church money

[anonymous]

I have a question/comment, and I know that it will make some people angry but I am going to put it out there anyway.

I have heard the message that so many missionaries are going to be sent home, and that the church plant that FBCKenner is supporting is in need of many things to grow and reach the community.

I also have heard (perhaps I have heard wrong? If so, I apologize up front and withdraw my question) that FBCKenner currently has in the neighborhood of TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND dollars in the bank....just sitting there earning interest. It is supposedly money earmarked for a "building fund"?? but is not really being used. Okay....here's my question - get ready to be angry.... WHY? Is this money being held for a reason? I understand having a little to "fall back on", but this just screams "we don't trust you, God, so we'll hang onto it in case you let us down".

I know this is a taboo subject, and maybe none of my business, but I think it should be just put out there for others to see and maybe get a discussion going. I've heard other discussions about finances, but everyone seems to be dancing around this, like they are afraid that someone might get upset about it. I don't want to cause friction in the family, but some transparency is needed. We have a whole city full of hurting and needy people that could use this money NOW. " Later" might be too late for them. What if the Master came tomorrow, and the money sitting in that account was still sitting there, but the souls of those He created and died for were lost forever? How would we justify holding onto that money? We don't need a new building, our city needs new churches and our missionaries need funding.

If we can trust God with our souls, we can certainly trust that he WILL supply the needs of the Church down the road. We need to take what we have right now and use it to make a difference in our world. To do otherwise makes us look a lot like the servant who took the Talents given to him and hid them......um, if I remember correctly, he did not get a big high-five from the Master upon His return for that decision!

Please take this in the spirit it is intended...and if I am mistaken in any way please correct me and forgive me.

[Mike Miller]

As I hope you know, no question is off limits. I will answer your questions, but first, let me clear up some things that you are mistaken about. To begin with, the amount of money we have is significantly more than $200,000. Forgive me, but online, I will not divulge specifics. Second, that money is not earmarked for a building fund. The bulk of it is proceeds from Katrina insurance claims and the sale of a building after Katrina, but the church currently has no plans to build any kind of building. Third, to state that this is a taboo subject or that we are dancing around the issue is also incorrect. This is actually a discussion that is being held in many venues in the church. The staff and the finance committee frequently discuss it. It has been discussed in business meetings. I have even brought the subject up from the pulpit on Sunday mornings (I even mentioned it my very first sermon as pastor of FBCK). In addition, this subject is brought up at various times in various groups and private conversations. We are an open book, and nothing is off limits for discussion. You said, "some transparency is needed," but we are completely transparent. At every business meeting, a complete financial report is made available, a treasurer's report is given, and the floor is open for all questions. No one has ever been shut down or treated poorly for asking questions. Not only that, but as we have stated many times, any church member can call the church office and ask for the latest financial report at any time. The treasurer also says at every meeting, "Please feel free to talk to me about any questions or concerns." I really don't know how we could possibly be more transparent.

So, what are the plans for that money? That is up to the church. As a Baptist church, we are staff led, but congregationally governed. That means that at any business meeting (like the one in two weeks), anyone can bring this up for discussion. There are two ways to do that. First, you (and this is assuming you are a church member, as only members can participate, though anyone is welcome to attend) can ask all the questions you want during the financial report. You receive a report that shows every single dollar we have and where it goes. We always say, "Are there any questions?" If someone has a question and doesn't ask it, that is that person's fault. Second, if you would like to make a motion regarding spending money, you simply need to talk to the chairman of the finance committee, the church treasurer, the church administrator, or me ahead of time. You need to put in writing what your motion will be so it can be slated for business. If it is a proper motion, it will be added to the agenda, but if it needs to be referred to a committee, we will talk to you about that and refer it to the proper committee (i.e., missions or finance or building, etc.).

Moreover, while I will agree that spending money on some kind of new building right now is probably not the best plan (and no plans are in place or even being discussed), we do own a large facility already that is aging. We recently spent a significant amount of that money on necessary repairs and upgrades, and the money was spent wisely. The church voted on these expenditures in a business meeting. We are currently facing some more of the same kind of expenditures--again necessary stuff--and the church will have the opportunity to vote before a dime is spent.

As for spending all that money on missions of some kind (whether community or outside our area), I agree that we should take a look at that. It's not easy, though, as we need to determine prayerfully the best place to put the money. If you recall, last year, we sent a chunk of those reserves to the International Mission Board. The church voted, and we did it. I know it seems easy just to say, "Let's give it to missions," but we want to be the best stewards we can be and send it where it is needed most.

Let me state that I also do not think the church should just sit on large sums of money just in case we might need it some day. I too would hate to have a large cash reserve when Jesus returns. That is why I and others keep this discussion alive. However, since we are congregationally governed, the church will need to be unified on what to do with the money. If you have specific (not just general) suggestions, feel free to bring those up. If your suggestions have to do with missions, the place to start is by bringing them to the Acts 1:8 Team (that's what we call our missions committee). We will elect a new team leader at the next business meeting, so you will know who that is.

And one more thing. Please never apologize for asking questions. I cannot imagine a scenario where asking a question like this would make anyone angry. I'm sorry you thought you would make someone angry. I really don't know why you would think that. All questions are welcome. I only ask that anyone ask questions and enter into public discussions in a Christ-like manner (and I have no reason to believe you have ever not done so). We are all brothers and sisters in Christ, and we are all created in the likeness and image of God. We will have different opinions, and neither your opinion nor those who disagree with you should ever be causes for anger.

[anonymous]

Pastor,

Thank you for your very in-depth explanation and caring reply. I will carefully consider all that you have said and prayerfully consider how I might make some recommendations for the use of these funds. You are correct in saying we should not just spend it rashly- that would be as foolish as holding onto it out of fear of the future. There is much need, but it must be met by good, thoughtful stewardship rather than hastily.

I clearly have not been listening at the business meetings, or availing myself of the financial reports ...I will remedy that, and thank you for correcting my impression that this is a taboo subject. I am glad that it IS being discussed openly, and by trustworthy members of the Body.

I am not sure why I expected anger at my opinion, although I was very certain that it would NOT be from you. Perhaps it is because I know that there are some in the church who see these funds as a security blanket, and anytime a security blanket is removed there is panic...which often looks like anger. It just seemed to me that this was a rather touchy subject, and I anticipated (perhaps unjustly) a strong reaction.

Thank you again for your very honest and caring response.