It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. – 3 John 1:7

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 14, 2015): 2 John 1 & 3 John 1

The late Oral Roberts has become a poster boy for image of Christian excess and questionable fundraising. I remember in the 1980’s hearing Robert’s plea for money (at the time it was a request for millions in donation funds) or else God had said that Oral would be called home. It almost seemed like God was playing the role of the great punisher and if we did not get in line with Robert’s vision, although it is entirely unclear who was being punished – Oral by the end of his ministry or us because we would no longer have Oral Roberts, God would bring down his judicial hammer. The fund raising campaign sparked a number of interested watchers fear that Roberts was suicidal and would take his own life if fund raising goals were not achieved. There was even an unsubstantiated rumor at the time that Roberts received the final sum toward his fundraising goal from a non-believer who requested that Roberts undergo psychological counselling before continuing with his ministry work. But whether or not that actually happened, the view of the world toward Oral Roberts was of a man obsessed by money and power – and because this was a prominent Christian organization, the rest of the followers of Jesus were painted with the same brush. Christianity was, and still is, often seen by the world as a money grab, a ruse practiced by unscrupulous snake charmers out to take advantage of their unsuspecting followers.

The unfortunate thing is that there have been enough public failures, especially in the financial arena and by various parts of the Christian Community, that even Christians begin to wonder about the fund raising practices undertaken by the Church. The truth is that the vast majority of Christian religious ministries (mine included) operate on a small and tightly maintained budget. We work hard to make sure that every dollar spent is making a difference and that the gospel of Jesus is proclaimed. And there is no need for staffers to airbrush out our gold bracelets and diamond rings (a practice that Oral Roberts staffers had to continually perform on the publicity photos of their leader), we possess nothing (I wear a gold wedding ring and that is all the jewelry I own) that needs to be airbrush out.

For the ministry that I am connected with, most of (if not all) of our fund raising is done in house. In other words, the money that we use are raised from other members of the ministry. Together we share what we have in order that the gospel of Jesus might be proclaimed to the neighborhood and the world – and we take pains to make sure that when we are out doing something in the neighborhood, that there is no cry for money.

This seems to be the intent that John has in his mind as he write these words to his good friend Gaius. John wants to make sure the proclamation of the gospel is not mixed with fundraising demands. The problem was that it is too easy to tarnish the image of Christ with our own love of money. And John seemed to know that if Christianity was simply seen as a method to raise money, the Christian Church would die an early and gruesome death. Our priority as Christians is always Christ, and nothing else can be allowed to enter into that realm. The proclamation of Christ is for everyone, believers and non-believers alike. But John is clear that fundraising is never to be done with those who do not believe (those that this passage calls the pagans). Fundraising is always done among those who believe, and are willing to sacrifice in order for the Gospel Message of Jesus to be proclaimed.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Revelation 1