Christianity: Practices, Ethics and Community - A Church Building Fund Under Pressure
At Nkhoma, a congregation's building fund has MWK 4.5 million. The roof of the worship hall leaks and needs MWK 2.8 million. Meanwhile, floods have displaced 12 families in the congregation; each needs about MWK 150,000 for food, blankets and school materials, and a deacon has proposed using the whole fund for them. A member who runs a maize mill asks the church to lend him MWK 1 million at 20% interest to buy stock, promising to repay in six months. The treasurer warns that the church is not a bank and that the fund was raised for the building. The council must decide at a meeting where some members say 'worship comes first' and others say 'a church that ignores hungry members is not a church'. The pastor asks for a decision that is financially responsible and faithful to Christian teaching.
1. Analyse the three requests - roof repairs, flood relief and the miller's loan - using Christian teaching on stewardship, love of neighbour and community.
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Stewardship means that church funds are not the property of the council but are entrusted for God's mission. Leaders must use them wisely, transparently and with accountability (2 Corinthians 9:7). This rules out both careless spending and hoarding.
Love of neighbour makes the flood victims a priority. James 2:15-17 insists that faith without practical care for a hungry or naked neighbour is dead. Matthew 25:35-40 identifies care for the needy with service to Christ. The deacon is right that a church cannot ignore immediate suffering while discussing its own building.
Worship and community are not enemies. Acts 2:44-45 shows the early church sharing possessions so that no one was in need. A leaking roof affects worship, safety and the church's ability to gather, so it is also a genuine need. But the roof can be phased or fundraised for; hunger after a flood is urgent. The council should not treat 'worship first' as a slogan that ignores diakonia.
The loan is the weakest proposal. Using a charity building fund for a 20% interest-bearing business loan risks the fund, turns the church into a commercial lender and may exploit a member's desperation. Even if the miller repays, the church has no mandate to profit from a member in this way. The council can refer him to a SACCO, credit union or business adviser, but should not use the building fund as capital.
2. Recommend a specific allocation of the MWK 4.5 million, with conditions, and explain what the council should tell the miller.
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Recommended allocation: MWK 1.8 million for flood relief (12 families at about MWK 150,000 each); MWK 2.2 million for the first phase of roof repairs; and MWK 0.5 million as a contingency and inspection fund. This meets the immediate emergency, starts the roof work, and keeps a small reserve for unexpected costs. The council should also launch a separate roof fundraising appeal for the remaining MWK 0.6 million.
Conditions for relief: Verify the 12 households with the church's welfare group, give food and school materials in kind where possible, and record every distribution. Publish a simple account to the congregation. This protects against favouritism and shows good stewardship.
Conditions for the roof: Get two quotations, use a written contract, and phase the work so that the hall remains safe. Do not divert the relief money if the roof costs rise; instead pause and report to the congregation.
To the miller: The council should say clearly that it cannot lend the building fund at interest. Explain that the fund is held for worship and welfare, not for business, and that a 20% loan would risk the church's money and damage trust. Offer to connect him with a SACCO or small-business adviser, and encourage him to apply for a proper loan with a written plan. If the church wants to help him personally, it should be a small welfare grant from a separate fund, not a commercial loan from the building fund.