By Gbenga Osinaike
I try to stay away from talking about money as it relates to the church because it inflames undue passion.. The reaction is always that “this writer is against people giving to the church.” Many lack the patience to follow through with the line of discourse before running their hands over their keyboards.
Yet, the issue of money keeps coming up again and again. And I really do hope one day the church will come to a place where reason will prevail over emotion.
I am writing this having read the Facebook post of a beloved elder brother and friend who had a nasty experience in an Anglican Church during his mother’s burial. Reading his complaint broke my heart, and it makes me keep wondering how long it will take for the church to come to terms with the reality that God and Mammon are not friends.
The Conflict of Masters
They are not friends, and they should be treated as such. The implication is that God does not want us, His followers, to elevate money more than necessary. It should be treated as a tool and not a master. It should not control our worship, nor should it dictate the direction of our message. As the Scripture says:
”No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24)
A pastor who has mastered money will not dwell on it unduly because he knows that God who has called him to serve will not leave him without supplying his needs (Philippians 4:19).
But sadly, many pastors treat money as a fleeting instrument that has to be tracked. They want to take advantage of every occasion and personality to gather as much as they can, because they never know if such an opportunity will come again.
That is why money takes a prime place in many church events. A minister is asked to come and collect offering during service, and he devotes another ten minutes to motivate the people to give.
When you begin to motivate and persuade people to give, it is no longer a freewill offering; it has become a manipulated offering. The Bible reminds us: So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)
When we take advantage of an event to raise money, we have simply positioned ourselves as fundraisers and not as people who really want to preach the Gospel so that people might come to repentance.
As stated earlier, I was deeply disturbed by the post of that elderly friend. He said the church started the burial service behind schedule and still went ahead to hold guests down by calling for all sorts of offerings.
First, Let me play the devil’s advocate. In fairness to the priest of that Anglican parish, I do not think he was raising the money for personal use. He was only passionate about ensuring that the parish he oversees is in a good financial state so it can pay its yearly assessment and meet other needs.
This is the style of many churches that see crowd once in a while, especially during events like burials and weddings.. And again, many priests are under such undue pressure to meet certain expectations that they literally go cap-in-hand asking for support from members and non-members alike.
Some go as far as asking for support from those who are not Christians. While these priests may be acting from the sincerity of their hearts—and usually, that money goes toward infrastructure and church growth rather than their own pockets—good intentions are not enough. Good intentions can drive people away from the faith.
The Problem of “Empty-Handed” Theology
It’s not about the orthodox churches alone. Many Pentecostal churches are also hooked on this line of fund-raising. They are zealous for God and want money to expand the Gospel, but they end up cheapening the message.
I
t is disturbing when people come to church with the mindset that the church is only interested in their money. That mindset has made the Gospel seem impotent.
Why will a church take offerings more than once in a worship service? The idea of asking for a “thanksgiving offering” alongside various other collections is an indication of poor theological grounding. Where did we get this from the Scriptures? Even Apostle Paul instructed the Corinthians to prepare: their.offering ahead.
He said, “On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there may be no collections when I come.” (1 Corinthians 16:2)
Unfortunately, because we have so elevated money, we believe a service is incomplete without an offering. The scripture often quoted is: “Do not come to God empty-handed.” We lose sight of the context of that scripture (Exodus 23:15), which was directed at the children of Israel appearing before God three times a year for holy convocations.
It does not mean God is a local deity who requires a “sacrifice” every time we pray or study the Word. We forget that Jesus has been made a sacrifice for us once and for all (Hebrews 10:10). We have access to him 24/7. Can you imagine giving offering every time you pray?
Our churches should begin to be discreet about money, otherwise, we will keep losing potential converts. I have had cause to ask some people why they stay away from church, and they tell me it is because they don’t have money for the offering. It has come to that.
It is true nobody puts a rope on people’s kneck to give, but the subtle shaming that people experience in church is enough for them to stay away.
The idea of asking people to file out to give their money in front of the altar is a subtle pressure on people. The usher gets to you and expects you to come out. If you stay back it’s an indication that you don’t have money. That is enough psychological trauma for some people.
We should reach a point where money is not collected at every single service. Events that draw the general public should not be a time to raise funds. Let the people know that God is the owner of the church and He has the capacity to fund His work.
If God has truly called you to this work, whom do you look to for your supply? God or the people you are sent to?
It is this same recklessness that leads people to preach on public buses only to end up begging for money from the very people they are trying to reach. How will they take you seriously? Your Gospel will be meaningless to them when they see that all you want is their pocket.
The Source of Provision
Jesus was not just “blabbing” when He said we cannot serve God and Mammon. He knew a time would come when His followers would give money a status it does not deserve. We need money for tasks, yes, but we must not make God look like a beggar.
Why is it difficult to imitate ministries that don’t constantly badger people for money, yet see God meet every need? Are we saying God is incapable of touching the hearts of men?
It is amusing that the average pastor tells the congregation to trust God for their daily needs, yet the pastor trusts the congregation rather than that same God to meet the needs of the church.
If it is God’s work, why do we bring His name into disrepute by begging mortal men? If God wants you to ask, He will lead you to the right people and prepare their hearts beforehand. The people are not “cash cows”; they come to be blessed. When they are truly blessed, they will naturally support the work from their hearts.
The True Wheel of the Gospel
The church needs to be sanitized. The idea that “money is the wheel of the Gospel” is a faulty theology that has turned us into beggars in cassocks. The Holy Spirit is the wheel of the Gospel, not money.
”Then Peter said, ‘Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.'” (Acts 3:6)
When we carry the presence of God, there are no resources we need that He will not make available according to His will. Let us stop deifying Mammon in the name of preaching the Gospel. No man goes to warfare at his own expense (1 Corinthians 9:7), but that expense is covered by the King who sent him, not by taxing the people he is sent to liberate.
