<> Ask the Pastor The Rev. Walter Snyder I haven't decided if I'm busier in the "slow" months of summer, when school's out, or if the pace is more hectic in the fall. Aside from regular duties and visits, daddy work and "honey-dos," have come trips to Beaumont and Houston to see some hospitalized members of Faith and St. Paul. Now both of the congregations I serve are getting ready for new Bible studies. We're going to run a "Supper Club" at Faith, Woodville on Tuesdays and at St. Paul, Jasper on Wednesdays. Table fellowship will be a part of the Christian fellowship as we break bread together while breaking the Bread of Life together. Q: I am having difficulty with one of our members.... At the church ... the telephone is in use and the majority of the calls are church-related, however, some are personal. When trying the one-on-one approach by showing the itemized statement for this person to reimburse the church on personal calls, I am told more money will be put into the Sunday offering plate to cover these calls. Correct me if I am wrong, but year-ending, won't all these contributions come off an itemized income tax return - and give a tax break for personal calls that are being called contributions to the church. I feel this is cheating on income tax and lying about what was actually given to God's church. I feel very uncomfortable letting this continue and being around this person. What is your belief on this subject? A: Many people use workplace equipment for their own advantage. Phones and copiers are probably the most abused. You do not say that this person is making church-related toll calls at home to offset personal calls from work, so I don't see how the scales balance on his or her behalf. I agree with you that it is wrong to take a tax deduction on such action. The question remains, how will you deal with the problem? The Scriptures are clear in both Old and New Testaments that this behavior is not countenanced by our Lord. From the Ten Commandments, stealing and false witness are both involved. From the prophets, the apostles, and from Christ himself, we have a clear message that the authorities are from God, and that laws should be obeyed and legitimate taxes paid. Not only does using the church phone give this person a break on income tax. Your rates are probably lower because you are not paying the same state or federal taxes, either. Thus, the government loses again. The same holds true for using faxes, copiers, and the like. And often, the loss of tax revenue extends beyond the church. Many businesses buy at wholesale, and the taxes they pay on equipment, paper, and supplies are not the same that a consumer would pay in the open market. Even one of those ten-cent copiers at the supermarket puts part of its take into the tax coffers, while using office supplies may avoid this tax. Unless you are a specially constituted person indeed, you have probably gone as far as you can on your own. Because this is not just an offense against an individual (yourself), you could bring this up to your congregation at large. But since you have started dealing with this one-on- one, I recommend that you follow the example beginning at Matthew 18:15 in dealing with a personal offense. Bring the pastor or an officer of your congregation into the matter, and see if the two of you can settle matters. If not, maybe a more formal group of church officers could deal with the situation. In all you do, remember that the chief purpose of such dealings should be to regain your erring brother or sister. Thus, avoid harshness and speak kindly. You would probably also be well-served by getting your church to establish a more formal policy about the use of church equipment. Perhaps your church needs to limit personal calls to local calls only, or calls only in emergencies. It's one thing for someone to occasionally pick up the business phone and call home or a repair shop or some such. Many companies tolerate occasional use, since it can make for a happier work force. But if you are going to deal with reimbursement, make sure that you do not aid and abet intentional disregard of the tax code. Likewise, don't allow a situation which takes money your church members have given for the extension of God's kingdom to be wasted by personal abuse of privilege. Thus passes another week. Remember to "Ask the Pastor" your questions at P.O. Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or catch me around town. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches, Jasper and Woodville and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1996 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.