It was the famous Chicago Priest and Bishop, Late Archbishop Paul Casimir Machinkus who in the late 70s said “You cannot run the Church on Hail Mary” by which he meant that Church activities need good funding to be executed and become effective. 

How to generate sufficient income for Church activities is always a serious challenge for many pastors. Hitherto, many people gave to Church from what they had, knowing that by giving to their Church, they are giving to God. As society becomes more complex, Church needs have also grown, and the needs of Pastors and Overseers have also increased.

Hence many have devised new methods of fund raising. In a climate of hardship and human suffering, any Church conscious of being true to her Lord and anxious to be relevant to people, must know that working for the salvation of souls must be uppermost and making the earthly city as comfortable as possible for the people is essential to leading them to the heaven they crave. 

However, today, some pastors have become adept at manipulating people and extorting from them funds that they even need to lead a meaningful life. Some have observed that the situation in some quarters is that “Pastors feed on fat, and the people of God scavenge for bone to eat.” This is wrong.

Pastors should always preach about giving generously and freely to God, “Freely you have received, freely you should give” because all that we are and have come from God. But this is not the case, many pastors emphasize giving of tithe, first fruits, seed sowing etc.

While there are Biblical bases for these forms of giving, they were never at the loss of one’s eternal life as some pastors claim. While a labourer deserves his wage, the Church must also put in place programmes of activities that will equip people with skills that will put more funds in their pockets. 

 

If we are instrumental in up-skilling our people, they will generously contribute for the good and progress of the establishment. However, if we are only adept at taking, then the time will come when there will be nothing left in their purses to give anything to the Church. How then can Churches survive in a depressed economy?

There is no gainsaying the fact that Church collection will no longer be enough to meet Church needs.  As individuals are told to have multiple streams of income, Churches must also brace up to do the same. Churches that will survive on the long run will be Churches with vision to plan not only for the present, but for the future. Such proactive planning must involve investment in its variety. 

In other words, Churches must invest in real estate, shares and bonds, manufacturing and agrobusiness, hospitality business, schools, and medicals. Real Estate includes housing, office spaces and shops. Church halls are good, but as they do no generate daily income, Churches must diversify further. Yes, these may be capital intensive at the beginning, but if it is well planned, it will generate income for a long time. 

Investing in manufacturing companies is also good, especially companies involved in the production of daily essentials that people need all the time.  How many Churches have shares in companies? Yet this is the means employed by our fathers in the 70s and 80s to grow their wealth. Agrobusiness is a large field of endeavour that can yield rich dividends.

 

For instance, if a Church established a business for storing agricultural goods, converting them to other goods become possible. New jobs will be created, and income will accrue. Cultivating farm produce that pharmaceuticals need is a thriving business today because procuring them locally save a lot of foreign currencies. Cassava, Maize, wheat can be explored in this regard.

Some farmers have also ventured into the cultivation of Moringa, processing the leave and making them available as one of the components for feeding animals in order to improve the protein level. As with any business, excellent management cannot be taken for granted and must be ensured at all times, otherwise, money invested will go down the drain.

Business must be treated as business with proper supervision put in place and best practices implemented for maximum productivity. In an environment of dwindling resources, new methods of fund raising must be devised and implemented but must not include the exploitation of the people.

Pastors must catechize their members to give freely and generously but must also recognize the fact that they also owe these people the obligation to equip them and teach them to take good care of their families. If our people see God as a task master, and tax-collector, resentment to religious matters may develop and favour may dwindle. 

In fact, there is a very high possibility of this in a depressed economy. Our people need our support and understanding and good opportunities that will equip them economically for self-sufficiency and the flourishing of life, only then will they be able to contribute to the mission of the Church.

The total fund to invest will never be available once, hence Churches must learn to grow their wealth a little at a time. If you don’t start today, you will never have enough to take care of your needs.