On Wednesday, Pastor Rick Warren asked members of his church, through a letter posted online, for $900,000 in donations before the new year. Pastor Warren cited the vast drop in donations at the end of the year for the need of such a sum and compiled a list of programs his church sponsors as the destination for the money to be raised. Saddleback Church is involved in a food pantry, homeless ministry, counseling and support groups, among other things. However, the plea came only days before the new year and many thought raising such a large amount would be difficult, if not impossible, but the church was given $2.4 million in donations before years end.
There is backlash from a variety of people and comments on message boards carrying this story are filled with individuals who believe this is all a scam, Rick Warren is a con man, the church is using God as an excuse to milk money out of people for personal gain, etc.
Yet, Pastor Warren’s church does have its hand in charitable work, working with the Global Summit on AIDS, and their P.E.A.C.E. program which seeks to combat disease, poverty, illiteracy, and help provide an education for the less fortunate.
While no church is perfect and there are many negatives to be said against mega churches. Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church received nothing short of what many call a miraculous gift in the $2.4 million donation that, according to reports, came in at no more than $100 at a time.
However, many opponents of this church seem to have categorized and vilified Rick Warren as they hang on to these old ideas of stereotypical evangelists who were indeed corrupt and misused donations. Antagonists of the church are calling for such mega churches to be taxed since they are just businesses serving the needs of the administration, but is this an accurate depiction?
Should we pass judgment on churches like Saddleback simply because of corruption from other evangelists in the past? If the actions of men and women from the past fall on those in the now, then everyone from big businesses to government has a lot to answer for.
The question that needs to be posed is, if Saddleback is using their money to minister to people in a variety of ways, why is there so much bitterness? Many seem to be angry over church members supporting their church in such a phenomenal way, cynical as to the motives for donations, and crying out that such a successful church should be taxed for their member’s generosity.
Do any of these arguments hold water or do those who are outside of the church, or the Christian faith for that matter, have any right to complain?
What are your thoughts?
