Should the pastor know who gives? Part 3: Debt
Pastor Daniel is sweating profusely on a cold November morning. It’s stewardship Sunday, the one Sunday of the year where he is expected to talk about money. Pastor Daniel carries $45,000 in student debt. That’s without the credit card or line of credit factored in. How can he talk about money?
When I shared this example with a class of ministry students, they replied “so tell us Lori – how do we talk about money?”
Clergy often tell me they are reluctant to talk about money because they feel like they are begging for their salary. Add the hidden shame of debt to the mix and it gets worse. Pretending to bury the whole situation under a cover of silence will not help.
When church culture stays silent on the topic of money, there’s often the false assumption that everyone gives. Behind that false assumption is another false assumption: that everyone can afford to give. When money is a taboo topic, it’s hard to talk about debt.
Setting the prisoners free
A pastor of a small congregation individually asked everyone who had a job to become a monthly pre-authorized giver. One congregant said he really would like to support the church, but struggled with payday loans. The pastor was able to refer that person for credit counseling, which is a wonderful outcome. I doubt the congregant would have mentioned his debt if he hadn’t been asked to give.
An informed pastor talking about money yielded two good outcomes:
monthly givers made a small church viable
a man was set free from debt.
Are people in your congregation in debt?
About half of Canadian households live paycheque to paycheque. (Americans live paycheck to paycheck, different spelling, same situation!) Your congregation could include:
parents with high housing costs, car loans and unpaid credit card bills
dentists with $200,000 borrowed to set up a practice, plus a line of credit
people struggling after a divorce or illness (Pastor Daniel’s wife had knee surgery)
university grads with $40,000 of student loans
folks who fit into multiple of the above categories
When we’re brave, cool things can happen
After talking to church leadership, Pastor Daniel was able to access loan relief from the national church (kudos to Presbyterian Church USA which inspired this example). Someone from church offered Pastor Daniel’s wife a part-time job that was a considerable upgrade. The Sunday that he preached on debt and how credit counseling was helping him was a milestone at his church. He heard stories that would not have been shared otherwise. Pastoral care will be informed by financial reality.
I suspect next year’s budget will include a salary increase for Pastor Daniel, resulting from a mix of compassion and a desire not to lose their pastor to a church offering a higher salary. Many congregants simply can’t imagine how much it costs to go to seminary.
When we’re brave, cool things can happen. Churches can talk about money, clergy can know who gives. Money conversations are discipleship conversations, places of trust and transformation.
Resources
Check with your denomination to see what financial aid and advice is available.
American author Deforest Soaries Jr. writes on getting out of debt from a Christian perspective.
Canadian author Gayle Vaz Oxlade writes on finances from a ‘tough love’ secular perspective.
If your church is scared to talk about money, Growing a Generous Church: A Year in the Life of Peach Blossom Church is an hopeful and easy to read story with characters who will sound familiar!