The organizational growth of the early church was limited by Christians around the world’s ability to fund the movement. As a result, the Apostle Paul goes to Grace at lengths to praise charitable congregations, share the financial struggles of new congregations, and ensure the money moving from congregation to congregation is done so with integrity and accountability.
You might logically conclude that the organizational growth of the church today, like the first-century church, is limited by Christians around the world’s ability to fund the movement. To some degree, that’s correct, but a different and sizeable engine funding ministry today is debt. Driving movement with debt creates a stewardship issue that raises essential questions of ministry sustainability.
The total reported debt load in 2018 for the 425 churches surveyed was $849,301,519. The average debt for megachurches (1,000+) was more than $9.1 million compared to only $111,600 for the handful of very small churches with debt. (https://christianstandard.com/2019/07/the-debt-debate/)
Should congregations be in debt?
Consider how different Paul’s letters might have read if the early church used debt to fund the movement “I am sending Timothy to you with 100,000 dollars; please introduce him to a money lender. The $100,000 should qualify us for $500,000 in loans.
In our specific church planting context, we decided to maintain zero debt early on. For 12 years, faithful monthly giving and larger one-time gifts have provided the cash we need to engage the city in kingdom work and discipleship. Non-profit organizations thrive on two kinds of giving consistent monthly giving and large one-time gifts or grants. Large financial gifts allow non-profits to build financial margins and launch major projects. Monthly giving will enable non-profits to sustain existing projects and forecast budgets for the future. Our community chose to be debt free, but it’s not the only choice. Many congregations opt to take on debt. Vigorously debate the right and wrong of using debt to fund the ministry. Debt allows churches to buy big pieces of land and build cool buildings, but at what cost?
When a church is in debt, it has two masters. “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.” (Proverbs 22:7). I have seen firsthand the burnout of pastors leading organizations crippled with debt. Consider how 9,000,000 dollars of debt might affect preaching, programs, and obedience to the direction of the Holy Spirit. Paul encourages 1st-century congregations to give abundantly to fund kingdom work. Paul praises the community in Macedonia for being generous; they were not known for their wealth but for their generosity. If we allow ourselves to be content with less land and less extravagance, congregations might increase their ability to make a global impact through funding Kingdom movements. Moreover, a debt-free movement might grow slower at 1st, but its leaders might avoid debt-related burnout.