The retreat was for clergymen, their wives, church workers and other church officials.
His Lordship Bishop Blessing Erifeta was presiding.
I spoke on:
MANAGING CHURCH FUNDS IN TIMES OF SCARCE RESOURCES.
WHY SCARCITY OF FUNDS TO DO GOD'S WORK?
1) ECONOMIC CYCLES AND COVID 19
The lockdown in Nigeria affected the finances of Churches like several other organisations.
In economics there is something called economic cycles.
It's an occurrence every 6-10 years of economic boom followed by economic depression and later a boom.
It's what I call the period of FAT COWS AND LEAN COWS.
Even though God owns everything and can supply all our needs, we need to apply JOSEPHIC WISDOM in economic matters by saving for the years of lean cows.
We need to apply this as a nation, organisations and as individuals.
It also involves living a very frugal life in the years of fat cows.
The Roman Catholic Church and the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Church, closed their churches very early in compliance with Government directives.
The Roman Catholic Church has big financial reserves and socially relevant services apart from their churches that generate wealth.
In fact the Roman Catholic Church has the largest number of hospitals and health care facilities in the world.
Rev Dr. Olukoya and his leaders must also be great financial administrators for them to have taken such decision.
If my memory is correct Rev Sam Adeyemi of Daystar, also did same and did not open his church on time. For Rev Sam Adeyemi I know he is a great financial planner and thinker.
For, the Roman Catholic Church, they have several financial institutions that are profitably run.
2) I warned some few years back that the traditional streams of income of churches will not be able to sustain the current life styles of churches and their leaders.
There has been a rethink about offerings, tithe, vows, assessments etc by members as a result of social media discussions.
The leadership and followership of many churches did not put up very logical theological debates to counter these assertions by these social media influencers.
Most times the responses by religious leaders and their members we curses,abuse and threats of Divine punishment.
These further strengthen the resolve of the Social media influencers.
3) Several gigantic projects that were not revenue yielding but tie down money.
I saw some camp sites that were idle. They could be put into more productive use that will employ our members and meet societal needs.
The Marist brothers at Uturu in Abia state have a hatchery for day old chicks, poultry, farms with tractors, a mechanic workshop, secondary School and a hospital all in one place in a rural area.
The God's kingdom society, at Warri, has a Pharmacy, Clinic, laboratory, nursery, primary and secondary Schools in the same compound where they use as convention ground with a cathedral.
4) Several church projects are too grandiose and done usually out of competitive spirit.
We can build very cute and small churches like the Jehovah's Witnesses do. They can finish the building of a branch church within a few months at a minimum cost because they will use the expertise of their members.
Their branch churches even in the villages look more beautiful than many branches of pentecostal churches with very big uncompleted Cathedrals in our big cities.
6) The concept of full-time clergymen that depend on the church for everything is not sustainable in a new Anglican Dioceses in suburban areas. The load of building a bishops court and other infrastructures is usually burdensome.
The concept of non-stipendiary priests must be encouraged. Non-stipendiary priests do secular jobs along with their priestly duties.
Several of the pastors in the Redeemed Christian Church of God are well paid business men and professionals.
I have noticed that they attract their fellow well to do types to their branches too.
They are also less of a burden to the members and the finances of the church.
In fact several times they serve with their money.
6) DONOR FATIGUE.
Many members are tired of giving for four simple reasons.
a) The encouragement to give was premised on miraculous expectations, many of such promises never materialized because several times God did not back such utterances.
I have been there before. I know what am talking about.
I had to set a condition that I won't raise funds in most meetings, if you don't agree I won't come.
b)The fund raising and vows were too frequent, so the default rate was too high.
c) The extravagant life styles of some ministers of the gospel became offensive to the general public and by extension to church folks.
Even in conservative churches like the Anglican Communion, some members were influenced by such discussions on social media.
The church must deliberately teach people to give out of a sense of responsibility.
d)In response to the extravagance of Pentecostalism and the abuse of the prosperity gospel, older Episcopal churches sometimes over reacted by preaching themselves into a financial tight corner by condemning riches and wealthy people, most times church folks reason only in black and white. One track reasoning.
The resultant effect is that you will see very wealthy people giving offerings of 50 naira during church services.
The clergymen in return take several offerings during a church service and this drives younger members from the church to other denominations where they take just one offering.
I had to do a teaching at the Good Shepherd Anglican Church, Igbudu, Warri many years ago, when now Bishop John Aruakpor of Oleh Diocese, was the vicar I spoke on responsible christian giving.
The offerings were reduced to once and the income increased.
Church closed much earlier and everybody was happy.
To be continued
Nice work the clergy and laity most remember vthat it's more profitable to draw our services toward God such that even our giving become a service and not an obligation to church or men
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