They're Putting in a Nickel
Marion Aldridge, Coordinator, South Carolina CBF
When I was a pastor, I loved preaching about money! Jesus didn’t limit himself to one stewardship sermon each year, and apparently ignored critics who complained that he talked about money too much. Jesus understood the importance of commerce in human relationships. His parables included The Rich Fool, The Shrewd Steward, The Wasteful Son and The Lost Coin. Money is where theory and reality meet in our lives. “Best wishes” don’t go very far. If you want to support somebody or something, whether it is a family member or a church, you give your time and your money. The Bible tells us that uttering the words, “Go, and be filled,” to a hungry person, or “Go, and be warm,” to a person who is freezing, is worthless drivel. Buy them lunch. Fix them a casserole. Give them a coat and a blanket.
In our early years, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship decided not to pass “resolutions.” How resolved is a group, after all, which votes 60% to 40% for or against something? We decided to put our money where our mouth is. If we care about something, instead of passing a resolution, which is ultimately a pretty wimpy thing to do, then we would actually do some act of kindness. CBF wants to be in the business of going, doing, and giving ourselves and our money. Glen Stassen calls these “transforming initiatives.”
The church is composed of all kinds of people with different resources and gifts, but nobody is let off the hook financially. Jesus did not chase down the poor widow and return her mite because she couldn’t afford it. Jesus praised her gift, and such sacrificial giving continues to be the model for compassionate living.
Jesus was and is watching what we give! People get uptight about whether or not the Pastor knows what they contribute to the church. If you have reason to be embarrassed, then God’s opinion, not the Pastor’s, should be your primary concern. Of course, Jesus is not the only one watching. People are far more transparent than they think you are. Some people have a reputation for being stingy or mean, and that doesn’t change when they walk through the doors of the church. Some Christians ask “How can I help out?” while other individuals wonder, “What is the least I can do?” Some people excuse themselves by saying, “It’s just my Scottish blood that makes me frugal.” My response: They have Tithers in Scotland. If you are going to cheat God by being cheap, just admit it, and don’t involve the Christian people of Scotland!
In the church and in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, well-wishers don’t really do anybody much good. People want the benefits of having stable organizations and people acting compassionately in their lives and neighborhoods, but these Freddie Freeloaders don’t want to pay the Piper. Did you ever hear the country singer lament, “They’re Putting in a Nickel, but They Want a Dollar Song?” Sounds like some Baptists I know!
One of the realities of the 21st century is that people are more likely to give spontaneously than systematically. I have heard many people say, “I’d rather give my money to the homeless than to the church.” I have begun to ask how much they gave to the homeless in the past year, and the answer is almost always under ten dollars. They ought to be ashamed!
Sometimes, a person will chip in $100 for a specific “cause,” such as “relief” after a Tsunami, but will not give $100 per month to the infrastructure of the organizations, whether churches or other groups, that work day in and day out, year in and year out, to alleviate hunger and other kinds of human distress. Even as a kid, I figured out that my Dad’s tithe of $10 per week (His salary was $100 per week) added up to more than the showy gift of the once-a-year contributor who got his name listed in the bulletin. Mother and Dad were some of the saints who understood the need to bring their tithes to the storehouse. There is nothing sexy about infrastructure, but it is hard to do long-term ministry in chaotic conditions without a stuffed stockroom somewhere. Someone had better be creating and routinely sustaining our valued organizations, or they will not be available in times of crisis. God’s church should not be treated like a here-today, gone-tomorrow charity!
Because of changes in giving habits, not because there are fewer Christians, some churches and denominations are in financial trouble. Gimmicks and good sermons will not clean up this mess. Faithful giving by God’s children, however, will provide all that is needed, and more.
I pray you are doing your part.