In the October 2011 edition of Christianity Today, Ken Walker wrote about (p.17) a church that now holds a mortgage that is three times greater than the current property value. The congregation stopped paying its monthly mortgage payments in May.
So What?
If the story stopped there, then it would not be all that newsworthy apart from serving to illustrate the larger trend of churches on a path leading to foreclosure. However, The Church at South Las Vegas stopped paying not because they could not meet the financial obligation, but because they didn’t find it to be a strategic use of funds. Pastor Benny Perez told CBS 8 News, “People give to a vision . . . they don’t give to debt.” So, the lender has filed suit and the church responded by filing for Chapter 11 protection and sitting on its $1 million in reserve funds.
- Do you think The Church at South Las Vegas’ actions are best characterized as a bad example or good stewardship? Why?
- How would you respond if you were a member of a church that made a similar decision?