November 09, 2006
Misused
Last week an article by Associated Press writer Matt Curry reported that three Baptist preachers have ‘misused’ as much as $1.3 million which was intended for planting churches in the Texas Rio Grande Valley. Investigators noted, “The 2.5 million-member denomination missed numerous red flags – including an FBI probe – that should have prompted an internal investigation earlier… It is difficult to understand why the overall longevity of complaints and their volume did not attract more serious attention.” Actually, I find it easy to understand. A few years ago our leaders failed to guard the financial chicken coop and a hefty sum of money was ‘misused’. Feeling responsible for not maintaining closer oversight, some of the elders took it upon themselves to repay the funds. I believe that had we had full financial disclosure in our church then the membership could have shared in the responsibility and accountability.
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Gail;
----As I read your peice, the elders' misuse of your church's funds did not come to my mind until I had read that far. What immediately came to my mind instead was their misuse of authority that they are sure God has given them. For it has not only been financial funds they have squandered, but they have also driven away from your church many godly and Biblically educated men and women. And much passion of love and compassion for one another has been doused and extinguished by the cultural jealousy and selfishness served there by the domineering of the leaders.
----The ones who have been denied by them know very well what I am writing about. The others, upon whom the leaders have lavished attention, object to and obfuscate any discussion of the topic. But the multitude of your church's good and godly members of the past now attending other churches verifies this abuse of authority.
----But, like the example you gave of the non-response to the FBI probe, many have probed the actions of those leaders with the light of the Word. No response was given the probes except for the attempted destruction of one couple who dared cross the comfort zone of the leaders' defense.
----Yet the leaders of that church have not been cut down by the Lord. In seeming amazement, they continue to freely serve the Kool-Aid of missapplied and cherry-picked Scriptures to a thirsty audience. And as God has made use of the misuse of funds by the Baptist preachers of your example in subtle ways we do not know, He makes use of the abuse of authority and misuse of funds by the leaders of your church. God blesses in His own ways and cuts low in His own ways. And He makes use of our stench in ways we can not perceive. What He sees in your church that is important, as well, is thirsty souls receiving water. (Kool-Aid is made mostly of water.)
----It is for us to recognize the universality and reality of our inadequicies and give one another the compassion due an erring heart loved by a merciful God. God bless those preachers and your church's elders and the efforts they make as well. May His prunning be for shaping these trees moreso than for feeding His fire. And may those who have the eyes to see errors and abuses be also blessed by God with the courage to speak out boldly, respectfully, and effectively.
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