In the COC, Charity Begins (and Ends) at Home
This is the time of year when people think about giving to their favorite charities, so I thought I'd comment on the COC's doctrines regarding the church and money. Every Sunday morning they pass around the collection plate, usually around the same time that they have the communion. The man presiding over the service will make a remark about how the money is used to continue the work of the church and often will read Paul's instructions regarding the collection in I Corinthians 16:1-3. So week after week, people put their hard-earned money into the collection plate. Where does that money go? What is the work of the church, according to the COC? In a nutshell, the work of the church is to perpetuate itself, to make new converts and save as many souls as possible. So how is the money used to that end? First, most of it goes to pay the preacher, despite Paul's comment in II Thessalonians 3:6-9 that he refused to accept a salary from the church and continued to work in his ...