“Globally in a year, the church gives $45 billion for mission work, however, financial fraud to the tune of $50 billion happens in the church”
This was a startling statistic shared by Bishop Efraim Tendero, quoting a research study by the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, USA, during the plenary session of the Fourth Lausanne Conference in Seoul, South Korea. That means more money is drained from the church than is spent on its mission.
Recently in a private conversation, an eminent chartered accountant in India was sharing his experience with helping a church, having property worth many crores, but revenue of only a few lakhs.
Misappropriation and mismanagement are not new to the Indian religious and charitable sector. Stewardship and Accountability are two key themes CIM advocate, which offers solutions to these issues.
CIM's motto is “Accountability to God, Church and the State” which is derived from the key verse, we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man (2 Cor. 8:21). In the context of the transfer of funds from Corinth to Jerusalem, Paul encourages the church to have accountability at three levels. ‘We’ (Accountability to the Church) indicates that multiple people are involved in the fundraising process including Paul, Titus, people approved by the church, etc. ‘Doing right… in the eyes of the Lord’ exhorts us that first and foremost we need to be Accountable to God. ‘Doing right… in the eyes of man’ encourages us to be Accountable to the Public / State.
Personally, I am involved in a research project to develop a Biblical model of accountability that can be integrated into organisational systems and practices as part of a post-doc study with the OCMS, Oxford, UK. Request your prayers for the effective and timely completion of the project.
We invite you to join us in a movement to ensure accountability in Churches and NGOs which would reduce misappropriation. CIM is not alone in this journey. In India, we work collaboratively with like-minded entities such as Operation Nehemiah and Noble Rank, and globally with the Global Trust Partners, in ensuring this vision. Your support will be vital in taking this movement forward.
I will write a few thoughts on ‘Stewardship’ next month. Stay tuned till then…
Dr Aby Alexandar