Interim Pastor Doug Hayward
Food for Thought

Everybody associated with a congregation knows that fall is generally the time for a stewardship campaign which focuses on underwriting the church budget for the next year.  In this regard, I ran across this story about a United Methodist Church which had a long history of financial problems; it hadn’t paid its apportionments for years, had trouble meeting its payroll, and was always late in paying its bills. 

The Nominating Committee (as it was called back then) approached a member who was in the grain elevator business to be their treasurer, and he finally agreed, on two conditions:  First, he wouldn't have to make a treasurer’s report for one year; and second, no one was to ask him any questions about the church’s finances for a year.  Strange and hard terms, but the church was up against it, so they accepted.  He was, after all, a pillar of the church and could be trusted, so they held their tongues and set him to work.  All they knew for sure was that the electricity wasn’t turned off, and no lawsuits were filed by creditors.

The year passed, and he made his report.  It was short and sweet.  The World Service and other apportionments had been paid in full; staff salaries had been raised and paid in full.  All $25,000 building indebtedness had been retired.  A couple of special mission projects had been funded.  And there was a balance in the bank.  Naturally, they wanted to know how he had done it, and his answer was as short as his report.  “Most of you bring your grain to my elevator.  I simply withheld 10% on your behalf and gave it to the church in your name.  You didn’t even miss it, and you have been tithing for a whole year.  I hope you will want to tithe on your own now.”

Let's be clear about this.  There is no plan afoot to inaugurate that kind of system here.  But had you ever thought what we could accomplish if tithing was a common practice among us?  Think about it as you get geared  up for our stewardship campaign, coming soon to a location near you.