Is the Black church focused on a spiritual mission or securing more money?
Many Black people asked that question after Pastor Marvin Sapp of The Chosen Vessel Church in Fort Worth demanded that ushers lock the doors until attendees voluntarily made a collective offering of $40,000.
The Sapp incident raises questions about just how clear the general public is on Black Church finances.
For centuries, Black churches have played a central role in the social, political and economic lives of their congregants and communities — sustained largely by the funding given by members. But with Black Church involvement declining from 90% in 1996 to 74% today, according to Barna, a national database of spiritual indicators, where will the funds come from to support the church’s historic mission?
Some who have left cite hypocrisy or disillusionment with church leaders’ teachings and actions, contending that funds are used less for ministry and more for larger sanctuaries or pastor salaries. But is that assertion fair?
There is no definitive figure on the collective income of Black churches from tithes and offerings. Reports vary widely, from $2 billion to $19 billion annually. In 2016, The Guardian religion correspondent Harriet Sherwood reported that U.S. religious institutions had a net worth of $1.2 trillion, though the total didn’t include a breakdown for the Black Church. Whatever the amount, churches — like any institution — have bills to pay and operating costs to cover.
To help demystify Black church finances, The Defender spoke with two Houston pastors: Dr. Rudy Rasmus and Rev. Johnny Ogletree.
What most don’t know
When asked what people most misunderstand about church finances, Rasmus was direct.
“The debate usually surrounds pastoral compensation and benefits in relation to other industries.”
Ogletree, pastor of First Metropolitan Church, offered a broader view.
“What most people don’t understand about church finances is the business aspect of what needs to be done to run a modern ministry,” Ogletree said. “Of course, we know that there’s a spiritual component to everything that we do. But there are business organization types of things that have to happen.
“Just like every home has income and expenses, churches have those as well. We monitor staff. We also have the responsibility, in this modern age also of property, and being responsible for managing property, and also debt that comes along sometimes with property and owning buildings, as well.”
The intersection of faith and finance
Central to the angst of Black people who left the church is the belief that funds are used less to strengthen faith than for other purposes. Ogletree said much of that tension comes from misunderstanding how faith and finance intersect.
“The same thing that the Bible teaches us about being good stewards of our money is the same thing that we have to do as a church,” Ogletree said. “We look at tithes and offerings, and based upon the tithes and offerings, we make budgets. And we do our best to manage the money properly to where we don’t go over budget.”
Though that may sound like a list of numbers and bottom lines, Ogletree said faith remains central.
“There are some things we desire to do that are outside of the scope of what we can financially see. But our faith allows us to be able to continue pressing towards those things that don’t always make financial sense,” he said. “Understanding that we can get close enough to it from a faith standpoint, where we have expectations that God will provide what’s needed to do the thing that’s needed to touch the community in the way that the kingdom needs to advance.”
All about the money?
Both pastors were asked how they respond to people who say all churches care about is money.
“The institutional church has been its own worst enemy over the years in the way it has poorly managed branding, and it’s not a new phenomenon,” Rasmus said. “My dad taught me as a young person to not trust preachers based on his own suspicions of questionable pastoral integrity.
“I ultimately became a pastor and spent my entire career proving to him and others that it can be done with integrity. … An integral church is no more focused on money than any other business that has to pay bills.”
Ogletree said money is simply a means to serve the mission.
“There are some things that don’t cost money,” Ogletree said. “But almost every aspect of what we do requires some type of funds. But we depend upon the Holy Spirit to be that provider to minister to people, to touch people’s hearts, to instruct them and to give them the faith enough to desire to be generous, to do the things that are necessary to help the community.”
This article originally appeared here.