Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

A friend recently told me about a congregation in St. Mary’s County, Maryland – the community I also serve – whose Sunday morning collection is incredibly large, incredible, she reported, given the size and location and make-up of the congregation. It’s not an Episcopal congregation, and I know only a little bit about that particular church, but I do know they are situated and serving one of the poorest communities in our county. But, apparently, what their members give of their treasure, not to mention their time and talent, is huge.

“What do you think about this?” she asked me, aware that we, too, were starting our annual fundraising campaign. “Do you think that they’re doing something we’re not?” There were probably many answers to those questions, some “yes,” some “no.” Frankly, I often have these same questions. What is keeping us back, I wonder? What’s holding back The Episcopal Church? Honestly, we’re not very good at talking about money, let alone biblical standards such as giving 10% of one’s income (which, by the way, is also our own church’s standard). But is it all just about money? Maybe those other congregations are doing more for their people? Maybe they’re providing job connections or more meaningful work or more frequent bible studies and prayer groups? We’re also not especially great at talking about discipleship, to be honest.

I really don’t think that people in this particular congregation are paying more because they’re getting – pardon the pun – better services. In fact, I think that that kind of thinking is a fundamental part of the problem. I don’t think the leadership of this congregation spends a lot of time quantifying precisely what they do for people so that people, in turn, will commit greater amounts of money to their offering plates on Sundays. I think that that kind of economic thinking is what’s getting in the way, plain and simple. But countless dioceses and congregations in our Episcopal Church go about this thinking, year in and year out. Consider, if you will, the often-praised narrative budget strategy as Exhibit A.

I think this comes down to a simple definition of faith, and what it means to give faithfully. In fact, one of our vestry members said to me the other month, “Oh, I see what you’re saying. You’re saying that if I follow God more, I will give more.” (I suspect that this was a rhetorical moment, but my honest answer was simple: “Yes,” I said.) Disciples of Jesus give of their time, talent and treasure, and they give generously, simply because they do not know how to do otherwise.

We have this very language in our own Canons, by the way, or at least I think we do. Lately, I’ve been making the case that our Canons call precisely for what I’ve articulated, above. But let me toss it out to you, the readers of these posts, and see what you think. Defining a “communicant in good standing,” Canon I.17.3 reads:

“All communicants of this Church who for the previous year have been faithful in corporate worship, unless for good cause prevented, and have been faithful in working, praying, and giving for the spread of the Kingdom of God, are to be considered communicants in good standing.”

Consider, for instance, the dramatically variant ways in which these phrases can be parsed. What exactly does the phrase “…been faithful in giving” mean? Does “faithful,” here, mean something like “regular,” as in: “Regularly give and work and pray for the spread of the Kingdom of God?” As in, “Give repeatedly.” Or does “faithful,” here, carry a more biblical connotation, as in: “Give generously. Give as a matter of faith. Give because you are a disciple for disciples give, and give generously.” Or, on another level, does “faithful,” here, mean that one understands what one’s average contribution should and must be to keep the ministries of this particular congregation going? So “faithful,” in this latter understanding, would mean something like “dutiful” or “responsible.”

Plain and simple, I think that that congregation in St. Mary’s County with the extra-large Sunday morning collection has defined and is regularly reinforcing their understanding of the meaning of “faithful giving.” I’ll wager that they are unashamed and clear in doing so. And, equally plain, I think The Episcopal Church at every level, all the way down from General Convention and it’s Canons to every last pew in every last congregation, needs to define one thing, and one thing only: What does it mean to be faithful in giving?

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