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Open Discussion on Poverty

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Article: http://rongleason.blogspot.com/2008/07/christians-and-poverty.html

The issue of poverty is a big issue in this election and in the church. From my perspective, it often is dealt with by on a rather superficial basis (give them money). I wrestle with it every time I am approached in a parking lot by someone asking for money or see the guy standing at the end of the exit ramp (although, come to think of it, I don't see many of these people in Columbus any more; I see much more of them in California). I used to go to New York in the 80s. There were lots of homeless people. You literally had to walk over them in places. I was there a couple of months ago and it is much different today.

I seem to recall some discussions on the old pcom about how churches should hand out charity. I don't know of a church that does not have some rules on how they do this mainly because there are people who try to run scams on the church.

In any event, I'm posting the above blog because I have found it provocative and it gives a perspective not often heard. Fair warning: Dr. Gleason a conservative and not impressed with what is usually the left's (political and religious) approach to the issue of poverty, but I think he has taken time to wrestle with the scripture.

We probably also ought to discuss the context of Matthew 25. In fact, there is a new organization called Matthew 25 which is endorsing Obama. I personally think this scripture is often taken out of context but there are lots of other places

Let's discuss. What's proverty? Poort? How do we deal with it?

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  • First, fellow bloggers, mark your calendars for October 15, 2008 -- Blog Action Day.

    Blog Action Day is a day where bloggers are invited to blog about one issue from their own personal perspective. Last year was the first blog action day (on the environment). This year's topic is on poverty. I participated last year and plan to this year. It's a great topic to focus on.

    How to help people is also a topic we're dealing with here in our new context. We live in my wife's church parsonage next to the church and in the 2 months we've been here, we've gotten several requests for help. Joleen's church has some sort of policy but I can see we're going to need to improve it. We'd love to hear what plans/procedures other churches have set up.

    We're also in the process of learning what help is available in our community. The local ministerium appears to have a process -- churches support to the local men's shelter where we refer anyone who needs help (they maintain a list of the people they help). This centralized method prevents people from working the system by hitting up multiple churches (or is supposed to prevent). There are a couple other community ministries, too -- Salvation Army and "Community Action" (which runs the local food bank, etc.).

    It will be a rough winter here (heating costs) so we need to be as prepared as we can.

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  • Our local ministerium has a transient fund established that provides a night in the motel, a tank of gas and a grocery voucher for travellers stuck in our town with no money.  While the Ministerium raises the money and writes the checks to local vendors who provide goods or services, the vouchers are administered by the County Sheriff's office. Recipients must visit the courthouse and submit to a background check before receiving a voucher.

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    • bryanm

    • Fri, Aug 22 2008
    • 7:43 AM

    FOR NON-MEMBERS/NON-ATTENDERS

    My last church and current one have both had a thing about giving out cash.  So they supported food, clothing and shelter ministries that we could refer people too.  So no cash aid.  My present church also maintains a small food pantry that anyone can draw from once a month.  It has helped quite a few people this year (demand has nearly quadrupled!) So we give mission money to the local men's shelter, Salvation Army, soup kitchen, etc. and refer people.

    FOR MEMBERS AND ACTIVE ATTENDERS AT PRESENT CHURCH

    We take up a Communion Offering each month that is used, in part, for a Deacons Fund.  Anyone active in the church are elibible for just about any kind of help from this fund, from Utilities to Gasoline.  They also can use the Food Pantry more than once a month.

    The Ministerium here does nothing.  In my last city it was VERY active and provided meals, gas money and hotel for transients (we were near the intersection of a lot of cross-country interestates) as well as help with medicine and utility bills.  Transient aid was co-ordinated through the local police departments, and the medicine aid through the local township office, which would also get those needing help with prescriptions signed up for a state program.

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  • Our policy is that we don't keep money (any money) at the church.  When a need arises, they are sent to a para-church organization in town that deals with issues like this.  They are better equipped than we are at giving assistance.  I am surprised at how many times I will get a call or someone stopping by asking for money.  I ask them if they have talked to this organization and they say "Yes, but they won't help me.", my question is "Why won't they help you?"

    We do have a local missions board that takes care of needs inside the congregation and, when no needs have arisen, send money to other organizations like the above mentioned para-church organization.

    It seems that churches have been an easy target for people looking for hand-outs.  I'll admit, I can be rather stone-hearted because of all the requests, especially those that come back multiple times.  Sometimes it's a wrestling match between being a good steward and being a sucker.

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  • So far the comments have been about individual churches and their policies on helping people in need. Since I'm not currently in a pastoral position and don't have anything new to add to the "church policy" side of the discussion, here's a different perspective, since as I understand the thread, it's about "poverty" in general.

    I'm about to begin my third year of teaching at a private secular school in one of the wealthiest communities in the U.S. Parents pay approximately $17,000 per year per child for tuition, and some families have as many as five children in the school. I'll be teaching at this school three days a week this year.

    The other two days, I'll be teaching at a private Christian school, approximately 10 miles away, in a decent neighborhood, but drawing students from some of the poorest communities in the U.S. Tuition is (I think) around $4,000 per year. (I'm in the L.A. area, so there is a lot of economic diversity within relatively short distances).

    So - within the next few weeks, I'll be working with families on both ends of the economic scale. With all the discussion lately over the issue of "poverty," from sites like this one, and from the election, I'll be observing with interest the differences and similarities between the two populations I'll be working with.

    I'll keep y'all posted.

     

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  • I have been working with the poor in Asia and Africa. I think mistakes we made in the past were to give out too much money. The people don't need hand-outs but hand-ups.

    Sometimes we do have to give direct aid, after a disaster for instance, but normally this is conter-productive. we perpetuate the situation instead of changing it.

    Recently we have been supporting projects that help the poor to support themselves. An example of this would be a cooperative that we started in the Philippines. Around 15 families gathered together to form this co-op. We gave them a litte starting capital (around $ 2000). They were able to pool their meagre resources and work togehter. Our help let them buy seed cheaper in buik (rather than each individual buy it). They could pay cash instead of lending money at exhorbiant intrest rates.

    Members of the co-op were encouraged to work in the area of their gifting (sales person, organisation etc) thus also benefiting from human resource too. We said that we would not give them the capital but only lend it to them - albeit intrest free. Oncew the money is paid back, we will use it to start another co-op.

    The goal was to raise the income of these families from around $ 80 to $ 150. This enables them a better life and gives them the chance to send their children to school.

    It has an aspect of empowerment too. Although we help them, they are breaking free from a dependancy on Western generosity. Hand-outs - even though they may be well menat - are degrading if they continue for too long. "Hand-ups" help to resore dignity.

     

     

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