Leadership & Ethics
(The opinions presented in this article are those of Dan Dick and do not necessarily reflect those of The General Board of Discipleship and The United Methodist Church)

A recent United Methodist News Service article, written by Matthew Carlisle, about the implications of gambling funds indirectly affecting the construction of the new South Indiana Conference building, invites some reflection for trustees and other church leaders about the sources of the gifts we receive. In our materialistic society, money is power; and even the church devotes an inordinate amount of time in soliciting, receiving, managing, spending, and investing funds. The modern gospel of "more" (more members, more programs, more staff, more building, etc.) makes the acquisition of funds all the more important. The question arises, however, whether we as church leaders should be concerned about where the money comes from that channels into, and through, our church. For John Wesley, the way we earn and acquire money is every bit as important as the way we spend, invest, and give it. Our Social Principles lay out behaviors and practices that we as United Methodists believe are proper and improper. As a denomination, we require investments to align with the letter and spirit of the Social Principles. But what about gifts? On a monthly basis, I receive about ten phone calls from pastors, district superintendents, bishops, and trustees concerning the interpretation of our Book of Discipline and various trustee codes. In the past year, I have received questions similar to these (minor changes are made to protect confidentiality):

• "We received a gift to remodel our sanctuary from a man who was subsequently arrested and convicted of drug trafficking. Should we keep the money?"
• "We want to put cigarette vending machines in some of our public areas at the church as a way to raise funds. Does anything in the Discipline prohibit this?"
• "One of our best givers turns out to be a prostitute. She sings in our choir, serves on the staff-parish committee, and teaches Sunday school. There are some people who feel she should be stripped of her leadership positions, but I'm afraid she might leave the church or stop giving. What advice do you have?"
• "A church member won the lottery and wants to give us ten percent, but the pastor says we can't accept it. Can we?"
• "The patriarch of a family-owned distillery passed away, leaving us literally thousands of shares of stock in the company. Is this a problem?"
• "We are able to build our new sanctuary thanks to the gifts we received from 'Big Tobacco.' Now people are threatening to leave the church because they think it is inappropriate; however, they weren't willing to pony up the funds!"

Cynically, we could say, "Well, thank goodness the church gets the money away from the forces of evil so that it can be turned to good use!" But is this an abdication of a deeper responsibility? Shouldn't the church attempt to offer models of countercultural values, behaviors, and lifestyles?

Is there a clear doctrinal policy or ethical position for The United Methodist Church to take? Possibly, but I am not the one to state it. Our episcopal leadership may need to discuss such issues and offer an "official" position. And I emphasize position, because we are speaking of opinion here, not truth. We hold a wide variety of opinions about gambling, drugs, drinking, smoking, and sexual practices. I know of people who abhor casino gambling but buy lottery tickets each week. I have a good friend who rails against drinking while sipping a beer. ("Beer and wine don't count — I'm talking about the hard stuff!") I know a woman who works for a "Big Tobacco" company to channel hundreds of thousands of dollars to education and literacy programs, safe houses, and drug rehabilitation programs. I have spoken with the prostitute from the example above, and she is dead-set against drinking and drugs.

I think the point is not to waste a lot of time establishing a universal decree that binds all United Methodist churches in all places, but to offer a friendly counsel to our annual conference and congregational leaders, especially trustees: "Establish working policies and agreements about what gifts are acceptable and appropriate, and what gifts are not — well in advance of the time you might receive them."

What I see tearing churches (and a couple of annual conferences) apart is a gift that is received from a questionable source where there is no policy, precedent, or leadership direction in place to determine whether or not to accept the gift. Too often, arguments are created simply because the church needs the money, so justification is developed to explain why receiving the gift is okay. When policies are developed apart from the pressure of an imminent situation, calmer heads prevail; and the Holy Spirit often receives a fairer hearing.

One church has a very clear statement about receiving gifts. It says:

"Where our money comes from is as important to us and to God as where it will go. We do not believe it is right to receive funds from gambling, tobacco, alcohol, illegal drug, or illegal activity sources. We encourage all people to put their money to good and charitable use, and we support the individual person's right to give money to good causes. But in cases where the funds come from the above-mentioned sources, we will not, as a congregation, intentionally receive them."

I encourage every board of trustees to examine the way the local church receives its funds and to work with the church council leadership to develop an ethical position based on the core values of the congregation and on the Social Principles of The Book of Discipline.

Dan R. Dick is a former staff member of the General Board of Discipleship.

Posted 6-12-01