New Breed for Missions by Sam Kputu

Many a mission agency are not only grappling with diminishing numbers in workforce but also in active partners. The latter is largely due to increased attrition, low interest and even lower enlistment. The Church's Generation Next appear to be high on worship and personal advancement but low on missions and personal sacrifice. Should we blame them? They are what their Teachers and Mentors have made of them.

To solve this challenge of a church generation averse to "traditional missions", many are advocating or even resorting to rebranding missions, usually by seeking to remove or minimize the faith and risk elements associated with this call of sacrifice. In this adventure, the so-called "Faith Missions" are most culpable. They erroneously think the issue lies in "living by faith", or in "not loving our lives even unto death". How mistaken.

In the same era of a church generation spurning the faith-life and self-sacrifice that missions will always require and demand, we see radical youth movements of other faiths arising and demonstrating the self-sacrifice and undying faith needed to confront an otherwise comfortable and complacent world. For while many a mission agency, especially in the developed world are battling to recruit or retain their fast diminishing numbers, ISIS is busy harvesting a vast number of laborers and partners from among their young. And this without rebranding to minimize the risk associated with a jihad.

Make no bones about it, today's missions need change and innovation in their mobilization, training and engagement strategies, but none of this must have as an agenda the removal or minimization of the faith, sacrifice and risk missions require and demand, more so in a world where the battle for the souls of men is raging higher. What is required is the rebreeding of a generation of Christians to which the cross of Christ still holds an awe and attraction. There are too many Christ-less and cross-less "Christians" in our church crowds. And too many "Pentecostals" without a genuine experience of Pentecost.

And how we need a fresh experience of Pentecost! For only when God's people are soaked in the Holy Spirit that power, passion, purity, vision and willingness becomes the default mode of their lives and devotion.

"In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams... Your troops (people) will be willing on your day of battle (power), Arrayed in holy splendor, your young men will come to you like dew from the morning's womb" Acts 2:17; Ps.110:3. NIV.

Culled from OCCUPY A magazine of Calvary Ministries (CAPRO) Vol.36; No.1; Pg 22. Calvary Ministries is a foremost African Missionary movement that has been Mobilizing, Training and Sending out missionaries since 1975. Office Mobile: +234-(0)7056792823, +234-(0)8166155009

E-mail: mobilization@capromissions.org, capromobilization@gmail.com

If nothing is done for these people, this will lead to a huge tragedy

"Aid workers who recently visited two Christian camps in Maiduguri reported: “Life has become hell for the more than 3000 people living here... Already people are resorting to eating leaves. Children are dying of hunger. If nothing is done for these people, this will lead to a huge tragedy. People cannot go home because Boko Haram is constantly regrouping and continuing attacks.”" From World Watch Monitor.

This was an assessment made by the Aid Workers who are working among Christians in the North East of Nigeria. The truth is that some of our brethren are discriminated against when it comes to aids sharing. These are people that all their means of livelihood have been wiped off. Even if the insurgence ends today, their lives will never remain the same. They need help urgently.

What are we doing as a church in Nigeria? What is your church doing? What is your fellowship doing? What are we doing as families? What are we doing in our organizations that have Christian leanings? Where are our sacrifices?

Is it not unbelievable that some Christians are dying of hunger but our offerings have not changed; resource allocations are still the same; and our preaching rarely mention them? The Nigerian Church seems to have become what C.S Lewis called Men Without Chest in his book The Abolition of Man. We show a lot of exuberance and make a lot of noise but our hearts are not touched to express our gratitude to God in practical ways towards the sufferings of our fellow man. We seem not to feel anything in our chest. We have a massive opportunity to preach the gospel now but we seem to live nonchalantly as if nothing is happening. The opportunity for social work is a great opportunity we can all leverage on to preach the Gospel of Jesus now the door is wide open. Some of the monies we raise in the South to build structures can be sent into this work. We can cut something out of our vacation and holiday spending in order to help some of these ones rebuild their lives. By now, the matter is supposed to be everywhere on the websites of churches in Nigeria. Unfortunately if you google, the results will only show the Roman Catholic Agencies and other foreign bodies. We seem to be more concerned playing politics.

From the story the Lord Jesus told in Luke 10, the man was wounded and abandoned along the Jericho road. The Samaritan was the one who showed compassion. Men and women are wounded today both physically and emotionally because of persecution just across the neighborhood. The "priests" and the "Levites" of today have not behaved differently from the same way they behaved in Jesus' story; but where are the Samaritans that will show some compassion today?

You can be used by God to motivate your church to do something. You can write us at evergreenword@gmail.com or editor@evergreenword.com in case your church does not have any plan and you want to participate. We can link you up to agencies that are working in these camps. As you consider in your heart how God will want you to respond, may He bless you.

Asia Bibi: Judge Steps Down and Case Adjourned

We shared here concerning Asia Bibi and the case against her in Pakistani Court. This woman is condemned to death for concocted blasphemy and has been waiting for her final appeal for some time now.

The appeal was supposed to come up this month of October but the leading Supreme Court judge suddenly stepped down from the case on the grounds that he had been a judge in the trial of Mumtaz Qadri. (Mumtaz was previously convicted and condemned to death for murdering Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, who had opposed the country's blasphemy laws.). Obviously he is afraid for his life.

From Voice of Martyrs, Please pray that God's strength and peace will sustain Asia, her family and those representing her (Philippians 4:7), while also keeping them safe from any assault or threat against their lives. Ask Him to grant wisdom, courage and protection to the members of the Pakistani government, as well as the Supreme Court judges who will be hearing Asia's appeal. May they not be intimidated by the militants but rather encouraged to act justly and extend mercy. Through it all, may Asia's case be used to highlight the injustice of Pakistan's blasphemy laws and to testify of her steadfast Christian faith to many around the world.

Whatever happened to our bowels of compassion

Bowels of compassion or mercies is King James Bible Version's way of describing a heart of compassion, a heart of pity and empathy and a heart of kindness. (Phil.2:1; Col.3:12; 1 John 3:17). When bowels of mercies swells up, it stirs one up into action.

The Northern Eastern Nigeria have suffered a great and terrible ordeal in the hands of the insurgency. nobody is spared whether you are a Muslim, a Christian or Animist. Towns and villages have been razed down; properties and means of livelihood destroyed; schools and churches and mosques completely burnt down; millions displaced; children forced to leave schools and for many of them, their lives have been changed irreversibly. As a Christian minister, my focus is on the ordeal of Christians in this region of the country.

There is a wrong misconception among Christians in the South that everybody in the North is a Muslim. This is very far from the truth. There are millions of indigenous Christians from these regions and many of them are among those that are displaced. Their churches have been destroyed and many are trapped in the Internally Displaced Person's (IDP) Camps. They cannot go back to their homes and they do not have any means of livelihood, they virtually depend on aids and helps to survive. The sad thing is that many are dying in the IDP Camps of starvation. Unfortunately, we cannot see massive movements among the churches in the South to mobilize Aids for these brethren. No regular Offerings are being raised for them.

After the August 29 2005 Katrina disaster in Louisiana, especially in New Orleans, there was a great mobilization of relief materials for the victims of the Hurricane by churches, church agencies, non-profit making organizations, and other groups. Among the groups mentioned here, six are outright church groups while four have some Christian leanings. But in Nigeria, the case does not seem to be the same. The reason is not that the church is poor, the issue is that we are distracted. The monies are under the authority of a few persons who use them for 'projects' that attract their fancy. A few of the indigenous churches in the North are overwhelmed by the enormous needs around them. Remember  "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world" .James 1:27 KJV.

The question that keeps ringing in my heart is, what happened to our bowels of mercies? The purpose of this post is to stir you up to action. Make sure you are doing your part no matter how 'small' yo may think it is. Do not shut your bowels of compassion. If you want further information and contact on how to get involved, agencies and church organizations, kindly write us through evergreenword@gmail.com.

May God richly bless you.

CAPRO Last Days Gathering (LDG 2016), SS & SE Zones

The Last Days Gathering (LDG '16) is here. 

Theme: THE CHRISTIAN IN TIMES OF GREAT ADVERSITY. 

Venue: Scripture Union Camp of Faith Okigwe. 

Date: 20th - 23rd October. 

You are cordially invited to this great meeting. 

God bless.

Please mention Asia Bibi in your Family and Church Prayers

This 51 year old mother has been on the death row since 2009. She was convicted over trumped up blasphemy charges.
As reported by Release International and the Voice of Martyrs, her final appeal will come up this October.

We are calling on Christians everywhere to pray for her. There are protests by Islamic Fundamentalists to put pressure on the government not to acquit her. Also the prosecutors, defense team and the judges are threatened with death if they end up releasing this woman.

Pray that her courage will not fail. May her faith continue to be strong no matter what happens.

From VOM: Ask that the Lord will grant favour to Asia and her legal representatives as they mediate for justice and mercy on her behalf. May the court be impartial and not be swayed by prejudicial arguments or protests, nor respond in fear to opposing militants. Continue to pray for Asia's health and protection, as well as the safety of her family and all who are trying to assist her. Intercede for the Pakistanis who are wishing her harm by wrongfully taking "justice" into their own hands. Pray that they would be under the conviction of the one true God who longs for His love and salvation to be experienced by all of humanity (John 3:16).

Sign the Petition for the repeal of this devilish Blasphemy Law here.

Integrity in our relationships

 "Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one." 2 Cor 7:2-3. NIV

We read this passage this morning during our Morning Devotion. Everybody felt very challenged.

Paul was really a servant of God. At every point in time, he reviewed his attitude, his character and his relationships with other people as he walked his pilgrim journey. We saw him in the previous passages giving explanations to his actions, invoking his sincerity and genuineness of intentions in his relationship with the Corinthian Church. Some false teachers were really on ground to cause problems, distract the church members and set them up against Paul, but he said "Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God." 2 Cor 2:17.

We ask ourselves, can I look back at my relationships; that girl, that young man, my wife or my husband, my Dad, my Mum, my son or my daughter and confidently say "we have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one"?. If I continue the way I am doing now, can I boldly look back at retirement and say with Paul "we have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one"? Can we look back after we are posted out of a church station as a pastor, evangelist or church worker and say that "...we have exploited no one"? Can we look back at the last work place from where we changed to our current job and say "...we have corrupted no one. We have exploited no one"? Can we as a Bishop, General overseer, Senior Pastor look the younger pastors who worked under us in the eye and say, "We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one."? The question can go on and on.

In the Christian circles today, we rarely teach people to reflect and consider their ways. We seem not to care anymore about integrity and sincerity of our actions. Let us reflect today on the issues raised before us from the passage above and make amends where necessary. If we reflect now and make amends, we may save ourselves from many regrets at the end when it will be too late to make amends.
I am reflecting already. God bless you.

7 Reasons for disconnect between the Pastor and his church members

7 Reasons for disconnect between the Pastor and his church members

What is the essence of pastoring when there is a sense of disconnection between the Pastor and his church members? What is the essence of shepherding when both the shepherd and the sheep feel both alone and world apart from each other? What are the things that can cause both the Pastor and the church members to begin to live in disagreement and suspicion of each other to the extent that it will affect their productivity?

Here are 7 reasons that can make a Pastor to suddenly become a stranger to the flock he is sent to care for, the reasons why some of us fail in our congregations:

1. When church members are looked at as statistics, commodities, or means of achieving what the Pastor wants and not a people to relate with. As a Pastor, you will have a vision of what God has called you to do. Because God’s vision is always bigger than you, you will need people to help you get it accomplished. The truth is that God will not give you angels as partners; He will give you human beings. God did not give even Jesus angels during His ministry on earth. He gave Him ordinary people like you and me, fallen people with their problems. The apostles were not exceptional people. They were ordinary people that Jesus’ vision and calling transformed at the end. Your well-being and the well-being, growth and blessings of the people God brings around you are all packaged together in the vision that God gives you. However, if in the course of pursuing the vision the people around you perceive that it is all about you, what you want and what you want done while they are involved as numbers and tools, they will feel used at the long run. The mistake that some of us make as pastors is that we think that the vision God gives us, our calling, is all about us. The truth is that it is all about everybody that God brings into the vision including you. It is all about your church members no matter whom the person is in that church. Everybody wants to get involved in something that will give meaning to their lives. People want relationships, beneficial relationships that will impact their lives in a positive way and ministry is all about relationships. 
2. When the church has no personal touch in the lives of the members. By this I mean the welfare of the people God brings around you as members in your church. The church is supposed to be a place where welfare of individual members is taken very seriously. Unfortunately, in most cases, in our pursuit for numbers, the members of our churches have got lost in the crowd. Most of our churches are filled with “visitors” who just identify with the church but not really members who are there as part of the family. They all come with their masks and bulletproof vests. The church is a place that makes you vulnerable, just as in the family, because it is bound together by love, and love makes you vulnerable. This vulnerability is what makes us care for each other, show empathy and support. But these days, because the environment we create is such that encourages “visitors” who just strongly identify with our church, even though they are still masked and self-protected, we bash and hurt each other; we are good as long as we are unscathed. When people have troubles, they leave the church to sort themselves out. If they survive and return, church gathering continues. If their troubles take them away, they are not missed; the church goes on as if nobody was lost. Somebody watching knows intuitively that that is the way he will be treated in his own time of trouble; except you are wealthy.  Hence as a pastor, if what I call welfare in my church is superficial and the needs that matter are my needs, even my wants and that of my family while the needs of the church members do not matter, then over time, my church will suffer a disconnect.
3. When a pastor allows some dirty battles between himself and the major church stakeholders. Church stakeholders include your Pastoral Colleagues, Assistants, and Ministers in different capacities as per Units, Arms and Departments. When the Senior Pastor allows in-fighting among these stakeholders, especially when it concerns his person, there will be disconnect. We do not want to hear that anybody under us also bears influence on the people we are leading down the line. But whether we like it or not as pastors, every stakeholder has a following even under us. The earlier we discard our insecurities and accept this truth, the better for us. They have people that look up to them even unconsciously, no matter how weak or strong they look. These people have soft spot for them. When we begin to fight and hurt in the cause of “clearing the way for our vision”, we will only succeed in separating ourselves from the people. This is even worse for some of us in denominations where we are posted from place to place. We need wisdom to manage the people God gives us. For example, there are some stakeholders we will push out of a service position, especially when there is manipulation of the system and lack of due process, you may end up hurting dozens of people unknowingly to you. Never look at stakeholders as individuals, look at them based on their level of influence. Even in dealing with the issue of sin, if we are not seen as just and fair, we create problems for ourselves. Where the authority of the pastor is more important to him than people’s lives, it will lead to clashes that will cause disconnect between him and the people.
4. When we start dismantling the cultures, processes, procedures and relationships that knit the people together. People join churches that fit their shape. Over time, the members will develop relationships that build them together as a people. Some even put together policy guides, missions and vision statements that drive their activities. In fact, some churches believe that God has given them some specific mandates to accomplish. All these make the churches unique in so many ways. Worthy to mention here that even when the churches belong to the same denomination, bound by the same constitution with administration and apex leadership, this uniqueness still exists in every church.  For every pastor, every church is a new field, new people with their unique strengths and challenges and a new culture. You will require time to learn and discover ways to penetrate the relationships, adapt to the cultures and processes and communicate effectively in order to persuade the people towards what you think God wants them to do. If a new pastor has a careless attitude towards what has been going on before he came and the issues the people care about; worse still if he comes to the church with a mindset and agenda to pursue, he will not be able to take the people from where they are to where he thinks God wants them to be. He will see these relationships, processes and cultures as cliques, obstacles to fight and dismantle, and in the course, he will scatter the church and cause a serious disconnect between him and the members. If he is going to stay for a very long time in the church, he may only succeed in developing new relationships, cultures and processes to replace the ones he has dismantled, of course, at the expense of wounded lives.
5. When there is no financial accountability and transparency, it causes a serious disconnect between the pastor and the church members.  Money is such a powerful instrument that every pastor that handles it must be very careful. The same instrument can be used to build, yet can also scatter a church. When set financial procedures are circumvented, questions are ignored or given vague explanations, reports are not given as at when due, the pastor sets himself up for problems. Some even make the mistake of taking over the financial expenditure processes, making sure that nobody asks them any questions. This is the worst thing a pastor can do to himself. One of the most irresponsible statements I have heard from some of my colleagues in the ministry is “just give your offerings, tithes and donations, and do not bother to ask the pastor how he uses the money. If he misuses church money, leave him to God to judge. Your own is just to give”. This statement is not only strange to reason and accountability, it also grossly ignores the power of mammon and the vulnerability of the fallen man.  We all need help, a “second eye” and laid down financial processes if we are to maintain integrity in the organizations where we serve. When there is no effective feedback to the church in the area of money, there is bound to be a disconnect.
6. When you have no “fault” at all in your life, there will be a serious disconnect between you and your church members. As mentioned earlier, the church is made up of human beings, including the pastor. We are to care for each other as we continue to fight the flesh, sin and Satan. However, when we separate ourselves very far away from the people we are to serve, we lose our power to influence. We only become performers that they watch. There are pastors that will never accept responsibility for their own mistakes; they are never wrong and everything they do is “right”. They do not know how to say “I’m sorry”. If we display this ego for a while in a church, we will end up being alone. Those that remain around us will only tolerate us while it lasts except they are men-pleasers who are there for one gain or the other. It is terrible to float among a people whose hearts are far from you.
7. Finally, when there is a disconnect between the pastor and God, there will be a disconnect between him and the church. This is probably the main reason for all the other points explained above. To lead the church, we must remain connected to the God who called us and gave us His people to care for. He is the Good Shepherd who has everything needed for the upkeep and growth of the church. When we cut off from Him, we miss the road that leads to good pasture and subsequently, the sheep will disconnect from us because they will tend to fend for themselves.

I wish every pastor a good and fruitful ministry as we labour to equip the saints for works of service and building up of the body of Christ.

At Last, all the cases against Kim Davies are dismissed, files closed and even the pending cases removed from the docket

This is a case we followed for as long as it lasted.

We thank God because Kim Davies stood her ground in a very hostile environment and was ready to suffer for her faith. What is important to note is the fact that many a time, the fear that makes us to compromise does not materialize. Because Kim stood strong, the law has been changed in Kentucky to protect the freedom of all the other County clerks to politely decline to sign or issue marriage certificates when it violates their religious beliefs or conscience.

Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel who represented her in a statement said that "County clerks are now able to perform their public service without being forced to compromise their religious liberty...This victory is not just for Kim Davis. It is a victory for everyone who wants to remain true to their deeply-held religious beliefs regarding marriage while faithfully serving the public,"

Rev Franklin Graham wrote on Facebook "I thank God for men and women willing to take a bold stand for biblical truth — no matter the cost,". This is made possible because one woman dared to risk jail, loss of her job, being visible in the center of the homosexuality debate and storm etc standing for what she believed. We must be willing to risk anything if we are to live faithfully in this world that hates our Master. If we live with the attitude "I don't want trouble. Why must I be the one that will cause this stir?", then we may continue in our compromise with sin and the world. May God help us to be courageous and stout-hearted.

We rejoice with Kim Davies.

Is it Possible to Serve Both God and Theology?

I completely agree with Marshall Segal in this piece he wrote about making sure you do not serve both God and Theology. "It’s possible to love what we’re learning about God more than we love God himself", He said. "We will never be truly satisfied by knowing about God. We need to know him. If that dichotomy doesn’t make sense to you, beware. Facts about God without feelings for him and fellowship with him—without a sense that you are God’s chosen, redeemed and known son or daughter—will give you a false sense of God’s love and security".

Christian leadership can be exciting and can equally be a snare. Exciting because you are a servant of the Most High God with a whole lot of divine resources available to you. God uses you you to manifest His awesome power, bringing glory to His name. On the other hand, it can be a snare because our hearts can be so lifted up that we forget that we are still children of God and are not essentially different from other sons and daughters of God who are serving Him in some other areas. Our relationships with other people are affected as we expect to be served instead of serving. We expect others to pour out their lives for us instead of pouring out our lives for them as leaders. We expect others to always think about our comfort and good without thinking about their comfort. We teach them what to do without doing those things ourselves. We separate ourselves into a lonely position where people that knew us before can no longer reach us. We are not bothered anymore even when we know that we need God's touch. We refuse to cry out and ask for help because of our position. We die in secret because we do not want anything to destabilize the picture people have about us. It can be a snare because we may become conceited, thinking that we have become very familiar with God, thinking that we have known a lot about God, we lose all fear of Him. We can do anything with impunity thinking that as long as we sanction it, God sanctions it also. In fact we think that we know God more than everybody else who do not have the same exposure we have.

Marshall Segal said "Their education and pride—their knowledge and confidence in their own system—had blinded them to the very image and voice of God. They knew so much about God, and yet knew him so little...So we should fear money when it leads our hearts and allegiances away from God. And we should fear our system of theology when it more subtly does the same". Read and be blessed.

You Cannot Serve Both God and Theology.

Are you committed to raising the younger generation?

Recently, the Vice President of the United States of America conducted a homosexual marriage between two White House staff members and twitted on how happy he was doing so. The Rev. Franklin  Graham, the son of Billy Graham, chided the Vice President and said, 'There Will Be A Price To Pay For Our Nation'. I agree with him because through the Scriptures, we have seen God bring down great nations because of wickedness. However, the focus of our discussion today is from what I read in one of the Comment boxes:

“I am so glad that the vast majority of the population having the same mindset as Mr. Graham is old and on the way out. The younger generations are far less likely to fall victim to such demented hatred and homophobia. This world is becoming BETTER in that sense, not worse. Heaven was made for people who love people, not the bitter, vicious "Christians" such as Graham and some of these others”. Kittius Cattias.

This comment got me thinking. For some days now, the questions I have been asking myself include: Am I doing enough to pass to the next generation what I believe about God? Yes we are on our way out and have fought this battle throughout our lives, have I done enough to prepare the next generation to continue this battle or will they fall ‘victims’ to what the commenter called ‘demented hatred and homophobia’?  Remember these are words they have been using to silence the voices of those who hold a different opinion to theirs and except you have a strong moral balance, you may not be able to understand this scheme of the enemy. Through the years, we have insisted that homosexuality is just like every other sexual sin and perversion in the world. As God commanded us, we love homosexuals as individuals, and every other sinner for that matter, but we disapprove their sin. That is why we preach. God loves sinners but disapproves of their sins. But these apologists will want to push it down our throat that we are bigots that spread hatred among men. They say that we hate homosexuals and we bear the responsibility for the death of any of them that commits suicide for whatever reason. But this is far from the truth. Genuine Christians do not hate people and yet are bold to say what the Bible says no matter whose ox is gored, even at the detriment of our lives. The bible condemns every sexual sin and perversion but lovely calls every person caught in any of the sins to repentance because God has appointed a day He will judge the sins of men. Heb.9:27.

It is a moral battle and has become more difficult now that you have some so called Christians who are twisting some passages of the bible to prove that it is normal to practice homosexuality, hence they do not need to repent because that is who they are. But we know that this is a lie of the devil to keep these ones in this bondage till they die. It is common knowledge that when a people become very obstinate toward God, instead of responding to God in repentance and obedience, they rebel and fight every prophet that God uses to call them to repentance. This is because they want to remain in their sins. Many preachers in the western world have been silenced already. They carefully avoid mentioning the issue of homosexuality because of fear of backlash to their ‘ministry’. I thank God for Rev Franklin who is still speaking with boldness in that hostile clime.

But the question remains, have we prepared the next generation for the battle? Are we doing all that we need to do? Am I teaching my family? Do they know the difference? Have they been brought to the point where they can stand their ground even when some people will want to push guilt to their conscience to agree to a sin they did not commit? It is good to leave wealth, money and properties behind for my children. However, in the theatre of ideas, especially in the morality spheres, these things cannot sustain my children. I know this very clearly. If they are won in that sphere, they will even begin to commit the resources I would leave behind to fighting the values I stood for. This is because it is in the theatre of ideas that values are formed. That is where convictions are shaped. The ideas you have will either strengthen your conscience or weaken it. Am I preparing my children to win in this battle? It is good to send them to the best of schools, but if they succeed academically only to come back as subdued people who cannot stand for the values I was ready to die for, then I must have failed as a destiny moulder.

O Lord, I commit my life to raising the younger generation. Help me!

Western Culture is at the Edge of Dying - Ravi Zacharias

“Secularity has no staying power… you cannot live with a neutral view towards values… the Herods are still with us they don’t want the Christ child; the Pilates are still with us they ask, “what is truth?” but don’t wait for the answer; the Caesars are still with us they want to be worshiped, times have changed, human nature has not. So the west better awaken to learn from history. I hope it’s not too late but that’s the reality.” Dr. Ravi Zacharias (Apologist, Evangelist, & Author).

Listen to what he said on the importance of recovery of fatherhood today. After listening to part 1, I made a phone call to talk to my son. 

Remain blessed.

Part 1

 

 Part 2

Are controls really necessary for churches?

Are controls really necessary for churches?

In a continent where recklessness is either ignored or defended, especially in the area of money, many of us as church leaders have been deceived by power and do not want to be accountable to anybody. I have heard arguments these days like "Just give your money, it is God who called the pastor. If he steals God's money, He will judge him. Just give your money", "Who are you to create controls and subject a servant of God to them?", "Why should church members ask questions how the pastor uses church money? Don't they know that pastors are God's representatives?" etc. All these arguments sound like a support to impunity. They sound like careless people that do not want to help their brethren in leadership to survive when God tests their works.

Many of us as God's servants have so muddled things up in money matters that we cannot differentiate between our personal money and church or ministry money.

Many church leaders are busy dismantling all the controls that have existed in the church before their ordination, arrogating powers to themselves to make sure nobody interferes and asks them questions or stands as a stumbling block when they want to spend money. Constitutions have been changed or constructed in such a way to make sure that church members do not have the powers to ask questions. Laws have been passed by coerced Church General Assemblies in favour of church leaders who want to be rich at all cost. The center is so rich and have enough to spend with liberty while the church branches suffer and nobody shows concern. These are all signs of abuse of the powers that reside in our positions.

In most cases, church leaders who defraud or squander church funds are not called to account. Instead in some established churches, they are just transferred to another church branch. But how is it that they were able to defraud so easily in the first place? For those who discovered the fraud, it even shows that they have something on ground but it is worse in independent ministries and churches where nobody else has insight into the finances of the church or ministry except the founder and his family members. This is not right. Why are we afraid of financial controls and fight to circumvent them by all means?

A wise leader will create financial controls where they are not existing. A god-fearing leader submits his financial activities concerning the church or ministry he leads to scrutiny so as to help himself and the people he leads. A spiritual leader understands the power of money and the flesh and intentionally creates or allows financial controls so as to keep his flesh subdued. A godly leader knows that at the end of the day, even if he succeeds to overcome everybody and have his way, God will call him to account. It is only godless leaders that circumvent or dismantle financial controls so as to be free to spend church or ministry money the way they want. They can do it because they can and nobody can do anything, but how far can you go when eternity dawns on you?

Please leave those financial controls and allow some supervision over your financial activities. They will help to keep you in check especially as we all must answer before God how we administered His resources. If you do not know what to do, ask questions and seek help from financial people God has brought around you.

Look  at the argument of the Anglican Diocese of Canada concerning financial controls. Download it here. It is a good resource.

Controls are necessary for churches. It is important that there is trust among God's people, but it is also very important that we have some controls that will help us maintain that trust, especially at those times when we are vulnerable as humans. May God help us to remain faithful, especially in money matters. Amen