Stephen
Terry, Director
Part
of God's Family
Commentary
for the January 7, 2023, Sabbath School Lesson
"for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a
thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the
fields are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine,
and all that is in it."
Psalm
50:10-12, NIV
While operating a global
ministry for several decades now, I am often approached by individuals who feel
that because we have global ministry, we have an obligation to send them money
so they, too, can start a ministry. When I point out to them that we ask for no
donations for this ministry and operate on a shoestring by faith that has
always been able to keep us operating and expanding, they tell me of their need
for tens of thousands of dollars to have an effective ministry. I ask them if
they think our ministry here at Still Waters is effective since it has reached
them where they are? They admit the point but then eventually and inevitably
say, "If you were Christian, you would send money!" Some of these are ministers
of other denominations, denominations that have refused their pleas for support.
Begging is a numbers game and doubtless they do find individuals who are willing
and able to send them money. Those donors may even be blessed for doing so. But
this demanding money is a little like Jesus going to the temple and demanding
money from the temple treasury to get his ministry going. Not one verse in the gospels
shows Jesus asking for money to support his ministry. Here at Still Waters
Ministry, we make every effort to follow that model.
This quarter the Seventh-day
Adventist denomination will be the one asking for money through the Sabbath
School Quarterly. They begin by reminding us that we are family. But if we are
a family, we are a dysfunctional one. Two primary ethics guide our operations:
nepotism and "pay to play." The nepotism is evident in the path to the higher
echelons of church leadership being highly influenced by dynastic connections
that make it difficult for those without such connections to rise much beyond
local leadership positions. As it is in the world, so it is in the church. Who
you know or are related to can shape your entire denominational future. An immigrant
teenager, pregnant with a baby out of wedlock, will find herself, and her
husband, should someone kindly offer her legitimacy through marriage, relegated
to the common folk, beneath the ken of denominational royalty. Rather than
mentor this family to leadership, it is easier to take that 3rd, 4th,
or 5th generation child who was raised through parochial school and
knows all the right people and open the doors to the towers of Adventism to
them. This is even seen as a right by some who have done everything Adventist
for their whole lives and therefore expect no less.
But this is not the only barrier
to common Adventists. "Pay to play" ensures that only the wealthy rise to the
top. The more someone pays into the church coffers, the more the doors swing
open for them. Those who have little understanding of real poverty, encourage
the common members to pay their tithe and offerings as an obligation to God,
even though God has no use for money as the Psalmist declared in the opening
verse. They assure those who give sacrificially that God will poor out a blessing
to them in return.[i] The implication is that
they will be under a curse if they do not. Is this the same God that has impoverished
the church so much that they need to ask for more money? Where is the denomination s
blessing?
Sadly, the common folk who trust
in this teaching often see their children choose to leave the church. Living a
life doing without, while the children of the church leaders have so much tells
the story that their parents chose the church over family with the limited means
at their disposal. They are the ones who were lucky to see anything under the
Christmas tree while other children came to church with their high-tech toys, smartphones
and computers newly received over the holidays. Despite parental faithfulness
in tithes and offerings, these children are not seeing the blessings promised.
They feel like Cinderella living with her stepmother and stepsisters, never
really accepted but still expected to play along. The parents assured that if
they raise their children up faithfully by sending them to parochial school
they cannot afford, will see their children saved. Then when the children
are of age, they leave the faith without the parents understanding why the
promise that they would never depart was not fulfilled either in wealth or the faithfulness
of their children.[ii]
I have been sharing this from
the perspective of my own denomination, but this is true for most other denominations
as well. It was even true in Jesus' time for the priesthood in the temple. Even
then the high priest was chosen by the wealthy, usually the Roman governor of
Syria. But the Romans understood nepotism well and typically chose someone in
the Levitical line. It is understandable therefore why the religious leaders of
that day were incensed that simple fisherfolk, called by Jesus, would dare to
usurp their authority. Although ordained by Christ, it did not fit their model
of God's plan. According to that plan, as understood then and now, wealth is
proof of God's blessing and therefore the wealthy should run things. Jesus never
endorsed such stratification. He called to ministry both common folk like Peter
and John as well as wealthy tax collectors like Matthew and Zacchaeus. This may
have been the root behind some of the squabbling among the disciples over who
should be first. Despite all of that, they found a way forward and as Luke
recorded in Acts, they shared everything in common.[iii]
Modern Christians no longer adhere
to this model. They are more enamored of the power obtained through wealth.
Their lives are not lives of service but lives of control that wealth affords
them. Sharing that wealth is now considered a political statement in favor of
socialism or communism. They ask for ever more contributions to the church,
citing the Old Testament tithe and offerings in support of the Levitical
priesthood and the temple. We are told the sanctuary is in heaven now. How do
they get that money to heaven, and why do they even need it there? Instead,
boards and committees of the elite decide what to do with the largesse. There
is no more Levitical priesthood. It ended two millennia ago. Some might try to
equate the modern pastor with the Levitical priest, but this is a denial of New
Testament scripture where all are ordained to the priesthood.[iv]
Why then should one priest take the funds God has granted them and give them to
another priest to support the work he himself should be doing? It is very self-deceiving
to believe we should be collecting money to send missionaries to Africa for
instance, when that money could fill dire needs in the United States, needs
that are not even on the radar of wealthy church elites. And where would we
send those missionaries? To Kenya where there are already over a thousand
Adventist churches and well over a million members capable of doing that work?
We have over five times the number of churches as Kenya but only about the same
membership. Comparing the populations of the North American Division with that
of Kenya, they have far greater penetration with the gospel than we do here.
Who really needs the missionaries? But it is more exciting to visit exotic foreign
locations than one's own backyard.
But what about the tithe and the
offerings to support our work? In so many places we have churches already built
and are not even beginning to fill them. Why is that? We have an entire book
written for us by Ellen White that can give insight. It is a book rarely mentioned
even by rabid Ellen White quoters. Instead, we focus on books like "Country
Living" that provide wealthy Adventists justification for a country estate. The
book I am referring to is "Welfare Ministry." If we were to follow the counsel
in that book, instead of going looking for converts, they would come running to
us. But I do not want to lay another spiritual burden on others. I only invite
you to read the book and see what you think.
But aren't we supposed to give
means to God? According to my understanding of the Parable of the Sheep and Goats,[v]
what is done for those in need is done for God. Those who have spent a great
deal of money to embark on a pastoral career with hope of advancement to the
higher echelons of power within the denomination, may be chagrined to see their
means of support challenged in this way, but to them I say, they need not worry
as there will always be wealthy church members able to buy influence within the
church. After all, those who are not paying tithe are not even considered for
the position of local elder. So those positions will still be very much for
sale for those willing to contribute. But for the rest, I say, do what you can
with what you have to care for the poor and needy, and
Christ has promised you will be among the sheep and not the goats. And do not
neglect your families as unbelievers do.[vi]