The Church of Christ and Money (Again)
Awhile back I documented the COC's attitude toward charity and noted that basically it uses the money it collects each Sunday to perpetuate itself, not to help people in need. Now I want to disclose another of the COC's dirty little secrets regarding money: If you give a lot of it to your local congregation, you can (almost) get away with murder.
Most COC congregations, especially the anti ones, are very small, in part because they have a habit of splitting every time someone looks at someone else cross-eyed. Thus, they skate on thin ice financially, simply because there aren't enough people to give the money that allows the church to function. Also, the core demographic of the COC is aging and dying rapidly, and the elderly folks are usually on fixed incomes and can't spare much for the Sunday collection plate.
As a result, if you're one of the rare COC members who can afford to give liberally, your generosity will be rewarded by fawning preachers and elders who will look the other way when you sin and will never risk offending you for fear that you'll get upset and take your fat checkbook to another congregation. Everyone else in the congregation (and their children) will be held to the strictest standards of conduct, but you'll be allowed to miss services whenever you want, attend R-rated movies without question, and patronize restaurants that serve alcohol without comment. Your children will be able to take swimming lessons, wear shorts, and even attend the prom--all activities that those poor cheapskates will be told are forbidden. Just keep the money coming, and no questions will be asked.
Of course, the COC will deny that it shows favoritism to its wealthier members, but I have witnessed this behavior first hand at multiple congregations. The people who give the most are never questioned or scrutinized like the rest of us. Furthermore, because they control the purse strings, they usually get their way whenever there is a dispute. No one is rude enough to say it out loud, but everyone knows that they're paying for the party, so they get to call the tunes.
If the COC were an official denomination with a hierarchy that could impose some checks and balances and scrutinize the books, this wouldn't be such a problem, but as long as each congregation is financially independent, the folks with cash will be in charge, for good or ill.
Most COC congregations, especially the anti ones, are very small, in part because they have a habit of splitting every time someone looks at someone else cross-eyed. Thus, they skate on thin ice financially, simply because there aren't enough people to give the money that allows the church to function. Also, the core demographic of the COC is aging and dying rapidly, and the elderly folks are usually on fixed incomes and can't spare much for the Sunday collection plate.
As a result, if you're one of the rare COC members who can afford to give liberally, your generosity will be rewarded by fawning preachers and elders who will look the other way when you sin and will never risk offending you for fear that you'll get upset and take your fat checkbook to another congregation. Everyone else in the congregation (and their children) will be held to the strictest standards of conduct, but you'll be allowed to miss services whenever you want, attend R-rated movies without question, and patronize restaurants that serve alcohol without comment. Your children will be able to take swimming lessons, wear shorts, and even attend the prom--all activities that those poor cheapskates will be told are forbidden. Just keep the money coming, and no questions will be asked.
Of course, the COC will deny that it shows favoritism to its wealthier members, but I have witnessed this behavior first hand at multiple congregations. The people who give the most are never questioned or scrutinized like the rest of us. Furthermore, because they control the purse strings, they usually get their way whenever there is a dispute. No one is rude enough to say it out loud, but everyone knows that they're paying for the party, so they get to call the tunes.
If the COC were an official denomination with a hierarchy that could impose some checks and balances and scrutinize the books, this wouldn't be such a problem, but as long as each congregation is financially independent, the folks with cash will be in charge, for good or ill.
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