March 7, 2007

Should the government treat churches like a business?  We pride ourselves that our nation proclaims “separation between church and state” and that we have freedom of religion in this country.  Somehow I don’t think that the founders of our country ever visualized the mega-churches of today when they wrote those laws.

The churches in the 1700’s that were established here were small, rural country churches and were pillars of the communities that they were a part of.  When folks went to church they actually knew the people that were sitting in the pews with them, and they knew the preacher and his family intimately.  Collections taken were to feed the preacher and provide for his family and to take care of the church building and property.

Today there are churches that have budgets larger than a small country!  Many people go to church to be seen or because it’s the “in” place to be.  There are collections taken for tithes, overseas ministries, new building funds, old building repairs, in-town ministries and twenty other programs that there isn’t room to mention.  Churches grow so large that they’re breaking up into “cell groups” just so people can have some semblance of a family feel – otherwise they’re just a number.

When you break it down, though, it often revolves around money more than it does the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Isn’t it ironic that the saviour who lived such an austere and simple life is connected to groups who bathe themselves in luxury and plead for your money over and over again?

The church I serve has never paid it’s ministers since it’s inception in 1892.  “Freely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8), Jesus commanded his disciples when he sent them to preach the gospel.  Fellow ministers in other churches get flustered when they hear that, as they count on their paychecks and can’t imagine having to make a living on their own in another field.

But we’ve never fired a minister for preaching the truth – we can’t.  We’ve never had a monetary scandal.  We’ve never allowed money to be the main discussion topic in our services, but rather the gospel.

There are many small churches who are doing God’s work for the right reasons.  They’ll never be “cool” or “in” with society, but that’s okay.  Instead of mega-budgets they’re trying to help people for the right reasons and lives are being affected and restored because of it.

I fear that government will soon realize how much money is flowing through the spigots of those mega-churches and that legislation will be submitted that will negatively affect all of us.  Should we be about money or about people?

What do you think?  Which will you choose to support?