Thank you Stephanie for your provocative text. Normally the financial field in private or public lives is the last frontier who experiences metanóia!

Francisco Silva

Interesting article in regards to money.

I think if there's a key difference between churches nowadays and the ones in Jesus' times, money seemed to be more important now than back then.

I know I might be going tangent here... but here are some reasons why I think churches are now being operated like a business and money is important now.

1. For small parishes, the rector's salary represents majority of the church's expense every year.

2. Think of the numerous events the Episcopal Church has, whether it's at the local or national levels. But what most of these events have in common is that the participants need to pay some money to attend... more so with the national events than the local ones. Anyhow, with these national events, costs could add up if you were not a local. So, this is where monetary support from the churches come in, as they could give devoted ministers of the church a lift. After all, these people are sacrificing their time and money to do God's work in these churches.

3. In regards to ministries in our churches, some churches paid some qualified people (youth ministers, musicians, etc.) for ministries in the church. Some churches used volunteers entirely. So, I think there's an argument of "quality of ministry versus money spent on the ministry". Personally, I think quality on some ministries are very important, because that gives the church some credibility for some church seekers goes... whether it's their preferences or interests in joining some of the ministries in the church. For some ministries, I think it's a waste of money because there could be spots where churches could indirectly support members from within, whether it's a line or two on their resume or school applications, where it would be win-win for the church and the members who are involved.

4. Nowadays, churches need money to survive. After all, I have heard some churches in Chinese ministry had to fold because they couldn't support themselves financially. That's sad because financial situations basically tear up church communities. Moreover, for these folks, because they probably got used to the Chinese churches, they would be facing a tough situation- stay in the same denomination but to a church that doesn't offer Chinese services or go to a Chinese Episcopal Church (if applicable), or go to a church in a different denomination but offers Chinese services?

All in all... as much as I want to agree with the title, I think money is a critical factor in certain situations at our churches today.

- Bill Wong

Bill, I think you have a point, and also miss one. I would suggest your comparison makes more sense to, say, the last century, and less to the First.

The biggest change has been simply the loss of a barter economy for a cash economy. While the Roman was to a great extent a cash economy, there was still a lot of local exchange of goods and services without money. So, that's the hardest part of "parishes needing money:" we're simply no longer geared to any other means even of local support.

That's not to say that it can't happen. Members donate labor and goods in many cases. At the same time, how many of our clergy could return to being paid in poultry and fresh tomatoes? (Not that my wife and I haven't spent some time thinking about what that might mean; but we're by no means normative. We cook.)

Marshall Scott