needy (everywhere in scripture, but especially in (Galatians2:10).

Well, that seems to be about it.

Pardon my ignorance, but I cannot find any reference to a church building, staff salaries or administrative fees, mortgages, vehicle and copier leases, electronic advertising or profit-sharing.

The Southern Baptist Convention's financial arm - Guidestone Financial reported 2005 assets of $ 8.9 billion dollars. [i] This represents only the investments of the Southern Baptists, not their total assets.

The presbyterian church USA in its 2005 financial statement reported assets of $807 million., which cannot possibly be accurate. (Their statement was labeled "unaudited". )

The Methodist church in America reported assets in the neighborhood of $32 billion. [iii]

If we take only these three denominations, we have nearly $44 billion dollars. Let's say there are 200,000 pastors, teachers, evangelists, (which there aren't) who each make $100,000 per year. (which they don't - most pastors make much less than the average corporate income, despite having much more education and experience on average) this amounts to $20 billion. What's being done with the other $24 billion and where did it come from? This represents only 3 mainline denominations - think of all the others and the untold billions they represent.

Did all these groups learn the secret of a money tree? Have they found what Cortez could not? Did they capture King Brian Conners of the leprechauns and share the three wishes for the crock'o gold?

No, they begged, pleaded, cajoled and direct mailed you and I for money; not to do those things which scripture commands, but to do the things which makes the world happy, and being the faithful "Christians" we claim to be - we blithely give it.

Should we be paying for the activities of a "church"? I don't believe so. I cannot find a single place in scripture, in Hebrew or Greek where we are commanded to pay for worshipping God, "gathering together as is the custom of some." (Hebrews 10:25-27)

What if we decided to conduct ourselves according to the bible? What if the church divested itself of all of its assets and used them to feed, house, clothe the poor, build hospitals (offering free or very low cost services) build schools, and other necessities around the world?

You might have to meet in someone's house. Would that be so bad? Or, you could all pitch in and purchase a tent to meet under in the event of rain or excessive heat? There are many dilapidated, run-down buildings in every city - what if the church purchased these and rebuilt them, using them for the purposes listed in scripture?

Did you know that for $120 a month, a Russian or vietnamese pastor can keep his whole family?
Did you know that for the price of some stamps you can encourage a prisoner in the Lord?
Did you know that for less than $600 per month you can run a medical clinic in Pakistan?
Did you know that for .50 each you can receive bibles from the IBS to give out in your neighborhood?

I submit to you that the cost of attending your average local church is enormous compared to its social worth. How many people accepted Christ through your church last year? How many drug deals were thwarted? How many marriages were saved? How many abortions were stopped and children adopted?

There is a benevolence agency in Texas with a budget of only $200,000 which fed 50,000 people last year and had nearly 700 decisions for Christ.

There is a couple in Dallas who see hundreds of decisions for Christ and their financial outlay consists of buying sodas to pass out at bus stations and tracts to give out at shopping malls.

What if we gave our pastors a pay raise and used our building campaign to fund churches in vietnam, or Pakistan, or Afghanistan or China or our local town?

What if our monthly meetings were held in a coffee shop, or bar, or restaurant, where people might actually overhear us talking about Jesus?

Do you know what your Pastor's salary and benefits are? Why not - every officer of every public corporation in America MUST by law publish this information; shouldn't the church be more open than a greedy corporation?

If you don't know this, ask for it in a kind, courteous and dignified manner - not on sunday morning; call and make an appointment. If your church will not tell you - find another church.

How many homeless persons have been helped by YOUR church? (not your association - not a group you gave money too - but your group of Christians specifically). How many people were fed, clothed and given a drink?

The church ought to be Christ's - not man's. Is His name found anywhere in your church building?

Jesus spoke to a church much like the church in America today: He said,

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." - Revelation 3:14-22 (emphasis mine)

Is Christ not angry when we have the ability to feed the world but will not do so?



[i] http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=22591
[ii]
[iii] www.gcfa.org









The Jews paid a temple tax in Jerusalem. Are Christians paying a church tax today?