home > Pastor’s Desk > 2023 > July 7th > A Church’s Fiduciary Responsibility

In Writers’ School they teach you to catch your reader’s attention with an eye-catching, enticing, interesting title that leads him or her to want to read what you have written. My Creative Writing professor would have rolled his eyes at the title of this post just before giving me an “F”. And probably deservedly so. After all, who even knows what the word fiduciary means let alone uses it in a title? Not only do I need to use this precise word in the title – I also need to help you understand why I needed to use it. And if you love Christ and His Church I hope that you too will come to recognise why a local church has a sacred fiduciary responsibility.

There may be some who come from a banking or accounting background who will already be familiar with one aspect of how this mysterious word fiduciary is used. But when used of a local church, it has a much broader application than its application to banking or accounting. For those who have a slight grasp of Latin it will be obvious to them that this word’s first syllable, fid, comes from the Latin fidere which means – to trust. Technically, it is a Latin word – fiduciarius, from fiducia ‘trust’ which has been anglicised (translated into English) as fiduciary. For a banker or an accountant it means that someone is trusting them with their finances. But for a church it means much, much more because it involves being trusted with things worth much more than finances. 

He [Jesus] charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—
no bread, no bag, no money in their belts—
but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.
And He said to them,  “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there.
And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave,
shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.”
Mark 6:8-11

WHAT FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY MEANS FOR A CHURCH

In my previous post on the topic of the Church, I wrote how Christ has entrusted to His Church a sacred mission with eternal ramifications. Just as in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, if Christ was depicted as the ‘Good Samaritan’ and with wounded and beaten man left to die on the side of the road was depicted as those trying to live outside of God’s Kingdom who end up being hurt and broken by the way the world treats its own, then we, the Church, were depicted as the inn-keeper – the ones that Christ has entrusted to look after those He has rescued and redeemed.

And just as the Good Shepherd in this parable entrusted to the Inn-Keeper all the resources he needed to care for the one who had been rescued, Christ entrusts to His Church the resources that we need to fulfil our sacred mission – and it is much more valuable than silver or gold or money.

And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying,
‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’
Luke 10:35

WE HAVE BEEN ENTRUSTED WITH THE WEALTH AND RICHES OF CHRIST IN ORDER TO FULFIL OUR SACRED MISSION FROM HIM

In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of His grace, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you,
what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints
Ephesians 1:7-8

While it is certainly true that Christ provides financially for His Church (for which we in particular have greatly experienced) there are riches that He possesses which are far more valuable than coin to which He has primarily entrusted us. He has entrusted to us His Word (Jn. 17:14). The Bibles that we have (and often take for granted) have been delivered to under the supervision and preservation of the Holy Spirit working through our forefathers who guarded their copies of the Bible at the risk and sacrifice of their lives. We should never underestimate the inestimable value of the riches of God’s Word. There are many churches around the world where no one in those churches has even seen a Bible. Secondly, something else also of inestimable worth has also been entrusted to us by Christ for the accomplishment of our sacred mission: those Christ has redeemed!

Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn,
and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!
Luke 12:24

THE ENTRUSTING OF MONEY TO A CHURCH

Money is an emblem of a person’s life. Most of us work a job in which we exchange time for money. The time we give our employer is a portion of our life. Thus, as an act of worship, God calls people to honour Him with the first of their wealth (Prov. 3:9). Jesus warned His followers against thinking their money was their true treasure – and instead, regard worship of and obedient service to God as developing the kind of heart that would store up true treasure for eternity. Thus, He was saying, how we gave of our money in service of His Word revealed what was really in our heart (Matt. 6:19-21). Similarly, how a church would then entrust the finances that God’s people would give it was also an act of worship of God by that Church. Jesus said that how we treated and valued our money was an indication of how we would treat and value His true riches (Luke 16:11).

If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth,
who will entrust to you the true riches?
Luke 16:11

The true riches that Christ has entrusted to us includes (i) His Word, and (ii) those He has redeemed. In addition to these true riches He supplements a church with less valuable things like money, property and possessions to steward (manage) so that their sacred mission can be fulfilled. We see this almost from the outset of the Church’s birth where people generously gave to the Church. But even then as the Church grew and expanded it required greater care and diligence on the part of the Church’s leadership to steward Christ’s provisions more wisely which included the appointment of the seven deacons.

THE USE OF MONEY BY A CHURCH

The early Church’s first organisational change was linked to how they managed their finances. As the Church grew rather rapidly the need to restructure the church became necessary. We have seen that there were many Hellenists who were in Jerusalem at this time who had become dependant upon the Church for their relief (Act 6:1-2). What I did not discuss in a previous post was that many people gave very generously as the Church was being established. In a typical biblical writing style, characters are introduced and then who will reappear later more prominently in the narrative. Joseph the Levite, nicknamed Barnabas by the apostles (Acts 4:36), is such a character. He sold land and gave the proceeds to the apostles (Acts 4:37). We see from the record in Acts that the money was used to supply relief to those in need. In case anyone could think that this money which was given to the apostles and was used for the personal benefit of the apostles, we read in Acts 3:6-7 an admission by Peter:

But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you.
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”
Acts 3:6-7

We have seen that the Church grew and spread as a result of the persecution it experienced. Believers were scattered and led by the Holy Spirit to go where Christ had instructed (Acts 1: 6). This included Phillip, the deacon, going to Samaria. After his successful mission there, he called for Peter and John to come and assist. When Simon the sorcerer witnessed the importation of the Holy Spirit through the ministry of the apostles he offered money to Peter to also be able to do the same. Peter strongly rebuked the sorcerer for thinking that the gifts and the offices of the Holy Spirit could be bought.

Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed. ¶ Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
Acts 8:13-23

This episode later gave rise to the name of a sin which unfortunately became prevalent during the Medieval period known as Simony (paying money to buy a leadership role within the church – such as “Bishop” or “Archbishop”). This practice was condemned by the reformers as the sought to restore the Biblical standard for leadership (which included “not be greedy for [financial] gain” Titus 1:7).

WHY WE REGARD STEWARDING CHRIST’S PROVISIONS THROUGH HIS PEOPLE AS A SACRED RESPONSIBILITY

When people give to a church, that church appoints certain people to steward that money on their behalf. This stewardship is used to: (i) support those who “labour in teaching the Word” and those staff who serve in the church (1Tim. 5:17); (ii) pay the bills that are incurred by the church (Rom. 13:7); (iii) support missionary efforts largely unreached parts of the world; (iv) evangelistic efforts. Just as those who teach the Word will be subject to “stricter judgment” (James 3:1) by the Lord, also those who misuse the finances given to a church will also be subject to the Lord’s judgment (1Cor. 3:17). This is why we regard the handling and expenditure of monies given faithfully by the church family to be a sacred trust and thus a fiduciary responsibility because it is actually God’s money after all. We pray two things regarding it: (i) that those who have given will be especially blessed, and (ii) that what is given will be used wisely for both immediate and long-term benefit to God’s kingdom.

WE ARE ALL STEWARDS AND SERVANTS OF CHRIST’S CHURCH

Some see their position within a church as giving them power or status. Certainly Church history bears out that many false shepherds (Christ called them “hirelings” – people who are only there because they are paid, John 10:12-13) had snuck into what was once Christ’s Church and abused their positions for their own glory, comfort, and enrichment. In the darkest days of the Medieval period many (not all) of the Church’s leaders were ungodly, greedy, and highly political scoundrels who wore the robes priests – but did not even know the Lord! As I have also noted in another post within this series, God then set about to reform the Church by once again illuminating His Word to those who would become known as reformers. These reformers were actually mostly unsuccessful at reforming the established Church – but highly successful at reforming many within it to realise what Christ had called His Church to be. This realisation led to the establishment of the original denominations – Lutheran, Anglican, Presbyterian, and Baptist (then later, Methodist, Congregational, Brethren, and Pentecostal). These reformers have bequeathed to us a legacy of understanding that Christ’s Church is not merely about grand buildings, elaborate artwork, a professional clergy class, or a bureaucracy. But a church that is to be served by Christ-worshiping leaders who have a shepherd’s heart for God’s people. These leaders were to accept their call to shepherd – not because they were to be paid – but because they willingly desired to be obedient to Christ’s call to do so. Thus true shepherds don’t run when it gets “hot in the kitchen” but they take their stand to shepherd Christ’s flock and accept that one of His greatest gifts to them is their responsibility to care for and lovingly steward God’s people.

CHRIST’S CHURCH EXISTS TO KNOW HIM AND MAKE HIM KNOWN

I am not after a position, a title, or an accolade. I am a nobody. I am not anyone special. I have not done anything extraordinary. But I know Somebody who is really, really, special. He continually does the extraordinary and the remarkable. While I have no claim to fame, He is the most famous person in the world. What is outstanding about Him is that He is simultaneously the most loving person in the world yet the most hated by it (Jn. 7:7). While I can’t speak more highly of Him, especially after what He has done for me, there are many who deride and denounce Him, and speak of Him with scorn. It is my hope that such people will meet Christ in a God-honour local church that exalts Jesus and reveals to them who He really is and what He is really like.

Christ is often misrepresented, misquoted, and misunderstood. Despite all this. He still cares deeply for even for those who treat Him so poorly. One other thing about Him that I need to tell you: He knows more about everything than literally anyone else. But His infinite knowledge is not merely a bottomless reservoir of data – no! – His knowledge is soaked in wisdom. He not only knows most, He knows best. In any circumstance He not only knows what could be done – He knows what should be done. In the vastness of this knowledge and wisdom, the has decreed that He should be represented by two things: (1) His written Word, and (ii)  His body of loyal followers (whom the often refers to as disciples, servants, and lately as friends).

And it is to His body of believers/followers/worshipers that He has commanded that they gather at least once a week to do sacred things together. In doing so they can know Him better and also be better empowered to make Him known. The local church is therefore, as has been said many times, the hope of the world – not because we are its hope, but because we make known to the world its True Hope – Jesus. While we deliver this life-giving water of the gospel to our hurting world for free, someone has to pay for the plumbing. And when that someone does we as a church have a fiduciary responsibility to faithfully oversee it.

Next: Some Walls Need to be Torn Down and Other Walls Need to be reBuilt

Your Pastor,

Andrew

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