Ministry and Money: A Guide for Clergy and Their Fnends

Abstract

The realms of economics and religion have never been entirely separate for me. I grew up in one of those church families that are involved with every aspect of the congregation’s life. My mother’s choir rehearsals and my father’s finance meetings were all one to me—a tithe paid from my parental budget. I came to Sunday school with money tied into the center of a handkerchief for the collection. The chime of coins exploding from their knotted prisons—each one embossed “In God We Trust”—was percussion for the offertory anthem. A deeper connection between money and the church was made for me when I was 11 and my brother had a life-threatening and expensive motorcycle accident. Among the many kindnesses my family received from our minister and members of our congregation in the months after the accident, one stands out especially in my mind. A man who owned a small chain of APCO gas stations spoke to my father during the coffee hour after services and said, “Starting this month, you won’t be getting a bill on your credit card. Let me know when you are ready, and we’ll start it up again.”