This Page may strike one as too narrow accent on Christian culture. In fact it is an important discussion, related to stewardship, personal security and generational boundaries. It challenges thought and planning by any person, even though the Christian context is preferred for persons who would not be identified as materialistic. In summary, I believe that the individual can enter a win-win situation with the following consideration, or a reasonable facsimile projection. We can manage (invest) personal resources with a minimum of risk, with contribution to the work assigned to Christians by Jesus Christ (Matthew 28), and with proper planning for retirement years that extends to some legacy for participating persons. I have reviewed various programs and offerings of legally established denominations – liberal and conservative, and have even served as a paid consultant (as in Lutheran Brotherhood). I have participated in the development programs of my denomination – serving for a period as chairman of the governing board. Most of my life I have served several Christian colleges of which I have had personal contact in significant ways, principally as student, guest lecturer, faculty member or administrator. The excellence of these entities needs to be told. Advancing their service advances the mission of the Church especially in world ministry, education and capital construction – sometimes including standard charitable purposes, addressing world hunger, catastrophe, and mission objectives.
It is clear from Scripture that nature is God’s property, by creation. God delivered it to mankind for administration. He proposed the order for success. Serve one another. The motivation to serve is found in love, so to develop the beauty of righteousness which is doing what ought to be done with altruistic motives. That doesn’t mean the procedure will be easy. There is resistance, one of which is found in civilization. How does one measure wealth? In a massive population, with extensive needs, there has to be some organizing to serve mankind efficiently. For God’s family there is the church, giving to mankind some of what is needed materially from God. From the concept of the church the assignments are made for schools, for care of the sick, for ministry beginning with evangelization, and so the story proceeds. It is entirely logical that the church design some way to achieve the goal for ministry. In the development of the technological and urban society the model was found in free governments for ways of encouraging the concepts of charity, concepts that were inculcated by the church from its founding two thousand years ago. One of the resources of stewardship for the church people, and the ministry of the church is to raise funds through volunteer contributions, no matter how lawfully packaged, to serve society and the people. In the materialistic world, the church found ways to accomplish some large goals through cooperative foundational entities. Where the church has gone with the programs the economies tend to improve.
Approaching the end of my temporal life, I accent to readers, from my own experience what may be expected. In ministry I did not make a large salary, as was the case in my generation, but we lived by percentages. The general approach was 10 percent to God, 10 to savings, and living off the 80 remaining. Only later did I understand what savings can accomplish, but I got it in time. Two things followed, and continue – investing in both the stock market and in Christian institutions that I believe in. If I were to do it over, I would resort more to Christian institutions. They invest in areas that I believe in, and avoid products that are negative to mankind. They run tight ships that do not pay exorbitant salaries for persons to stand as money changers. They meet agreements promptly – sometimes more promptly than Social Security. Although the interest rates may not be the same as some secular investments, loss is highly unlikely. The annuity programs with Christian institutions during national downturns during my lifetime were avenues of rescue for me in retirement. If I were to lose funds in the Church environment, it would be to God’s purpose. There is no investor benefit in failed secular investments. Church entities, rightly selected for personal and Christian purposes, are so significant to the care of ministries that they become avenues for both personal and world care and serving benefit without prejudice. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020