[MSrichard]

A good friend of mine and client, who attends this church in upstate NY, has come to me for financial advise since I have experience in this field. He spoke to me about his church and the way they ask for church contributions for events, purchases, renovations, etc. I took a look into their statements and it looked like any regular one I have seen in the past. However, to my understanding from what my client said, this has been manipulated. For one, when the church reports an EXPENSE it must come out from the accounts the church already has. But it does not entirely come from there, but from its members. He told me he gives tithes to the church because it is a law, which is understandable in their belief, but he says that he assumed that ALL expenses are taken out from all the tithes. But he told me he raised suspicion when the church constantly asks for contributions for their events and renovations and asks their members to keep the receipts in order that they be recorded. To my understanding the church fulfills most of its expense from the members, and then records them as expenses in their financials without actually digging into their tithes (cash) account. So I told my good friend why he gives them more cash if every week he is giving upwards of about 100$. He told me they say it is a “blessing” and that those with “willing mind” should contribute, these were his own words. So to me it seems that if they do not contribute, they will be regarded as unfaithful followers and be shunned from others. I wanted to shed some light and see if anyone else encountered such things while attending this church?

On another note, my friend said the main pastor with a passion compares his church to the Jehovah’s witnesses church and that their church should be more majestic then theirs. He believes this is coveting, and coming from the main person seems incorrect. He is still attending the church until this day.

-Rich