I am a Jr. Steward in my local church and I am very concerned about the business dealings of my pastor.

1. The Trustee Board has been on a mission to purchase a new van; they did their research and decided on what they wanted to buy. Here's the clincher, my pastor took it upon himself to purchase the van (in his name), without any authorization from the Trustees. We don't know the cost of the van, amt. of down payment, financing, and no one has seen the contract. The only thing mentioned was the monthly payment of $300 per month. The pastor was asked about the title, and he says that it will come in his name, and we can change it later!!!!!

2. The pastor took it upon himself to have the parking lot paved, again without Trustee consent, church conference, nothing!! According to the figures, or lack of, the job may have cost between $10,000-$12,000; and plans a "rally" to replace the funds (which he received no support). The work was done without a permit from the local government, and the church could be possibly fined.

The pastor will not allow any items that we would like to discuss on the agenda. If there's something that he doesn't want to discuss, it does not get on the agenda.

Is this a familiar problem? How much can a pastor do on his own?

Our church will be broke if something isn't done soon.

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2001

Answers

Dear John,

I don't have an answer to your question. However, I would like to know if their are any regulations for local church finances from the higher eschelon of the AME church. I would also like to know if the IRS limits the amount of income that a church can have in savings or investments at the end of the year. Can AME churches have million dollar endowments if they so desire?

JazzMan

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2001

John Unfortunately, your situation does not sound all to unfamiliar. I am a lay person and have seen and heard of the same kind of behavior. What are the Trustees doing? Do you have church conferences, if so, you can state your concern from the floor. Also you should probably be able to state your concern at the Quarterly Conference when financial reports are presented.

One on good note -- depending on how strong your Trustee Board is -- since the title of the van is in the pastor's name, if the loan is not paid (I'm assuming it is financed) then it's on your pastor. However, I also do not know if there was a co-signer for the loan.

My advice, talk loud, take to lay organization and keep talking. You may not win, and you may no longer be a junior steward -- or any other officer for that matter -- but there are plenty of other strong lay AME persons who are already in this group of disenfranchised. You may not win now, but your Pastor will less likely continue his/her autonomous rule knowing that at least one person will question, QUESTION, QUESTION.

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2001

JAZZMAN

AS AN ATTORNEY I CAN ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. CHURCHES CAN SET UP ENDOWMWNETS AS LARGE AS THEY LIKE. IT IS A GOOD IDEA FOR CHURCHES TO HAVE SOME MONEY ON HAND AS THEY CAN AS LONG AS IT IS PROPERLY MANAGED.

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2001

Dear John

I am thanking the Lord for people like you, who stood even they are the only ones standing. I am an itinerant elder in the 15th Episcopal District of the AME Church, Namibia Annual Conference. There is one thing that I hate, that is a Pastor or Lay member stealing from church and misleading church members, for the word teaches me that God loved righteous people.

Your pastor has no right in registering that van in his name if it is a church van. I solicited recently a minibus for the church where I am appointed, I involved the Vice Chairperson of the Trustee Board, and he was doing all the signing of papers, and the vehicle was registered in the name of the church.

What should happen is that your official Board should start to get yourself in shape and you could have an item placed on the agenda by a two third vote of the Board, you can have a decision made if you have two third votes. If your official Board is to weak, then take it to your quarterly conference, that is the next level where you can resolve those issues.

What I will suggest to you is to go and see the Presiding elder, discuss the whole issue with him and furnish him with your letter of complain and send the copy to your pastor. NB!!!, keep a copy of the samewith you.

I hope you will be succesful in your endeavours! One of the pastors standing for a positive change Rev. A. Eberhardt Biwa Senior Pastor

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2001