Accounting as ministry
Yes, you read that right! Accounting can be ministry, and I have receipts (see what I did there?)
In the charity world, bookkeepers, finance people, accountants etc. are too often considered overhead. (So are fundraisers but that’s a different blog!) This week was the deadline for filing personal income tax in Canada where I live; accounting is top of mind.
Generosity Road Show
The Scripture here is 2 Corinthians 8:19-21. Paul is writing to the church in Corinth. He’s collecting funds from the Gentile churches (Corinth, Macedonia, Philippi…) for believers in Jerusalem. The money is collected and accompanied by a large delegation making multiple stops, a generosity road show if you will. (If you’re super keen on the details, here’s the link to my MTS thesis.) Paul is eager to do what is right and to be seen doing what is right (vv20-21.)
Honestly, what is an audit if not “to be seen doing what is right”? Paul doesn’t think that having extra sets of eyes on the money is overhead. He writes that the collection is
“being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself (v.19)”
If adminstering funds for the glory of the Lord isn’t ministry, I don’t know what is!
Joyful Inefficiency
I could write (and have written!) endlessly about Paul’s Collection for Jerusalem. The Apostle Paul encourages generosity and builds up the unity of the church by collecting funds for a common goal. The delegation preaches as they go, sharing the good news as they travel.
Paul promotes joyfully inefficient fundraising, preachers and bookkeepers together on a generosity road show.
I’m not saying that the people were inefficient by any means. Paul writes that one colleague has been “tested and found diligent in many things” (v.22) which is an excellent description of many charity finance people!
By modern metrics though, Paul’s Collection for Jerusalem has a high overhead. Wouldn’t it have been more efficient to have fewer people, less preaching and less counting? Paul sees values in connecting churches with each other, practicing generosity and working for a common cause.
Paul’s model of ministry both encourages generosity and demonstrates accountability.
Pastors, ministers, preachers, envelope stewards, clerks, bookkeepers, treasurers, finance people, stewardship committee members, auditors, fundraisers etc., we are all on this generosity road show together! Blessings to you!
I’ll give the last word to Paul who writes “And God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that, always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed. (2 Cor 9:15).” May it be so!