COGwa Dallas - Special Notices
Posted Feb 10, 2011 | 08:02 PM.
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Posted Feb 10, 2011 | 08:02 PM.
This item contained in a separate file. Click here to view/download.
Posted Jan 22, 2011 | 12:14 AM.
CHURCH OF GOD
a Worldwide Association, Inc.
PO Box 781885
Orlando, FL 32878-1885
January 20, 2011
Dear Brethren of the Household of God,
We seldom begin a letter addressing you as the "household of God," but it is certainly a meaningful biblical expression for conveying a very important principle of godliness (Ephesians 2:19). Paul also referred to the Church as the "household of faith" (Galatians 6:10). In light of this "household" concept, we are writing to you today as the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, takes some important organizational steps forward.
As members of the household of God, each and every one of us has a huge stake in the well-being and functioning of our Church family. Many of you have been asking questions and share our concerns about how we are going to function in terms of finances--how are we going to use our resources to proclaim the good news of the coming Kingdom of God and how are we going to take care of God's people around the world?
Let's face it, while we are first and foremost a spiritual body, the Church household is no different than your personal household in that it also requires physical resources and sound management to function effectively. So in this letter we want to bring everyone in the family "into the loop," answer those questions, fill you in on our current situation, and let you know what we are thinking and planning.
Let's start first with establishing foundational biblical principles. We know that we are God's spiritual children, and He clearly wants us to view ourselves as a family, His Church as a household. Throughout history, the family household has always been the most fundamental unit of social organization. As Paul said in Romans 12, we are members one of another, bound together in Jesus Christ. One of the greatest social principles instilled by living in a household is the strength of sharing. Family members sharing their resources and providing for each other's needs strengthens the greater community. It is simply a fundamental expression of love for others and love for God.
As it relates to the Church family, the concept of sharing is one of the identifying marks of the people of God. In Acts 2:42 Luke records that the Church "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers." The word "fellowship" is from the Greek word koinonia, generally taken to mean goodwill toward other members of the group. However, fellowship in the sense of just socializing with each other does not capture the full meaning of koinonia--it means sharing to meet the needs of others.
Consider Acts 2:42-47. We read that those who believed "had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need." The New American Standard Bible says they "were sharing". This remarkable attitude continued. As Luke later notes, "the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common" (Acts 4:32). God's people are to be one in all ways, sharing not only our physical possessions, but in "one heart and one soul" having "in common" our prayers, hopes, joys, trials, dangers, blessings and struggles.
The Greek word for "household"--oikos--is also instructive. From that comes other words such as oikonomia, which means "household management" or "stewardship," as it is often translated in Scripture, and oikonomos, which means "steward," or "manager of a household or estate". A steward was to hold, protect, manage and use the resources for the purposes defined by the owner. To this day the family household also functions in society as an important economic unit, and everyone in the family should learn and bear some degree of accountability for responsible stewardship.
Stewardship is a very important principle in the Bible. Yes, God owns everything, but He has given to each of us resources ranging from talents to money. He also blesses us with abilities to increase His gifts. The stewardship principles in His Word teach us to develop both effectiveness (doing the right thing) and efficiency (doing things right).
When it comes to the resources for His Church, then, we have a shared responsibility to be involved in the work Christ commissioned for His people. We all contribute to serving and supporting the work in several broad areas:
- Proclaiming the gospel to the whole world.
- Making disciples as God the Father calls them.
- Teaching those disciples.
- Caring for the disciples.
- Doing good to all, and especially to those of the household of faith.
As we begin anew, we are committed to preaching the gospel to the world and caring for everyone God calls. This can only be done through the sharing of financial resources. While each member is individually accountable to God for managing what He has given to us, as a church organization some of us have the fiduciary responsibility toward God and one another to properly collect, protect, spend and account for our financial resources, both at the local and national levels.
We want to assure you that those of us responsible for managing the assets of the Church are committed to responsible, and accountable, financial stewardship from the smallest amounts to the largest. We will always implement internal controls and separation of duties that are recognized as best practices by the accounting profession.
Now we are at a time when, as a household, we need to agree upon the general financial guidelines by which we will operate. In our start-up phase some church areas have already been collecting tithes and offerings while others have not. Whether we are looking at local congregations or entire regions of the world, some areas have plenty while others have little, so we quickly find ourselves having to determine what is the most efficient and effective stewardship. While there is nothing wrong with collecting funds locally, decades of experience has taught us that having a centralized method for receiving and disbursing the majority of the tithes and offerings is by far the most equitable and effective means for fulfilling our commission to preach the gospel and care for the brethren. Many things can be handled only from a central source, such as proclaiming the gospel, international subsidies, festivals, camps, educational programs, employees, communications, etc.
Following this letter is a proposal outlining our recommendations for financial management. It allows, as we have for the last 15 years, for both central and local collections of tithes and offerings. Some local congregations have already collected a considerable amount of money, which is understandable since we have had a central post office box for only three weeks. However, in order to move forward with making plans to hire employees to be able to preach the gospel and care for the congregations, we need to be able to accurately gauge the income that will be received centrally.
With this in mind, we ask that you carefully read the attached proposal and, as congregations with your pastors, discuss this plan. Ultimately, of course, it is your decision as to where you choose to send your tithes and offerings, but we hope and pray that everyone will understand the balance between local and centralized needs and the need to share resources accordingly. We believe this proposal strikes a good balance in that respect and that all of us pulling together in this way is by far the most effective way to manage our resources and move forward.
We wish we did not have to deal with these physical concerns, but it is a reality of life and part of responsible stewardship. We all know very well that only through God's mercy and help can we be successful in preaching the gospel and caring for His children, but His people continually demonstrate a deep desire to fulfill those goals. We are also confident that when "the household of God" is established on the firm foundation of fellowship of heart and sharing of resources, God will truly bless our efforts.
Thank you for taking the time to consider what we have written' In our human weaknesses, we all sometimes make mistakes in judgment and behavior; but in God's strength, we are striving to do things right and in a manner pleasing to Him. Thank you for your commitment, the ideas you've shared, your encouragement, your service and your sacrifice. None of that is taken for granted, and it is deeply appreciated.
Until next time, may God be with you,
| The Interim Governance Team and Board of Directors |
| George Evans signed | Jim Franks signed |
| Kenneth Giese signed | Michael Hanisko signed |
| Doug Horchak signed | Clyde Kilough signed |
| David Register signed | Greg Sargent signed |
| Richard Thompson signed | Roger West signed |