By Rev. Mindi Welton-Mitchell, Regional Executive Minister
“Salvation is Free, but Ministry Costs.”
You may recall hearing this phrase before. Rev. Rick Barlow from the American Baptist Foundation was our preacher at our 178th Annual Gathering in 2022, and he shared this phrase with us. We know that we must give to support our congregation’s annual operating budgets, our missions we support, and the regional ministry we are all part of. Your United Mission giving helps support both the region and the denomination as a whole (2/3 of what you give stays right here in the American Baptist Churches of Wisconsin, and 1/3 goes on to support ABCUSA and supported ministry partners. To learn more about United Mission giving, visit our website at https://www.abcofwi.org/abc-giving/).
Money is a part of the world we live in. The Bible has around 2500 verses that deal with money, wealth, and possessions, and Jesus spoke about it quite frequently. Yet we don’t like to talk about money in the church. When it comes to uncomfortable topics in the church, I’ve heard that pastors would rather talk about sex than money given the controversy! Much of our uncomfortableness around the conversation is inherited: we learn how to view money from how our family talked about money. If money was a taboo subject in our home growing up, we are less likely to want to talk about finances as adults. Especially in the United States, it has been instilled in us that personal finances are just that: personal. They are not up for discussion with others. A lot of this has to do with shame: we are ashamed if we don’t have as much as others. We are ashamed if we have struggled with job loss or illness or debt. Or, we worry that we will be judged if we have more than others. There are some Bible verses that sadly have been used in ways that sometimes make people feel bad about having money, such as the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16-30. It’s not that he had money, but that he chose not to be generous with it that was the problem. Contrast that with Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10, who is a rich man who understands his responsibility is to be honest and responsible with his wealth by being generous.
The Bible makes it clear that giving is a spiritual practice. If we are going to talk about discipleship, including prayer, Bible study, and helping those in need, we also have to talk about giving. It is part of what we do as Christians, both in faithfulness to God’s teaching and in faithfulness to one another as being part of Christian community.
Many of us learned about tithing in Sunday School, a practice from the Hebrew Scriptures of giving a tenth of one’s produce or one’s income to God. However, there are other occasions in Scripture where people were asked to give beyond ten percent, for additional offerings at various festivals, or for helping the poor, the widow and the orphan (i.e. the most vulnerable among the people). Tithing is mentioned 32 times in the Bible, but only three of those times in the New Testament, and not in the best light (Matthew 23:23, in which Jesus admonishes religious leaders for only giving of their produce and not practicing justice and mercy; Luke 18:12, in which Jesus tells a parable of a religious leader who bragged about their giving through prayer; and Hebrews 7:1-10, in which the writer of Hebrews refers to Genesis and Melchizedek, and how Abraham was faithful in paying ties to him).
However, instead of asking the question of tithing, we ought to ask more about the spiritual practice of generosity. It’s not that tithing is wrong, but that in and of itself, what does it mean? Some people, sadly, treat it like paying a tax to God, instead of seeing it as a spiritual practice. It’s an easy way of deciding what to give, rather than asking the harder question of what does the Lord require of us. In the same manner, while we know that ministry DOES cost—it’s impossible to avoid it as we all have to live by budgets at the local and regional levels—we need to remind ourselves that God requires of us to be generous in our faithfulness to Jesus. Let’s face it: our tithing doesn’t mean anything if we are not changed by it. If all we are doing is tithing to meet a budget, what are we doing to grow in ministry and share in the work of Christ together?
As I write this, I am watching the Orion spacecraft approach the Moon. I am captivated by this mission, but I’m also reminded of the words of pilot Victor Glover on Easter Sunday: we are on a “fragile, beautiful oasis.” This is it. The one earth that God created for us. The only planet in the vast universe that is ours. Everything in it, according to Genesis 1-2, is ours to care for and share in its resources. God has given us everything! And yet, everything we have been given is a precious gift.
When we look at generosity in the Bible, we see that generosity is a practice that invites blessing (Proverbs 11:25 and 22:9), emphasizes Christ’s own generosity and is part of the practice of justice (2 Corinthians 8:1-15), and an act that comes from God through us (James 1:17). We are instruments of God on earth when we are generous.
In this month after Easter Sunday, as we continue to celebrate Christ’s resurrection, and remember the awe and wonder of the Artemis II space mission (I’m continuing to pray for their safe return as I write this), may we remember God’s generosity to us, and give to God through our local churches and to our region. The American Baptist Churches of Wisconsin supports the work of our local churches and ministries. We are funded through United Mission, and we also receive gifts from churches, organizations and individuals. However, I must also share with you that giving has been declining from our churches in recent years. We cannot do this work Christ has given us to do without everyone’s support, so I ask you this spring, as you see signs of new life around you, where do you see new life in your church? How can we help that new life to grow together? Where have you seen Christ at work in our region that has inspired you? Consider how God has been generous in your life and share in that generosity with your church and with the region. You can always give through your local church, or visit our website and donate here.
