OUR FINANCIAL POLICY
Dallas Christian Fellowship Church is led by elders. No elder is paid for his work. This is NOT because we feel that such financial support is unscriptural, but because we desire to stand apart from the bad testimony that many Christian workers have had in the matter of finances.
When people ask us whether they can give to support this ministry, we ask them to go through this checklist first:
-
Are you a born-again child of God? It is a great honor and privilege to support the work of God on earth; but that privilege is given only to His born-again children (3 John 1:7).
-
Do you have enough money for your family’s needs? Are you sure that your giving will not put your family under any financial strain? You must take care of your family’s needs first (See Mark 7:9-13 and 1 Tim.5:8). Our Father in heaven is very rich and He (like any rich earthly father) does not want any of His children to starve or suffer in any way, just because they gave Him money for His work.
-
Do you have any large debts to repay? If so, do clear those debts first. God wants His children to live restful lives, free from all debt. We must first give to Caesar what is his, before we can give anything to God, because God does not want us to give Him Caesar’s money, or anyone else’s money (Matt.22:21; Rom.13:8). (Note: A house-loan is not a “debt” (in the meaning in these verses), because the house is an asset that you posses that is equal in value to the loan taken. For the same reason, a vehicle-loan is also not a debt – provided the vehicle is insured for the value of the loan taken).
-
Do you have a clear conscience? Have you done your best to be reconciled with those whom you have hurt in any way? God will not accept any offering from anyone who has hurt someone and still not apologized to that person (Matt.5:23, 24)
-
Are you giving freely and cheerfully – and not under pressure from any man or even from your own conscience? God loves cheerful givers, not reluctant givers. He does not want gifts from those who give under pressure, or who give in order to fulfill some obligation, or who give merely to ease their conscience, or who give in order to get some reward from Him in return (2 Cor.9:7).