Statement: An anointing in founding a church that becomes a mega ministry is incompatible with over-bearing governance.
In the news has been Singapore's City Harvest Church Pastor Kong Lee's lawyers pleading for a minimum punishment after the court case of misusing $18m of church funds.
Mak Yuen Teen, associate professor from the National University of Singapore Business School expressed concern over church governance. He stated: "If you look at this organisation, you can see that the board was dominated by people who were essentially employees of the church. So, the question therefore is where is the check and balances in place.
"The board was not really independent of the management of the organisation. This case is also complex because you do have a number of individuals who are implicated in this case. So, if you have a number of individuals involved, it can make it a bit more difficult to detect and the risk becomes much higher in terms of governance."
At that time, Teo Chee Hean, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, clarified City Harvest itself has not been charged with any misconduct, and was free to continue services and events.
An Anointing Principle
Over a life time in Christian Ministry, I've noted God raises up specific individuals in every nation who have vision, energy, capacity, leadership, Christ focused evangelistic passion, who raise up churches and missions from the 'skin of their teeth' as it were.
No one outside of these men and women of "such moment" - can comprehend the where-with-all from deep within the resources of their spirits singularly led by the Holy Ghost - to raise up such a ministry. They have that well spring of divine anointing that - draws to themselves those with supporting leadership skills - followed by those who seek to be with someone whom God has so remarkably anointed - for the cause of Christ. In other words, they draw many helpers.
It likewise centres on their overwhelming sense of Calling that - brushes aside trouble maker challenges - almost always by those who have never tasted "gut wrenching founding a ministry capacities". Moreover, so much of the decision making is intuitive as led by the Spirit of God without reference to what is impossible. Their God is a God of the possible.
Such scenarios, are seen across the board right around the world in the form of local churches and - specific missions - ministries – home missions.
The Resources
In all such Christian work, the congregation or financial supporters give freely from their own resources to see the cause of Christ expand and as the church / mission expands and develops its ministries, so too the income grows. It is a matter of faith.
The age old problem is - if those without the vision and the heart wrenching where-with-all (as described above) get control of the money, and when they do so - sadly as evidenced time and time again - the entire ministry implodes into a module of restriction and more than likely disaster.
Such un-gifted vision-less people create and cause as much drama as their intent appears to prevent monies being spent in areas where faith is the determinant, not a business plan. The governance of church monies is therefore the question at hand. I believe that an anointing in founding a church - mission that becomes a mega ministry is incompatible with such over bearing governance.
Herein lies the issue of balance. The late Reverend Dr Gordon Moyes AC spoke of this in his radio series from his early pastoral experiences in that he would never have as his church treasurer an accountant. Faith steps and the raw statistics in accountancy are poles apart. Obviously, the fiscal laws of the land in whatever country are adhered to, otherwise it is a green light for money mismanagement.
Who therefore controls church money?
In my view Christian ministry can never be governed as a profit and loss business. It has a different set of parameters. These are associated with issues of faith, vision, passion, capacity, leadership, evangelistic fever. Church governance is finding those who will stand, as it were, with Moses and hold such visionaries' arms up so as to win the battle of faith and passion and capacity. Such helpers are greatly treasured and given by the Lord to those in leadership. Those closest are there to impart fearless wisdom to leaders who make such financial decisions.
It always boils down to those who make the financial decisions. Christian governance inevitably includes responsible audits, a clear accounting to its members and there will be occasions where the nation's taxing authorities will engage in far reaching auditing of both the process and expenditure. I undertook such an ATO Audit in 1998 as Public Officer for the Sports and Leisure Ministry (SLM) which resulted in a clean bill of health.
Now the National Charities Not-for profit Commission has taken on much of such national duties. Some major Charities have come in for a hammering including those of sports stars. The theological issue for Christian Churches and Missions / Charities is a simply this, it all belongs to the Lord.
Missionaries who live by faith finance are ever-mindful of this - yet at the same time, are rarely surprised by the divine multiplication principle – monies spent in faith - then somehow are re-established through this biblical principle.
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html