Hi All

I was just thinking the other day. As the AME church has different kind of conference every year. Which means that the local church need to expense about +25% of their annual budget for conferences. As this happened all over the Wold in the AME church it bothers me alot just to think that here, where I am staying we travel alot every year to attend a conference( which are not wrong).

Just think for a while, what if we build our own conference centre's ect. Take for example, just think if we build our own Holiday Resorts etc which are of cause open to the public throuht out the year. Just think about the INVESTMENT with basically zero % risk.

Just think about the advantages that we as a church can have. The only thing that you gonna need is the right people with the right expertise and skill.

This question is espesialy for our members in SOUTH AFRICA as i do think that the church have it's own facilities abroad.

"I believe that is doesn't matter how poor you are to achieve something but how dedicated you are to get it."

If you got VISION, with the right attitude, you will be able to do anything through Christ that strengthen you.

Regards

Jerome

NB. Don't think where we gonna get the money to build it but think how BIG we want it to be!!!

-- Anonymous, February 28, 2002

Answers

Hi My brother you are on the same wavelenth with me. I also thought about that for our conference, but people were not ready then. Their agenda was mainly on finishing church buildings and parsonages. Never did they know that once you have such a center up and running, the center may even generate more money for the churches and parsonages than waht they may have raised in a given year.

To take it a step further. During the General conference a number of hotels are booked for the duration of the conference to accomodate delegates etc. Why can't the Connectional Church invest, buy shares in a couple of main hotels in the US and elswhere?

Regars Rev. A. Eberhardt Biwa

-- Anonymous, March 01, 2002

Malachi 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. 12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.

Be blessed

Pastor Paris

-- Anonymous, March 01, 2002