The next few months were a whirlwind of activity. Things were going ok in my marriage, I was working a new job, volunteering for even more ministries in the church, and in December of 2005 I went on a Mission Trip to Trinidad and Tobago. Right before going on this trip, I was again pulled into the office to be reprimanded. This time, it was about my tithes and offerings.
The Pastor, months prior, had made a policy that those who wanted to go on a mission trip were required to give offerings, above and beyond their tithe, to the missions fund at least once monthly. When the announcement was made at a missions meeting, I thought nothing of it. My experience had always been, with previous churches, that an established amount or percentage of each person’s tithe and offering would be automatically be placed into appropriate accounts according to how they set up their church. My assumption was that a portion of my tithe automatically went into the mission’s fund. Because of my assumption, I would give an additional offering every month but not specifically designate it towards the mission’s fund.
So yet again, I was sitting in an office ashamed, crying and sorrowful. I was told if they hadn’t straightened this out with me I would not have been going on the next mission trip. This was not the last reprimand or meeting that I would have to endure about tithes and offerings while I attended that church. It quickly became a recurring theme.
Jesus said a man cannot serve two masters. I believe this had to do with money. A church that focuses on money is a fake. I am curious if this "Pastor" was getting paid.
ReplyDelete