I'm looking for input on church debt.... Is there any Biblical input on not borrowing from banks? How about borrowing from church members?

Thanks!

-- Anonymous, April 25, 2001

Answers

Well... it is good to know that 'Church Debt' is not a big topic!! :-)

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2001

I'll make some comments.

Proverbs says that the borrower is the servant of the lender. Should a church be the servant of a bank? There is a lot of wisdom in the Proverbs about debt.

Some take Paul's statement as a prohibition of financial debt. 'Owe no man anything but to love one another.' The passage does mention custom, so there is mention of finances. (Romans 13.)

The issue of debt is one of the strongest arguments for meeting in private homes. The early church met in private homes without feeling compelled to build a 'holy' sanctuary. God deosn't live in temples made with hands, but yet it seems like many Christians consider the church building to be the special place God has chossen.

How many of us were told as kids that the church building was the 'house of God.' I heard someone tell a kid once not to run in God's house. WE are God's house. WE are His building.

Could it be that we want to meet in church buildings so we can have a 'sacred place' to meet in? Is that in line with the New Testament? Do we want to meet in a chruch building for social prestige? Do we want 'neutral territory?' Wouldn't we do better to learn to open our homes with one another, and learn to deal with people right where they live? Think about the working class Joe who goes to church. He puts on his special Sunday meeting clothes, and goes into a building with wooden pews and red carpet, unlike any other building he goes to during the week. Doesn't this environment promote artificiality? Is this environment conected in any way to the other aspects of our every-day life. Isn't it easy for someone to dress up in his suit and put on a SUnday smile and look relaly holy on Sunday morning?

Where is it easier for a leader, evangelist, elder, etc. to look holy and like he's got it all together? Behind the pulpit or his own living room?

Why do we need fancy clothes, pews, red carpet or shiny wooden floors for our meetings? Couldn't we just follow the example of the early church and meet in homes?

I'm not saying it's wrong to meet in a church building, but there are many disadvantages. One big disadvantage is debt.

A congregation has many members who live in private homes. If a church meets in smaller numbers in private homes, the expensees for the buildings are already paid for. The host pays rent, mortgage payments, or owns the house free and clear. The church is not burdened with the expenses, and the host can pay whatever extra costs- a higher water bill, labor for cleaning up the place- as ministry to the church.

Church growth is not hampered by the need for a building. Like the early church, when the number of believers increases, the saints can continue to meet from 'house to houe.' All you have to do is find some kind of appropriate space to meet to open a new meeting. You dont' have to take out a loan from the bank to add a wing to the building if there is church growth.

New church plants on the mission field don't ahve to be burnded with the unnecessary expenses of building a new church building. A missions director here says that when a church plant starts, there is usually a lot of good evangelism, but when the church gets to a certain size, they usually put together a proposal to raise money to rent a place to meet (for a so-called 'real church.') At this point, the evangelism slacks off as the focus of the congregation has changed.

Money that is spent on buildings and interest on loans can be spent on the church. The church and not the church building. The church can help support the poor and evangelists and other ministers.

Did the early church ever take out a loan for a building? Is there any scriptural precedent for this practice? I'm not the type that holds to the idea that if ther eis no clear scriptural precedent, it is forbidden. But I do think this is an area where these type of questions can help us make wiser choices.

I have a guest in my home right now who has planted a church in Bali, and is planning on planting another. They are renting a facility now, but haven't bought a building. The price of land in Bali is between $150 and $300 per square meter, very expensive for Indonesia, especially considering the salaries here. I am trying to encourage him to plant churches that meet in homes. It sure is a lot cheaper, and faster.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2001

I'll make some comments.

Proverbs says that the borrower is the servant of the lender. Should a church be the servant of a bank? There is a lot of wisdom in the Proverbs about debt.

Some take Paul's statement as a prohibition of financial debt. 'Owe no man anything but to love one another.' The passage does mention custom, so there is mention of finances. (Romans 13.)

The issue of debt is one of the strongest arguments for meeting in private homes. The early church met in private homes without feeling compelled to build a 'holy' sanctuary. God deosn't live in temples made with hands, but yet it seems like many Christians consider the church building to be the special place God has chossen.

How many of us were told as kids that the church building was the 'house of God.' I heard someone tell a kid once not to run in God's house. WE are God's house. WE are His building.

Could it be that we want to meet in church buildings so we can have a 'sacred place' to meet in? Is that in line with the New Testament? Do we want to meet in a chruch building for social prestige? Do we want 'neutral territory?' Wouldn't we do better to learn to open our homes with one another, and learn to deal with people right where they live? Think about the working class Joe who goes to church. He puts on his special Sunday meeting clothes, and goes into a building with wooden pews and red carpet, unlike any other building he goes to during the week. Doesn't this environment promote artificiality? Is this environment conected in any way to the other aspects of our every-day life. Isn't it easy for someone to dress up in his suit and put on a SUnday smile and look relaly holy on Sunday morning?

Where is it easier for a leader, evangelist, elder, etc. to look holy and like he's got it all together? Behind the pulpit or his own living room?

Why do we need fancy clothes, pews, red carpet or shiny wooden floors for our meetings? Couldn't we just follow the example of the early church and meet in homes?

I'm not saying it's wrong to meet in a church building, but there are many disadvantages. One big disadvantage is debt.

A congregation has many members who live in private homes. If a church meets in smaller numbers in private homes, the expensees for the buildings are already paid for. The host pays rent, mortgage payments, or owns the house free and clear. The church is not burdened with the expenses, and the host can pay whatever extra costs- a higher water bill, labor for cleaning up the place- as ministry to the church.

Church growth is not hampered by the need for a building. Like the early church, when the number of believers increases, the saints can continue to meet from 'house to houe.' All you have to do is find some kind of appropriate space to meet to open a new meeting. You dont' have to take out a loan from the bank to add a wing to the building if there is church growth.

New church plants on the mission field don't ahve to be burnded with the unnecessary expenses of building a new church building. A missions director here says that when a church plant starts, there is usually a lot of good evangelism, but when the church gets to a certain size, they usually put together a proposal to raise money to rent a place to meet (for a so-called 'real church.') At this point, the evangelism slacks off as the focus of the congregation has changed.

Money that is spent on buildings and interest on loans can be spent on the church. The church and not the church building. The church can help support the poor and evangelists and other ministers.

Did the early church ever take out a loan for a building? Is there any scriptural precedent for this practice? I'm not the type that holds to the idea that if ther eis no clear scriptural precedent, it is forbidden. But I do think this is an area where these type of questions can help us make wiser choices.

I have a guest in my home right now who has planted a church in Bali, and is planning on planting another. They are renting a facility now, but haven't bought a building. The price of land in Bali is between $150 and $300 per square meter, very expensive for Indonesia, especially considering the salaries here. I am trying to encourage him to plant churches that meet in homes. It sure is a lot cheaper, adn faster.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2001