Living in Yorkshire, a place surprisingly less evangelically Christian than even Japan, one becomes accustomed to ministry with modest resources. This experience, perhaps, sharpens my perspective on how Christian organizations allocate funds. Lately, the sheer volume of money spent – contributed by devout individuals, truly God’s money – has been increasingly troubling. While I lack full insight into the financial details and the decision-making processes behind these expenditures, I can’t help but ponder alternative uses for such significant sums. It does make you think, Money Must Be Funny when you see the figures involved and wonder about the impact.
Consider, for instance, the $25,000 (£15,500) allocated for a single six-minute teaching video. This sum dwarfs the annual salary of numerous pastors in the UK. And the intention is to produce one of these videos every month! Then there’s the church seeking £5.75 million for building renovations. That amount could cover my church’s entire budget for approximately 350 years—or provide a decade’s full-time salary for around 28 ministers or evangelists dedicated to spreading the gospel and establishing churches across the UK. The scale is immense when you consider the potential impact, especially in regions with greater financial need.
Instead of amassing vast funds for music albums, video productions, extravagant gifts, and television advertising, wouldn’t it be more impactful to channel those resources into supporting gospel preaching in areas where it’s financially challenging? Imagine the possibilities if we were equipped to send devoted ministers to share the gospel in places like Cumbria, Dumfries and Galloway, Powys, or Fermanagh—even Yorkshire itself could benefit! Envision sending missionaries across borders to regions in need of spiritual guidance.
Think about providing support to faithful congregations who struggle financially to sustain gospel-preaching ministers. Consider planting Christ-centered churches in towns and villages that have lacked a gospel witness for years. Perhaps, if we re-evaluated our spending on advertising and entertainment-focused projects, these aspirations could become reality. Maybe, recognizing that it’s ultimately the Lord’s money, not ours to spend frivolously, would shift our priorities. It’s time to ask ourselves if our financial stewardship truly reflects the values we preach, or if indeed, money must be funny when it leads us away from core missions.
