The Oligarchy and Plutocracy of the Black Church

[Anthony Davis]

 

I've been a pastor of a church that I founded 4 years ago right in my living room (we now worship in a community center. Take a look HERE). What I have discovered, in my journey of learning how to pastor effectively, is how susceptible people are when it comes pastoral persuasion. In other words there is a psychology to religion.

When you are in such a powerful position with "spiritual authority", you have to be a man of integrity because it is very easy to persuade people these days to give their last dime in the name of "Jesus". When we talk about the finacial meltdown that nearly brought us to a depression, I often hear people talk about the immorality of big banks and corporations. I would argue that this level of immorality is not limited to big banks and corporations but also to the church and other areas of life we revere. However we don't hold these areas (including the church) to the same level of accountability as we would big business.

America has a problem and that problem is "greed". Greed has found it's way right in the house of God. Think for a moment about the proliferation of mega-ministries in America, (and now the same thing is happening in Africa). The primary message is that of money and the attainment of wealth...something that was antithetical to the teaching and preaching of Jesus. Yet week after week we kept giving massive sums of money to these ministries and have made so many preacher's the wealthiest of oligarchs and plutocrats (which is what they have become). They are the privileged minority that controls us.

People no longer participate with God to make their lives (and the lives of others) better through struggle, protests and moral virtues. Today we come to church looking for God to just give us wealth that we may live large, with no real responsibility to love others. What I am saying is that the concept of greed has made it's way to the pews making even the congregants culpable regarding this national problem. The black church needs not just a revival but a renaissance. We need to take a look back at our past and reclaim the mindset of SERVICE not SELF-INTEREST!

[Osirian]

Actually, 'Greed' and 'Gluttony' have always been in the house of Man, not God, for if greed is in mans' house, he/she cannot know God. And service to the greater good is always best towards ones'  'self interest'. It's just that most believe the 'greater good' is themselves.

[Byron Woulard]

"When you are in such a powerful position with "spiritual authority", you have to be a man of integrity because it is very easy to persuade people these days to give their last dime in the name of "Jesus". 

Well said!

 

I don't believe that just going back to the old times in the church would revive it because you would lose a lot of members. The pastor of the churches in question should come under fire for their greed and be dealt with accordingly. It doesn't matter if you start a church or ministry or whatever, pastors should have a salary, period. The rest of any money coming in should be used for church expenses and helping the congregation when needed. If he sells anything else that involves being a pastor or spiritual leader a portion of the proceeds needs to go back to the church also.

A church is like a corporation, it takes the congregation to make the pastor rich so church goers should get profit sharing like they are employees 

[Brenda]

Last year, I visited a church. The first thing passed around was the money basket. Being a visitor, that hurt my Heart, I did not go back there. Why would I put money in it, before being fed the Bread of Life. They did not get my dime.

Peace,

-U-

[Howard R. Lee]

This is a huge problem, and what I fear is that it's already too late to stem the tide and nowadays it is becoming more and more difficult to find a church that teaches the unadulterated gospel. I relocated to Little Rock, Arkansas 5 years ago, I have visited many churches and still have not found a church home I am comfortable with. When I thought I had found one, the pastor was caught messing with the secretary, this is the same secretary he cheated with on his first wife with a few years ago. The church asked him to leave, some of the members even got a little indignant because he was asked to leave, rumor has it the church was paying this man $350,000.00 a year. Now this church has over 8,000 members and is said to be the largest African American church in the state of Arkansas, but it is a textbook example of the kind of hypocrisy that is going on in the black church. Another church I was attending, had the same motto as a cousin pastor, "One church, two locations," as if we can't figure that one out. If you can't effectively pastor one church why would you need two? Maybe it's because the income from one is not enough? I was in service, at one of these cousin churches and heard the pastor make a comment from the pulpit that, "taking up offering after service sure has made a difference in his collections, about a half a million dollar a year difference." I just about fell out of my seat, the arrogance, the ignorance of that remark I found astouding! Why would I need to know that? Then to hear you speak of it in that way, in a sense bragging about it. I never went back after that, he showed me where his focus was.

[Curtis Coleman]

I am tired of hearing about money in church. period. Can I have once service where I am not told how I have to sow my seed to be blessed?