A Chaotic Church: Crime and poor ethics in the sanctuary

Pretty sure Jesus would flip tables for these ‘fundraisers’.

Financial giving is a Biblical principle. It’s a guide for one to apply to one’s life based on one’s belief system, or faith level. There are plenty of Godly fundraising examples in the Bible. Coercion or manipulation weren’t used, so why do today’s chaotic leaders shakedown members for money? Does forced giving please God?

Luke 3:1-20 Extortion is not what believers do

An intentional church conducts transparent fundraising aligning to its mission. There’s a vision with a tangible action plan and a detailed breakdown of a dollar’s impact. Godly fundraising obeys laws, adheres to ethics, and operates in good faith encouraging responsible giving. When the purpose of the fundraiser is achieved, there’s an impact report presented to the donors.

2 Corinthians 1:12 Maintain your integrity and Godly sincerity in whatever you do

2 Corinthians 9:7 Give responsibly according to your season

A chaotic church demands exorbitant funds for a vision that has no tangible action plan. Chaotic leaders use trauma, bullying, and intimidation to raise money. Exploitation, false prophets promising blessings, emotional manipulation, and threats are their fundraising strategies. Chaotic leaders misuse their influence and power to financially abuse God’s children.

1 Timothy 6:10 The love of money leads to misuse and abuse

The Church must be the example of good, healthy business practices rooted in the Word, ethics, and the law. Unfortunately, the Church has built, and maintained, a reputation of negligence and illegal activity. Chaotic leaders are more invested in fundraising optics than the legalities of it. What good is an illegal fundraiser? How does illegal activity in a church fulfill the Great Commission?

Churches that violate the law and hold unethical practices are not God-driven establishments. The same due diligent efforts put into producing a worship service must be used for adhering to the law and practicing good ethics. Even the appearance of money laundering and extortion can permanently distort a church’s reputation and trigger a criminal investigation.

“Holy Spirit,” “Jesus,” and “God” cannot be listed on a church’s entity registration with the Secretary of State. There are real names on government public records representing a church. When church leaders make poor judgments, they’re subjecting those who represent the church to criminal and civil investigations as well as audits. An intentional church ensures its practices don’t cause harm to those who represent it. “We didn’t know,” isn’t a legal defense. Anyone can report a church’s wrongdoings especially when a church incriminates itself on the Internet.

An intentional church has an internal Compliance Team to thoroughly complete due diligence and a third-party Legal Team to approve any requests before moving forward. There has to be a separation to create prevention. These teams are a church’s hedges of protection.

An intentional church tells a meaningful story tying the fundraiser’s cause to the church’s mission and relatability to the members. “Why should donors care?,” is the question to be answered. An intentional church provides periodic financial reports to hold itself accountable for responsible fundraising and to encourage future donations. Transparency is essential in fundraising.

Church leaders, let’s go back to Godly fundraising. The world is tough enough on a good day. People are coming to worship services for relief, not another abusive experience. Fundraisers must have a detailed purpose, follow the law and good ethics, and operate in a transparent lifecycle. Donors do have rights whether you like it, or not.