Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
Churches have seen less abundant gains for years, but money - Jesus' most popular topic - usually manages to keep trickling in.
By MOLLY MOORHEAD
© St. Petersburg Times, published November 2, 2002
Churches traditionally struggle to make ends meet, even during good times. So when the economy is down and people are worried about their finances, are local churches feeling the fallout?
Churches depend on their members for money to keep the lights on, support donations to charities and fund outreach ministries. Ministers frequently appeal for money by referring directly to the Bible.
"Jesus preached on money more than any other subject in the Scripture," said the Rev. Bruce Moore, pastor of First Baptist Church in Dade City. "He gives us an opportunity to give back to him a tithe."
The Bible defines a tithe as 10 percent of income. The Hebrew word literally means a tenth. According to Scripture, tithing is meant to provide for those less fortunate and to support church efforts.
Whether Christians today must give a full 10 percent of their income remains in question. Some churches and ministers interpret the Bible literally; others ask members to give what they can.
"We don't ask them to give a certain percentage," said the Rev. Robert Steinke, pastor of Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Port Richey. "We ask them to think about it."
Christians' obligation to give does not change during hard economic times, Steinke added. "God expects his work will be supported," he said.
The issue takes on added complexity in an economic depression.
Is a tenth still expected when a family's primary breadwinner becomes unemployed?
Can a couple give less when their retirement plan loses most of its value?
Is the Old Testament teaching that "God owns everything" interpreted differently when times are tough?
"I think the people who think that God owns everything still think that God owns everything," Steinke said. "They may think God wants us to manage it differently."
While giving inevitably is affected by the economy, people's commitment to it doesn't change, said Christopher Hempe, president of Wall Watchers, a nonprofit organization that educates Christians about stewardship.
"It's a principled, spiritual commitment," Hempe said. "They're not going to waver simply because the economy has gone down."
Sylvia Ronsvalle researches trends in church giving for Empty Tomb Inc., a Christian research company in Champaign-Urbana, Ill. She said giving to churches on the whole has declined for years. The part that goes to local church operations has recovered, she said, but the amount funnelled to outreach ministries, such as soup kitchens, continues to drop.
"What we're seeing is a turning inward of congregations to become more like clubs," Ronsvalle said. By that she means people are giving money to their churches and then receiving a direct benefit in the form of a new sound system or refurbished sanctuary.
"That's fine if it serves as a platform to reach out to a hurting world," she said.
Moore, of First Baptist, said a church's finances are inseparable from those of its members. So are the hardships. The air conditioner at First Baptist broke down not long ago, an instant hit to the tune of $7,000.
Not surprisingly, the church has had less money for ministry lately.
"A church is not an entity within itself. A church is made up of the believers," he said. "If the believers are hit hard, then the church is hit hard."
But Moore said Christians have faced adversity and persevered throughout history.
"God's people have always done their best in the midst of pressure and conflict," he said. "The pressure causes us to think creatively."