From time-to-time brethren discuss the proper way for a struggling church to find funds for a church building.  As in all things, Bible principles must guide us.  

 

1 Corinthians 16:1-2 teaches how the local church gains funds for its ongoing work.  The members of the local church give as they are prospered on the first day of the week.  There is no other plan or program for a church to gain funds such as investments, business operations, community solicitation, etc.

 

We learn the work God ordained for local churches from many other passages:  1. Evangelism (1 Tim. 3:15). 2. Worship and edification (1 Cor. 14:26). 3. Benevolence to needy saints (Acts 2:44-45; 1 Cor. 16:1-2; 2 Cor. 8-9).

 

The funds collected must be used for the work ordained.  How much money is used for each part or phase of the work is a matter to be determined by local autonomy.  The decision will likely change from time to time according to the needs of the work.  The church treasury of a local church can be used to construct its own church building to accommodate or expedite the church’s work, especially evangelism along with worship and edification.  The treasury can be used to buy what is needed to conduct the worship (songbooks, elements for Lord’s Supper, etc.).  The treasury can be used to support the local preacher or preachers in any place.  And, of course, the treasury can be used for benevolence needs.

 

In passages such as Acts 11:27-30 we learn that when there is a disaster and the saints in a local church need basic necessities such as food, other local churches can send help for the work of benevolence.  We learn this again in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 and in 2 Corinthians 8-9.  Notice, this is benevolence, not evangelism or worship.

 

The New Testament does not authorize us to send funds from a local church to another congregation for the work of evangelism or for worship and edification.  There is no passage which authorizes a local church to send funds to another local church to construct a church building.  Of course, the liberals do not observe God’s pattern in these matters.  According to them, if a local church can send funds to another church for benevolence, then we may assume it is right to send also for evangelism and for worship.  No, we cannot make such an assumption without scriptural authority.  We must strictly follow God’s pattern in all things as we are taught in many passages such as 2 Timothy 1:13, “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.”

 

When a local church prepares a certain amount to build its own church building, and the amount is not sufficient, individual saints any place can contribute to help by using our own funds.  Before an individual puts money into the treasury of a local church, it is his own money, and it can be used for any rightful purpose.  In Acts 5:4 Peter explained to Ananias regarding his money, “Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power?”  In other words, the individual is free to use his funds for any rightful purpose.  That is why any individual in any place can provide funds to any local church to help with its needs such as a church building.  

 

For this reason, I am doing my best to find individuals to help with church buildings in the Philippines while also seeking help for many other purposes.  I am only one person, my circle of contacts is small, and consequently the results is always meager.   It is slow, tedious, difficult work to find such funds for several valid reasons.  1. The first responsibility of local saints is to the needs of the local church where they worship.  2. Preachers around the world are seeking support.  3. Saints in many places are suffering from disasters and seeking help from throughout the Philippines and around the world.  4. Brethren are pleading for help for church buildings throughout the Philippines and around the world—in India, Mexico, South America, Africa, etc. 5. Resources are limited at any time but especially in recent years because of the worldwide recession.  

 

It is also true that the task of finding funds is made more difficult for reasons which are not valid.  1. Some brethren are materialistic and do not think of the needs of others.  2. Some brethren are focused exclusively on local needs and do not consider needs in other places.  3. After seeing or hearing about cases of donated funds being abused, some brethren are not willing to help under any circumstances out of the fear that recipients will not use donated funds properly.  Regarding this last objection to sending help, it is granted that funds may be abused, but Paul tried to follow proper safeguards in handling donated funds rather than debunking the whole process of giving and sharing (2 Cor. 8:20-21).  Judas abused the funds entrusted to him, and yet Christ said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

 

Above all, the saints of God must trust in God to provide all our needs according to His will in His own time and in His own way.  

 

Ron Halbrook