Dr. Couch, when there is a financial need for a brother in the church,
should finances be given from the church funds, are with what the
congregation gives by a special appeal? Or, is it appropriate to give
funds from both sources?
ANSWER: The principles for giving are found in 2 Corinthians 8-9. In those
chapters we find there was a collection put together to help the poor in
Jerusalem. It appears that there were pledges made that were then
pooled and collected from the Corinthian church, to be taken to Judea
and to Jerusalem.
In my opinion, the source does not matter, nor does it matter how the
funds are put together. The main point is the generosity of the fellow
believers towards those in need. While some pastors may disagree, I see
no problem in an open appeal for helping someone. Let me correct this a
little. I don't mean "open" in the sense of mentioning names publicly.
An open appeal can be done quietly by telephone to different members,
asking them to contribute.
I have always had a policy in church to not pull too much from the
church treasury that cannot be reasonably replaced. I think we forget
that the Bible expects us to pray, and then respond with wisdom, about
such issues that may seem tough. But in my opinion, this is not that big
of an issue. Help the brother in the quickest and best way possible.
Thanks for asking!
Dr. Mal Couch
